Passenger Trains > DC: too many cops on subways, not on the buses

The Washington Post has an article about plans to deploy District of Columbia police to support DC Metro Transit officers as buses increasingly come under rock attacks in some neighborhoods. Some observers believe DC Metro assigns too many officers to patrol the subways, and too few to protect the buses.

The issue received considerable attention when DC Metro announced plans to abandon several night time bus routes in neighborhoods where crime and rock throwing caused serious danger to passengers and drivers.

>>Some residents and bus drivers at Monday’s hearing said the disparity in the number of officers assigned to Metrobus and Metrorail show the transit agency’s priority.

“They are protecting their interest, which is the subway,” Michael Barnes, a Metrobus driver, said during a heated public hearing where several riders argued that Metro has not addressed their safety concerns.

“They always want to get rid of the bus because they figure poor people ride the bus, so they got no love for us,” Barnes said. “When I call transit, they ain’t nowhere to be found.”<<



http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/metro-police-chief-officials-cite-lack-of-resources-to-address-crime-on-metrobuses/2012/12/04/2d883c9c-3e4f-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_story.html

Tonight in DC, somebody shot dead a woman riding a Metro bus and wounded a 4 year old child with her. They could use some more police on the bus.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/woman-killed-baby-shot-boarding-bus/2012/12/09/8761a058-425c-11e2-9648-a2c323a991d6_blog.html?hpid=z4
Clarence

Heck, Those cops don't want to get on those buses. It's dangerous!

John

Yes but who's going to pay for all these cops? The people who ride the bus.

jimbokat Wrote:
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> Yes but who's going to pay for all these cops? The
> people who ride the bus.


That's a classic chicken and egg argument. People have the right to safe, or reasonably safe, public transit. Putting all of your cops on the subway and few on the buses is not a good strategy for keeping passengers, drivers, and buses safe. People on subways don't have an inalienable right to safe travel and bus folks in Southeast are on their own.

My condolences to the family of the dead people.

DC isn't an especially safe place, that's for sure. Unlike NY and Boston, the overall policing strategy has NOT focused on flooding dangerous areas with police, conducting stop and frisk in high crime areas to get guns and warrant targets off the street, etc. Having areas where buses are regularly pelted with rocks and bricks suggests areas where consistent police presence is absent or ineffective or worse.

Is it true Congress rides the subway but not the bus?

mapboy

I dunno, but cops on the bus wouldn't stop shooters from outside the bus in the street. Just sayin.

mapboy Wrote:
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> Is it true Congress rides the subway but not the
> bus?
>
> mapboy

Congress has its own private subway. Runs from the capitol building to the office building. Since it is for members only, I don't think it qualifies as mass transit.

I'd be astounded if anyone in Congress or the Administration or the DC Council actually rides the DC Metro bus.


BTW, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this strategy appears to be a legacy of the outgoing DC Metro police chief / incoming Amtrak police chief. Her strategy suggests some places will get heavy coverage by police, and others won't see an officer (ever).

Let's see; punks rock and shoot at buses, passengers are killed--so they cancel
bus routes while cops do nothing. Chief is then hired to run Amtrak police. Can
we then assume Joe Boardman did or approved this hiring?

We already know DC is the "National Shame" for a great many reasons.

What does this say about Joe? What does this say about Amtrak?

Our nation's capital city, supposedly a shrine to the most civilized government on earth, is about as safe as the jungles.
Wonderful.
Besides their funhouse subway , looks like Metro buses are also on my 'never ride' list.
Merry Christmas.