Crime drops on San Francisco's Muni Railway

Overall crime on the Municipal Railway (Muni) system has fallen by 30 percent and cell phone thefts have decreased by 77 percent since May 2013, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) officials announced earlier this week.

The drop in crime on Muni trains follows a partnership launched in November 2013 with the San Francisco Police Department to deploy more officers on the system to increase security. Uniformed patrols riding trains provide visual deterrence for terrorism and criminal activity, SFMTA officials said in a press release.

Mobile devices have been the target in the vast majority of robbery cases, which is why the city also launched the "Eyes Up, Phones Down" anticrime and public awareness campaign in August 2013.

As part of the campaign, Transit Fare Inspectors handed out anti-crime tip cards with cell phone screen cleaners to riders. The second wave of the campaign launched last month. Rders are reminded to be aware of their surroundings at Muni stations, stops and on vehicles.

"This inter-agency partnership has not only made it safer to ride Muni but is essential to deterring criminal activity in San Francisco," said SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin. "While enforcement is a vital component to public safety, Muni passengers also play a large part in preventing opportunities for crime, so we continue to remind people to keep their eyes up and their phones down."