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Tri-Met has made many promises about how they would handle crime problems on transit and on and around Max. Here are a few that we found POLICE PREPARE TO BEGIN PATROLS FOR TRI-MET SPECIAL PORTLAND UNIT TO BE VISIBLE, INVISIBLE ON BUSES AND TRAINS Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) April 30, 1989 The Portland Tri-Met police unit, which will start patrolling buses and MAX trains May 15, will be flexible and innovative, officials at the Portland Police Bureau promised Friday ________________________________________________________ TRI-MET TESTS NEW TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE TRANSIT SECURITY Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) March 13, 1990 _______________________________________________________ Rockwood policing plan slated to yield immediate impact Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) July 26, 1990 ______________________________________________________ ROCKWOOD SAFETY TEAMS RIDE MAX TO CURB CRIME Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) May 16, 1991 The safety action team combines Multnomah County and Gresham resources for community policing. The teen-agers, accompanied by a police officer or police intern, ride out from the team's office next to the Rockwood Fred Meyer at 18719 S.E. Stark St. to the end of the line in Gresham or to the Gateway transit center. ``There's a lot going on the light rail,'' said Karen Masterson, community service officer. ``We just want to be a positive presence.'' _____________________________________________________________ FRED MEYER LEAVES ROCKWOOD the 45-year-old Rockwood store at 18535 S.E. Stark St. located next to the MAX The Oregonian 11/25/02 ___________________________________________________________________ ``We don't feel the least bit discouraged,'' Johnson said. The Gresham Police Department is changing its structure to encourage community policing, which emphasizes solving neighborhood problems before they get out of control. Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) September 4, 1992 _________________________________________________________________ TRI-MET BEEFS UP SECURITY AFTER ANOTHER SHOOTING Oregonian, The November 11, 1993 Tri-Met spokesman Johnson said the transit agency worried about public opinions. ``Our position is that we're very concerned about the perception people have about their safety on Tri-Met and we are very concerned about this (Tuesday) incident.'' _________________________________________________________________ CRIMINALS MAY TRACK MAX RIDERS AND CARS Oregonian, The September 12, 1994 Riders taking the MAX train to East Multnomah County, beware: MAX may not be your friend. ``My sense is that things are pretty easy pickings,'' said Steve C. Tillinghast, Tri-Met security director. ` `I fear the park-and-ride lots are the targets.'' _________________________________________________________________ DRIVEN MAD Oregonian, The March 24, 1995 But Gresham police Lt. Raymond Kelsay believes car thefts are rising for other reasons. Gresham's population is up, and the MAX trains make it easy for someone to travel from Portland, steal a car and drive away, he said. _________________________________________________________________ TRI-MET EXPANDS MAX SURVEILLANCE Oregonian, The September 26, 1996 The goal is to have the improved security system in operation before the opening of the westside light-rail line in September 1998, said Neil McFarlane, Tri-Met's light-rail project control manager. --------cut-------- Portland Police Lt. Rosie Sizer, who is assigned to Tri-Met security, agreed that some criminals are less likely to cause problems if they know they are being watched. ``Cameras are part of the solution, but not the total solution,'' she said . Sizer said police, both uniformed and undercover, also help increase security on light rail. _________________________________________________________________ TRI-MET DEVELOPS FAR-REACHING SECURITY PLAN Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) September 19, 1997 -----------cut---------- Tri-Met: Earlier plan has not been fully implemented Tri-Met officials have drafted a comprehensive security plan that addresses everything from crisis training for drivers to a portable surveillance system. ----------------cut------------ Some outsiders say the security plan represents a shift in Tri-Met's thinking, from being reactive to getting ahead of security concerns. ----------cut----------- Portland Police Chief Charles Moose asked critics to be patient with Tri-Met as the transit agency shifts toward community policing. -------------------cut------------ Still, Tri-Met is faced with skeptics who thought they heard the same message from the transit agency four years ago but didn't see much action. -----------cut--------------- Walsh said Tri-Met's wakeup call came in October 1993, when gang members wounded a 14-year-old bystander when they opened fire on the No. 4 bus, the same bus route Simmons was killed on. Mixed news from MAX crime stats Numbers through Nov. 2007 show assaults, car thefts up on Westside; car break-ins down significantly Friday January 8, 2008 By Nick Christensen The Argus --------CUT----------- TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said police agencies have responded to safety needs along the line. "What have we seen out in the community? What have we seen in the park and rides? That's how we approach it," Fetsch said. "We use the statistics to show trends to know what's happening in our system." Rick Van Beveren, who represents the Tualatin Valley on the TriMet board, said the numbers justify the latest push for increased security presence on MAX. Last week, the board voted to create a Westside Precinct to up security on the MAX west of Washington Park. "The changes we made, with the Westside Precinct, that's just making the police effort more sustainable," Van Beveren said. "We're hopeful that with additional resources, all of the measures will make MAX safer." |