Transit Crime

[seanrichardryan]

Metro Transit hired back Steve Hutchinson. If there is a law enforcement professional that knows about getting intoxicated in government owned vehicles, it's that guy. He hasn't just studied and observed it, he's lived it.

[COLSLAW5]

I also think they are planning on rolling out the transit ambassadors this summer so hopefully that can help some what

[LRV Op Dude]

I also think they are planning on rolling out the transit ambassadors this summer so hopefully that can help some what

LOL

[Tiller]

Well crack is pretty harmful to whoever smokes it. What if we just committed anyone who smokes crack in public to drug treatment? Also make all drug treatment in Minnesota free, or close to free. Add whatever other transitional and wrap-around services are considered to be best-practices. We've got a trifecta to try and solve Public health problems like this now

[acs]

https://www.startribune.com/metro-trans ... 600244564/

Unfortunately it looks like it's not just the perceptions of a few suburbanites this time. Per Metro Transit, overall crime reported up 54%. Narcotics violations up 182%. Weapons violations up 145%.

[Bakken2016]

I also think they are planning on rolling out the transit ambassadors this summer so hopefully that can help some what

LOL

An official transit presence is better than none, please inform us what else can be done... and don't say hire cops because obviously that is not working.

[Nick]

Let the cops make arrests. This is not complicated.

[tedlanda2571]

There's always this right/left intractable argument between using resources for tougher enforcement vs. using them to address root causes of crime, but, to some extent, it seems they are both right. Clearly, you can't structurally 'arrest your way out of crime', but tactically I think it can definitely make a difference. If getting arrested for illegal anti-social behavior on trains became a likely outcome, I have a hard time believing people wouldn't simply go somewhere else. What does this do to solve the underlying problem? Absolutely nothing. But frankly, people smoking crack under bridges or in vacant buildings > smoking crack on trains that we want families and commuters to feel comfortable using.

[mplsjaromir]

Tired: Let the cops make arrests

Wired: Let the cops party with passengers

[SurlyLHT]

Are they doing 2-Car trains? Didn't they resort to those at one point to help with crime?

I must say the headlines look bad and discourage ridership.

If people don't want help, Ambassadors, or whomever aren't going to help. I like the idea of having some sort of specialist embedded with the transit police who have mental health, the ability to skillfully work with individuals with drug issues and with has skills with homeless individuals.

Ambassadors who are there to project Authority...how they going to stop people from doing cocaine on a train? Call the police. That's what this article says.

I think we should try the Ambassadors, while also planning a more robust response.

I think removing encampments near train lines like the one there was a homicide at recently also helps.

https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2020/07/ ... ses-safer/

[phop]

There just has to be zero tolerance for hard drugs on transit specifically. This is a problem with pretty manageable bounds. Simply remove the ones actively using drugs from the vehicles. Keep doing it until people get the message.

[Record Machine]

Install some damn turnstiles.

[John21]

There just has to be zero tolerance for hard drugs on transit specifically. This is a problem with pretty manageable bounds. Simply remove the ones actively using drugs from the vehicles. Keep doing it until people get the message.

I’m assuming that there aren’t enough cops to do this? Riding home from the Wolves game Saturday night on the Blue Line they were prepping their drugs in the front of the front car. I’m assuming the driver called the police as they knocked on their door.

[John21]

Install some damn turnstiles.

Where? It’s a ground level train.

[Record Machine]

Install some damn turnstiles.

Where? It’s a ground level train.

This thing is funded out the gills; figure it out.

[Silophant]

The Blue Line? That's been complete for almost 20 years?

[grant1simons2]

Install some damn turnstiles.

Where? It’s a ground level train.

This thing is funded out the gills; figure it out.

No it's not. Also *hops*

[John21]

Install some damn turnstiles.

Where? It’s a ground level train.

This thing is funded out the gills; figure it out.

They figured out it wasn’t worth it? It would be turnstiles, fencing, and gates at every intersection. Turnstiles!

[Bakken2016]

Where? It’s a ground level train.

This thing is funded out the gills; figure it out.

They figured out it wasn’t worth it? It would be turnstiles, fencing, and gates at every intersection. Turnstiles!

It's not worth the cost, St Louis is spending $52 million to retrofit their system.

[Record Machine]

Looks good to me.