Crime prevention measures
The apparent success in crime prevention for the São Paulo Metro Com­pany is accounted for by a number of factors. For one, much care is put into the beautification of the metro stations and the creation of a pleasant atmosphere. Decorative art is applied plentifully and the architecture creates an atmosphere of openness, airiness, and beauty. Social control is ever-present and there is a large number of well-trained security officers (549). Trains are frequent (one train every 110 seconds during peak hours) and both the trains and the stations are clean and well-maintained. Both the staff and security personnel are friendly to passengers and helpful in cases of accidents and health problems. Special care is taken for the transportation of football supporters, who are befriended by the security personnel in exchange for respect. The procedure of constructing one operational section at the time is well used by the São Paulo Metropolitan Company to learn from the experiences gathered during the construction and operation of the preceding metro sections.

Source: López, M.J.J., Crime Prevention Guidelines for the Construction & Management of Metro Systems, Den Haag: RCM-advies 1996, pg. 26-28.

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