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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

City Metro Transit Authorities Won't Renew Private Security Contract

Posted by Cienna Madrid on Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 7:00 AM

Metro Transit authorities are transitioning to a new private security contract inside the downtown transit tunnel following a January 28 assault at Westlake Station. The assault, which left one girl beaten while Security guards watched, apparently doing nothing to intervene as court records indicate, has prompted the Metropolitan King County Council’s Environment and Transportation Committee to revise its transit tunnel safety measures.

“By adding armed Sheriff’s deputies and Seattle Police officers, we are reassuring the public that the transit tunnels are safe and the actions at the Westlake Station will not be tolerated,” said King County Council Vice Chair Jane Hague.

In response to the assault, the committee asked Metro Transit Police Chief Dave Jutilla to brief the committee about security measures in place to keep passengers and transit operators safe.

Major Jutilla reported that Metro has been supplementing its 68 Transit Police officers with private security. Operator assaults are given high priority for transit police resources and that Metro reported an average of 15 operator assaults—ranging from spitting to any unwanted contact per month in 2009. Of those assaults, less than two per month were serious assaults on operators.

On average, Metro Transit Police made 275 arrests and issued 130 suspensions per month in 2009. Suspensions prohibit a person from using the transit system for a specified amount of time (violating a suspension can result in a trespassing charge). In 2009, roughly 50,000 riders used the tunnel each weekday, and 19 crimes against persons—including 4 aggravated assaults—were reported and investigated by Transit Police, resulting in 6 arrests.

Comments (13) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Funny, the tunnels and stations are perfectly safe if you're not a criminal, gangbanger or little thievin' bee-ach.

Posted by Some people ask for it on February 24, 2010 at 6:48 AM

And no one said a thing about the larger problem of outsourcing of work to private industry which should really be done by public agencies.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on February 24, 2010 at 7:35 AM

Thanks Light Rail for connecting us with the neighborhoods these hoodlums come from!

Posted by zzip on February 24, 2010 at 7:35 AM

I wonder how well sheriff's deputies and SPD will work together. They sure seem pretty different in how they interact with the public, and one gets the impression there's no love lost between the two agencies.

Posted by TVDinner

on February 24, 2010 at 8:27 AM

If the Metro Transit Police issued citations to those non-paying riders (like in real cities around the world) they could maybe pay for themselves AND increase ticket revenue. Issuing citations cannot be done well by rent-a-cops because you are dealing with drunk angry people that attempt to skirt the system and avoid detection. I was pretty impressed with Melbourne's system when the cops would converge on a train with frightening speed. The drunk brutes they had to deal with on a regular basis was also frightening. People that would put their fist through the window in anger when they got caught. Yikes!

Posted by Bill W.

on February 24, 2010 at 8:33 AM

25 -- please stop referring to other places, and what they do in transit. Seattlehas the best transit in the world and we're also the most open minded, diversity loving crew in the world, but please, when you compare and judge like that you make our transit officials feel humiliated, like when we allow a circus and it makes the bears feel humiliated?

So it's probably a bit more considerate to never, ever make these comparisons, okay?

Posted by "Great Seattle listener" on February 24, 2010 at 8:48 AM

Simple solution, if people act up on or near any form of public transit KILL THEM! Tha's right haul their sorry asses into the street and pump 23 bullets in their head and chest. Problem solved!

*stay tuned for more of "Cato's Solutions for Everything" today on Slog!*

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on February 24, 2010 at 8:57 AM

I've never felt particularly unsafe in the bus tunnel. Then again, I'm only in the tunnel to either a) commute to/from work, or b) go to/from a bar or movie theater or some other entertainment venue. If I was a layabout, loitering teenager with a long criminal record and a penchant for talking shit and picking fights, then yeah, I might feel unsafe.

Posted by Hernandez

on February 24, 2010 at 10:10 AM

Exactly Hernandez, Seattle is very safe for white liberals. Seriously, when we want to pick a fight we either 1. Start a petition or 2. Hire a lawyer.

But I support having more police on the system, it will mean these kids will know they are not welcomed by civilized society.

Posted by Davy Jones on February 24, 2010 at 10:42 AM

This poor girl went into the bus tunnel, where there was security that she, like probably everyone who ever sees "security", assumed was there to keep her safe. Instead they're untrained, minimum wage hall monitors who should never have worn jackets with "Security" printed on them. This assault is proof that there is no security for anyone in the bus tunnel. Armed law enforcement officials, even the brute squad that are the Transit deputies, would at least have tazered and arrested them both.

Posted by Tremodian on February 24, 2010 at 11:50 AM

@2 and @10 ftw Dual Curling Babe win.

Gold and Silver medals all around!

Posted by Will in Seattle

on February 24, 2010 at 11:59 AM

"This poor girl went into the bus tunnel"

Looking to mug someone no doubt.

Karma is a bitch and it had Aeisha-Slamma-lamma-ding-ding-deshawnterey-Baker-Steward's name on it that day.

Posted by Davy Jones on February 24, 2010 at 12:35 PM

I think the fact that they are replacing Olympic Security has nothing to do with this beating. I think the International Olympic Committee sued them over their name.

Posted by Reg on February 24, 2010 at 2:07 PM