New security force for MCTS buses 1 step closer to reality
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A resolution to create a fleet of transit rangers for county buses passed at the committee level.
"Is it going to take for a driver to get killed before they consider now, we need to take care of y'all?" bus operator Sandra Cooper said.
Cooper was one of the many Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus operators who shared stories of alleged assault and abuse while driving their routes to the Committee on Transportation and Transit.
"He pulls out a gun," bus operator Cynthia Simpson said while getting emotional. "I called dispatch. I was not taken out of service. No one came to assist me in any way. In that moment, I knew that I was out there alone."
Until the end of October, Milwaukee County has a $2.2 million contract with private security company Allied Universal, with 30 security officers, but operators feel their safety is falling through the cracks, especially after a shooting on a county bus last month.
"Ride that bus and see what we go through," one bus operator told the committee.
A Transit Safety and Security Task Force recommendation that passed unanimously on Tuesday would create a Transit Ranger Program, with 51 transit rangers dedicated to bus safety, for just under $3.5 million.
"Milwaukee County has an opportunity now, to bring those people in-house and provide the highest level of service to our most vulnerable population," 15th District County Supervisor Peter Burgelis, who co-sponsored the resolution, said.
Last winter, hoping to improve safety, MCTS eliminated fare enforcement by drivers, an action they say led to many verbal and/or physical altercations between riders and drivers. A frequent rider criticized the decision.
"If I see people board the bus and aren't paying, should I go to the bus driver and say, 'I didn't know today was free, can I get a refund?' because that's unfair," she said.
MCTS reports drivers not enforcing fares reduced incidents on the buses in the last year.
"Compared to the first eight months of 2022, the first eight months of 2023 have seen a 42% drop in operator assaults (which are defined as assault by the Wisconsin state statute). In addition, incidents of operators being threatened or harassed has dropped 24% during the same time," the safety report submitted by MCTS read.
The task force noted that fare enforcement is a gap that transit rangers could fill if the positions are created.
While many operators at the meeting said they supported the resolution, there are still questions and concerns, but they made it clear they feel the time to act is now.
"It's not a perfect solution, but it's something you can do here, today, now, to really show us that you're going to stand with us," one ATU Local 998 executive board member said.
Others noted they would still want to see the Milwaukee County sheriff involved with bus safety. Supervisor Burgelis noted the task force did look into what a contract with the sheriff's department would cost, stating it would be $8-9 million annually and at least $13-14 million the first year for 60 sworn officers protecting the bus system.
As for the resolution, which now goes to the county board for approval, in addition to the 51 transit rangers, it would also hire four shift supervisors, one public safety manager, one Department of Health and Human Services liaison, and one housing liaison that would all be Milwaukee County employees.
You can read the full resolution here:
The MCTS safety report can be found below: