Exploring Transit Police Arrests on a Large, Urban, Multi-Modal System

• In Event: Use of Force in a Transit Agency

Abstract

Every day, large numbers of commuters use the rails, trollies and buses of public transportation to attend to their daily routines. Transit Authority Police are a specialized policing agency responsible for securing the safety of their commuters within the unique jurisdictional boundaries of the transit authority. This paper explores arrests and use of force incidents by Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) police. Although SEPTA police protect 2,200 square-miles of service area, their responses are addressed at the local neighborhood level where crime occurs. Arrestee and officer demographics, as well as neighborhood characteristics where the arrest occurred are examined. The analyzed sample includes all arrests with and without use of force in the City of Philadelphia by SETPA police between the years 2009 and 2016.

Authors

• Eric McCord, University of Louisville

• Kimberly Houser, Rowan University

• Evan T. Sorg, Rowan University

• Carla Lewandowski, Rowan University

• Natalie Schell-Busey, Rowan University