The number of robberies on the Metro has increased, and thieves are targeting passengers using electronic devices near the doors and riders wearing North Face jackets, Metro spokespeople said last week.
Metro Transit Police have reported 454 robberies since July, up from only 328 at the same time last year, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesperson Cathy Asato said. In the last three months more than 50 people have been arrested for robberies, and citations and written warnings are also on the rise, she added.
Thieves target passengers who use electronic devices while standing or sitting near the door, and Metro police are now placing uniformed and plainclothes officers on trains to catch criminals in the act, she said.
“It’s their easy way to get out,” Asato said. “So they’ll wait until the doors open, they’ll grab a person’s cell phone or MP3 player out of their hands, and exit the doors right before they close.”
People wearing or carrying coats manufactured by North Face are also being reportedly targeted. D.C.’s FOX affiliate reported that the assistant chief of WMATA, Jeff Telinski, said the agency will be placing plainclothes officers in North Face jackets to bait robbers.
Asato said passengers can protect themselves by remaining aware of their surroundings at all times, concealing expensive electronics in a pocket or purse and reporting any crime or suspicious activity to transit police as soon as possible.
“I think people probably don’t protect their stuff as well as they should,” said senior Jamie George, who takes the Metro to campus every day. “If I have my iPod on, I’ll just have it in my ears, but I’ll have it in my pocket with my hand on it. Same thing with my phone. My bag is usually closed.”
Sophomore Keaghan Ames, who stood by the door of a train on the Blue and Orange line Thursday heading towards Foggy Bottom with headphones visibly extending from his backpack, said he is not fazed by the robberies and doesn’t plan on hiding his electronics.
“But if somebody sketchy comes up to me, I obviously won’t take out my iPhone,” Ames said. “Robberies are going to take place. We’re just really spoiled because we have a great campus. So I think people sometimes take that for granted, especially when you go into the rest of the city.”
Once the doors close, victims are usually out of luck, Asato said.
“We do our best to recover property, but there’s no guarantee,” Asato said.
