What would you do about public transportation security?
Our story today talks about violent attacks that have occurred around several MetroLink stations caused by roving bands of teens and young adults.
There have been at least three attacks — including an assault by a group of at least 20 on a family near the Forest Park MetroLink station.
And later in the story…
Metro officials said they believe the attacks at the Forest Park and Delmar stations were related, but St. Louis police said they had not connected them. In the Delmar incident, two or three youths were attacked by a large group on the westbound platform at 11:36 p.m. Security tapes show a large group of youths surrounding the victims as they sat on a bench.
One week later, on Saturday night, an employee of the Pi pizza parlor at 6144 Delmar Boulevard was assaulted and robbed of his cell phone at a parking lot across the street near the Pageant theater, police said. Later, a group of youths attacked a restaurant employee near the outdoor dining area.
Police are stepping up security. What would you do about it? Few enough people can use Metro. Does this affect how much use it will get? Would you be dissuaded from using public transportation because of reports like this?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
I’m sorry billybob, I’m not sure what you mean.(honestly)
Unfortunately, the percentage of black people who are poor is a lot higher than white people (JUST A FACT). I am sure the black youths who commit these Metrolink crimes aren’t from CBC classes.
The white-flight in St. Louis city (when a lot of whites left the city)…true this was a race thing (black/white), but it was more a money thing. White people (especially in the 60’s) have a lot more money than black people (generally). Leaving the residenence in the city with a considerably lower income level than before.
St. Louis city (especially 15 years ago), was scary, because it was poor and broken down. Investing into a city or an area is the only way to truly change it. You can see it in Maplewood (compared to 10-20 years ago). People are investing in Maplewood, it’s pretty close geographically to Clayton, Brentwood, the have the Metrolink, etc.
There are a lot of outside factors that are going into turning Maplewood around. It’s not like every resident in Maplewood decided to start taking care of their lawns.
This Maplewood example is like St. Louis city. But I digress…
I ride the train nearly every weekday and at all hours. I’ve never had a problem or even seen one. But I take the Shrewsbury line as I come from Brentwood. It seems that a lot of the troubles are on the Lambert trains. There is always a guard at Brentwood on one side or the other and I see guards at all the stations I pass through. No one has mentioned the attack on a SLU employeed at the (top level of the) Grand station a few weeks back, where he was robbed of his backpack at 5:45 pm on a Friday. Now SLU has their DPS officers on the platform during rush hours, but an attack at that time is amazing and disturbing. I appreciate the increased security presence.
I used to be asked daily when I reached the Brentwood platform for my ticket. It was annoying but that has stopped since Securitas took over. I think it’s a good way to cut some trouble off at the pass. Why don’t they check tickets anymore? They sure do hard-core after the baseball games. That should change.
I think this issue is just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, these youths in the related attacks were near stations when everything happened. But they weren’t necessarily on the trains. Police presence has to step up and STL cops need to care more. But police can’t be everywhere. If I saw a group of 20 kids walking down the street at midnight, I’d call the police. Tell me no one saw this mob as they moved from Delmar to Forest Park and therefore couldn’t call the police.
Bottom line: Continue stepping up patrols at platforms and related parking lots and bus stops. Perhaps some get the mindset that, since there is no fare turnstile, they’re free to loiter and therefore cause trouble as a result.
Decrease the access to the platforms. Other city mass transit (i.e. Chicago) will not allow you onto the platform without a valid ticket. Our system is wide open so anyone can hang around on or gain access to the platforms. Restrictive barriers such as turnstiles requiring ticket swipe would minimize the platforms being used as hangouts.
Race is irrelevant to the topic at hand – which is “What would you do about public transportation security?” Race may have some relevance if the topic was “Who do you think is more likely to commit crime on Public Transportation?” - but that ISN’T THE TOPIC. Whether you are attacked by a black person or a white person should make No difference in your response.
So, to be on topic: I think an increase in Police presence is a good start. Several people have mentioned that people board with no ticket – let’s make sure the Police check for tickets. If a person is found to not have one, don’t kick them off to try again on a different train – arrest them and prosecute them. If a person is belligerent and abusive to other passengers, kick them off. If someone threatens violence, arrest them. It won’t take long and the trains will become known as a place where you can’t get away with anything – and then the crime will decrease.
As for the CCW discussion, I think it’s only a matter of time until someone files suit against the city for preventing them from carrying on public transportation. I think the city will loose the case, and all appeals. I see the end result being people are allowed to carry on public transportation, the city looses millions of tax dollars due to legal fees, and crime goes down on the train/bus. I understand passionate arguments against guns, but the statistics aren’t emotional – when people are allowed to carry, crime goes down. Dispute it? Consider this, where are you safer: the Metro link train where guns are banned, or a Firing range where everyone is armed?
I am a white woman who was assaulted by another white woman while riding the MetroLink a few years ago. The inebriate woman was riding with her husband and two teenage sons. No passengers (mostly white) on the train stepped up to help me while she continued to sling profanities my way after the physical attack. I still ride the MetroLink. A few weeks ago, some young black men were behaving badly on the train home from work. A few of the black passengers chastised these young men and forced them off the train. Go figger. It takes all types, folks. This stuff can happen anywhere and to anybody.
“What would you do about public transportation security?”
Waive the law making trains and buses unarmed victim zones.
I don’t ride the MetroLink mostly because I like the freedom of my car and, mostly, because it doesn’t go close to my babysitters house. However, I have to agree with someone who posted about using it to go downtown for an event. I can park in the Macy’s garage for $5 and not sit on a crowded train with all the drunk people (OK, in my pre-hubby/kid days, that might have been me, but not now) who’ve been sweating it up at the stadium or something.
As far as security goes, I agree that increased police presence (not “security guards”) could have an effect. Why is there never a cop around when you need one? It seems like when I’m late for work and speeding they’re right there with the radar gun… Oh well, that’s another topic too for another day (along with that whole race issue).
Welcome to St. Louis the MOST Dangerous city in the USA, no matter what the Mayor might say.
I ride the MetroLink Monday-Friday, every day from Hanley to Central West End. I have never had a serious problem, except someone in front of me when I was walking out of the MetroLink had their wallet stolen. However, I HATE riding the MetroLink because so many people are inconsiderate, and to be honest, most of them are black. They play their radios and ipods so loud. The other day I was on the Link and a young, black kid was listening to his ipod super loud and when someone asked him to turn it down, he laughed and made an inappropriate comment. I feel semi-safe on the MetroLink during the day but at night…that is an entirely different story. I rode the Metro Link at night from the Galleria to Hanley (switching trains) by myself and that is a mistake I will never make again. I felt sooo unsafe…there was very little security, and people who on the train who wanted to make trouble.
Slugger, don’t we ALREADY have untrained fools on trains with weapons - the thugs? That is why I said law-abiding citizens with proper schooling in firearms. I wouldn’t want any old schmo with a gun on Metro either.
Maybe Pia can come back from the desert with her M-16 and patrol it for us, since she is all about volunteering to keep the world safe…