Photo by ellievanhoutte.

As they considered a damning report on crime statistics yesterday, Metro’s board of directors had another brainstorm: cutting back on public school students’ ability to ride the Metro on nights and weekends using new student transit passes. The city currently hands out about 16,000 transit subsidies to D.C. public school students during the school year, but given recent problems with teenagers fighting on trains and platforms and committing crimes — the Examiner reports that Metro police arrested 507 juveniles in 2010, about one-quarter of all arrests made last year — city officials are looking to exert a little more control over the privilege, and keeping better tabs on troublemakers.

“Unfortunately, our young people are running in groups, and they are taking advantage of people,” Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn said. He discussed the plan Thursday during a meeting of Metro’s board of directors. … “A lot of the increase [in crime] can be attributed to young people stealing the iPods,” Taborn said.

“If Metro police stop someone, say, a youth acting out, they don’t have to tell them their name or school,” said Tommy Wells, a Metro board member from the District. “Right now, there is not much consequence” for bad behavior. Youths who violate rules could also be banned from using the card for a time period, or their misconduct could be reported to their school, officials said.

“If Johnny Jones has issues on the transit system, he doesn’t play basketball,” Taborn said.

Of course, Johnny could always still pay the normal fare to get into the system if he really wanted to swipe an iPhone.