Crime: Falls Church Metro Stations on Top 10 List in Virginia
Electronic device "snatchings" up 30 percent from 2011 to 2012.
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The East Falls Church and West Falls Church Metro stations both made the top ten list of stations with the most crime in Virginia, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 2012 security report.
Most of the crime increase on the Metro system wide from 2011 to 2012 is attributable to a 30 percent increase in snatches of small electronic devices and pickpockets, according to WMATA.
There were 671 pick-pocketing incidents and electronic “snatchings” on the Metro system overall in 2012, up from 520 incidents in 2011.
Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn will discuss the report Thursday during his security report to the Metro Board Safety and Security Committee. The report was released to the public Monday.
The full list of the top 10 stations in Virginia with the most crime:
- Franconia-Springfield 32 crimes reported, 1 arrest
- King Street 24 crime reported, 3 arrests
- Vienna 20 crimes reported, 0 arrests
- Braddock Road 15 crimes reported, 0 arrests
- Huntington 14 crimes reported, 1 arrest
- Ballston 13 crimes reported, 2 arrests
- West Falls Church 12 crimes reported, 2 arrests
- Pentagon City 11 crimes reported, 7 arrests
- East Falls Church 9 crimes reported, 1 arrest
- Rosslyn 7 crimes reported, 0 arrests
Other report highlights:
Parking lot crime reached a ten-year low in 2012.
Metro has started having undercover officers to deter crimes. Officers hold decoy electronic devices, become “victims” and make arrests. In 2012, a total of 149 arrests system wide were made as a result of crime suppression team activity, according to Metro.
The Metro stations with the most crimes overall (includes DC, Maryland, and Virginia):
- Anacostia 119 crimes reported, 40 arrests made
- College Park 67 crimes reported, 5 arrests made
- L’Enfant Plaza 59 crimes reported, 21 arrests made
- Gallery Place 58 crimes reported, 14 arrests made
- West Hyattsville 53 crimes reported, 13 arrests made
- New Carrollton 52 crimes reported, 6 arrests made
- Rhode Island Avenue 52 crimes reported, 24 arrests made
- Largo Town Center 50 crimes reported, 3 arrests made
- Minnesota Avenue 48 crimes reported, 9 arrests made
- Metro Center 48 crimes reported, 8 arrests made
Do you feel safe at the Falls Church area Metro stations? Have you witnessed an electronic device snatching? Tell us in the comments!
Jeff Shuman
1:38 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
What a misleading headline. It gives readers the impression the Falls Church stations have lots of crime, when just the opposite is true. It's also worth noting that Virginia has only 19 Metro stations - - you can be in the "top 10" and "bottom half" at the same time. And this includes stations such as Arlington Cemetery (not too many commuters there, unless we have a zombie outbreak) and National Airport (lots of security for other reasons). Look at the overall Metro crime picture, take comfort from the fact that the Falls Church stations do just fine, and then don't get complacent, because you can still be a victim.
John Strother
9:59 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
If there is so much crime at the Falls Church Metro stations, then why hasn't it been published before this? The most I have ever heard about West Falls Church Metro was the stealing of bicycles that were left at the bike rack for months at a time.
I bet that this report, uses data of crimes that are within the general area of the Metro Stations in it's report. Doesn't mean the stations are dangerous, it means the neighborhoods are dangerous.
As for the electronic snatching, how many were left behind and wasn't turned into lost and found? For instance, I lost my cell phone, when I left it on the seat next to me and I left the train without it. When I inquired at Lost and Found, I was told it was never turned in. Is it thief? Or is it finder keepers, loser weepers?
Rk
2:49 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
True that statistics can be misleading, but there is some comfort in the fact that, except for Springfield Franconia, the worst VA stations have half or less the reported crime than the top 10 stations overall. Let's hope it stays that way...