***** Secure and Tranquil Travel's Preventing Crime and Disorder on Public Transport. Martha J. Smith and Derek B. Cornish, eds.; published by Willan Publishing, www.willanpublishing.co.uk [1] (Web); 238 Pages; $55.

The challenges faced by transportation security professionals in the 21st Century are growing, both in number and in complexity. Unfortunately, Secure and Tranquil Travel may not be the place to find the latest solutions to current problems.

While the book pulls together benchmarks from top transit authorities across the world, providing the reader with suggested best practices to enhance security and mitigate the risk of crime, the information provided appears dated.

The editors offer a systematic approach to identifying and understanding local transportation crime, which they divide into five categories: antisocial behavior; theft, assaults and robberies against passengers; assaults and robberies against employees; vandalism and graffiti; and “line-of-route” crimes.

They present a diverse toolkit of mitigation strategies and raise questions that decision makers must consider before implementing policy.

The text is supported by ample photos, charts, graphs, and statistics as well, but unfortunately, as noted, the information is not current. That leaves the reader curious as to whether the advice provided is useful in today’s threat environment. There is, for example, little mention of terrorism, a top concern for any transportation security professional.

The book provides a well-blended approach to combating chronic security challenges in public transportation, and security managers may benefit from reading it, but they will have to look elsewhere for a more comprehensive and up-to-date discussion of transit security.

Reviewer: Dean R. Sydlowski, CPP, is a security advisor for the Edmonton Transit System in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Sydlowski is also an active member of ASIS International.

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