UTA hopes hotline will foil transit criminals

To thwart crimes ranging from terrorism to car burglaries, UTA officials announced Monday the creation of a special hotline that can turn the riders on buses and TRAX trains into helpful eyes and ears.

"What we're asking the public to do is to be aware of their surroundings and to help UTA continue to be a safe transit system," said UTA spokesman Justin Jones.

UTA's announcement comes after a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning of a possible terrorist attack targeting a transit system in the United States.

"Educating the public about what to look for and how to respond in the event of a potential, or actual, emergency will go a long way toward making all the people who live and work along the Wasatch Front feel more secure," said UTA public safety manager Clyde Palmer.

Patterned after the popular Neighborhood Watch Program, UTA's Transit Watch is part of a nationwide initiative developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration to deal with public-safety issues, Jones said.

The project will ask both members of the public and UTA employees alike to be actively involved in staying alert for any criminal activity or anything suspicious, including unattended items.

Jones said UTA patrons will begin seeing posters aboard buses and at TRAX stations with what to watch out for and a special number to call: 801-287-EYES (3937). The number patches callers directly into UTA's public-safety dispatch.

Palmer said in particular, UTA wants people to keep an eye out for unattended backpacks or other carry-ons. "This is not a number for lost and found, however," Jones said.

Worries of terrorism aside, UTA officials are also hoping that Transit Watch will also help them deal with more localized problems, such as the rash of auto burglaries at some park-and-ride lots. Statistics from UTA showed that in 2003, 53 cars were stolen from the 11 lots near TRAX stations. That, however, is out of the 15,000 vehicles that use the lots daily. Patrons can also use the number to call in disorderly behavior on a TRAX train or suspicious activity in park-and-ride lots.

Jones said the number should be used to report suspicious circumstances, but added the line is not for quality-control issues. UTA already has a number for customer complaints: 888-RIDE-UTA (743-3882).

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