DETROIT – Since the beginning of the school year, Detroit transit police have been riding city buses to make sure students get to and from class without becoming a victim of crime.
Tamia Addy, an eleventh-grader, told Local 4 she's been robbed before.
"They target us at the bus stop, on the bus, after the bus," she said.
Purses, cellphones, iPods and laptops have all been stolen from students who ride city buses. Starting this week, even more transit police will be making themselves visible.
"They should be very, very mindful that we will be there just in case our young folks need some assistance," said Detroit Transit Police Chief Sidney Bogan. "We're going to have systematic random patrol."
Bogan said his department's officers are fully sworn to have power throughout Wayne County and Detroit.
The Detroit Public Schools District is also working with the transit police department to help officers focus in on high-crime areas.
"We're going to be paying particular attention and working, based on the data that's supplied to us, based upon hot spots and trouble areas," Bogan said.
District spokesman Steve Wasko said it's all in an effort to make sure students get the best education they can.
"If the child is not getting on the bus because they are fearful or their parent doesn't want them to enter that environment, we want to knock down the barrier too so they can get to school and have a full day of learning," he said.