Man guilty of deadly shooting at FedWay transit center Seattle Times ... were later dropped after private criminal-defense attorneys hired an investigator to review hours of video-surveillance tapes from Sound Transit. ...

Authorities increase security at Federal Way Transit Center Northwest Cable News In response to the violence, Geoff Patrick with Sound Transit says security has been increased significantly at the Transit Center. For the first time, ... and more »

Good to know that all it takes to change a stupid security policy is to wait for someone to be beaten within an inch of their life, THEN change the policy. How about figuring it out AHEAD of time, so the public is protected?

Doesn’t Seattle remember Kristopher Kime (click here, or here), who was murdered in the sight of the Seattle police in 2001? Weren’t we going to learn from that travesty?

The Seattle Times reports (click here):

“The way Metro uses Olympic guards is similar to Sound Transit’s contract with Securitas, whose unarmed guards are paid $16 to $18 an hour to conduct fare enforcement and to patrol transit stations. Sound Transit’s policies, however, anticipate they’ll sometimes intervene:

“When faced with a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, the Security Officer must always first consider retreating with any other people present to a secure position. When necessary to protect self and others from a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, a Security Officer must use only the degree of force necessary to repel an attack or threat of an attack.”

Love this statement:

“After several crimes on Portland rail lines — including the beating of a 71-year-old man with a baseball bat at a suburban station — officials doubled the transit police from 28 officers to 58 during 2008-09, and crimes decreased, according to an Oregonian newspaper report.”

Ya think?

Read this article by the Seattle Times and watch this video (click here) provided by KING-TV of a beating in the Seattle bus tunnel.

Then tell us how the outcome will be different if groups of thugs decide to ride the light rail alignments or loiter at stations and behave in this manner.

Choose from the following:

1. The camera will protect me?

2. The “Security Guards” will intervene? (Hmmm, they are directed NOT to).

3. I’m on my own.

4. Tell me why I want to stop using my car, again?

*Understatement Award of the Year:

“The county executive has ordered us to work with the Sheriff’s Office to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and seek advice from other security experts to determine whether we need to change our security protocols.”

Pathetic.

Bus-tunnel attack while guards watched prompts review of Metro security Seattle Times Sound Transit fare-enforcement officers are employed by the private firm Securitas. King County Metro's Transit Police, who are sheriff's deputies, ... and more »

SPD: On December 31st, at approximately 1:50 am, a 25-year old man was waiting in the bus shelter at Rainier Avenue South and South Myrtle Street.  He was approached by three males who began  assaulting the man by hitting him in the head and face. His wallet containing cash was then taken by the suspects.  The [...]

SPD: On November 27th at approximately 8:45 p.m. a husband and wife rode the light rail from downtown. When they got off at MLK Jr. Way South and South Henderson Street, a group of male suspects began following them. One of the suspects asked a disarming question, putting the victims at ease. Then the couple was [...]

Interesting.

I was reading a post on the Rainier Valley Blog on an alleged assault in the International District when a rider left a light rail train, and waited at a bus stop across the street.

I copied the post, then the browser crashed, and when I went back to get the web address so that you could see for yourself, those specific comments were gone…but the responses to it were still there… …And the writer for the post is a contributor to the pro-light rail Seattle Transit Blog… HMMMMMM.

http://www.rainiervalleypost.com/?p=12307

“NIMBY 10.01.09 at 8:58 am

Just a word of advice. I received a call from Harborview Hospital at 10:45 pm. My son just got off the Light Rail Station in the International District, crossed the street to catch the bus to the north end. While he was sitting at the bus stop he was approached by 7 males with iron pipes and beaten severely in a robbery attempt. He has a fractured nose, 9 stitches in his head along with leg, hand and back injuries. I picked him up this morning at 5:30 am. My point is that while the transit system is convenient, I would caution anyone transfering from one mode of public transportation to another to be extra careful. Law enforcement arrived as the perpetrators were leaving the scene. No attempt was made to go after them. I am grateful he did not lose his life. Although he was alone when this occurred, with that many thugs involved I don’t know traveling with a friend would have helped. Just a word of caution.”

If the post was  a fraud, perhaps the editor should have stated the reason or the evidence re: why the post was deleted. Or, if it was a joke, perhaps they should grow up.

SEATTLEPI.COM: A woman who was hit by a possible ricochet bullet Sept. 12 at a Rainier Avenue South bus stop was waiting for a connecting coach when she became a victim of an ongoing gang war between South Seattle and Central District gang members, according to police and court documents. The woman was shot near the intersection [...]