My husband and I bought a condo on the light-rail line 10 years ago so that we could more easily access the transit system into both Minneapolis and St. Paul. In the last few years, we haven't been on the train once when someone wasn't smoking, using drugs, yelling, acting up or just plain crazy. We have called the police three times — kids drinking alcohol and throwing glass bottles in the train car, someone assaulting another person on a platform in Bloomington, someone smoking crack in broad daylight on a different platform in Bloomington. We still use the light rail, but we are very careful to check the car before getting on and to get off at the next stop if we feel at risk, and we rarely ride it after dark anymore. We are so tired of the verbiage "perception of crime" and tired of these 40-point plans. Really?
Sandra Scholes, Bloomington
I could feel the frustration coming from the writer ("A one-point plan to fight transit crime," Opinion Exchange, Jan. 24) as he recounted his experiences. It is not breaking news that transit modalities have become a hub for criminality. The transportation system gives respite for those with a penchant to break the law. Why? Simply put, there has been a historical lack of serious enforcement so as to avoid any pushback from activists. In a world where everyone is hypersensitive to optics and actions, we find ourselves relying on studies and commissions to sanction our enforcement actions. Case in point: St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter is hiring an outside firm to analyze the city's recreational policies after the most recent shooting. If elected officials can't figure this out, they need to step aside.
We cannot be controlled by arrest statistics that point to an economic class or race to control enforcement measures. Actions must be colorblind and motivated only by aberrant behavior. We cannot use "transit ambassadors" to soft sell proper behavior and ignore recidivism.
Our beleaguered bus rider announced his "one-point plan" that has been known to law enforcement for decades. It is remarkable how easily common sense is discovered. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, he has outlined the "broken windows" concept of policing. That is, petty crime, if unchecked, will become more serious and frequent as the offender becomes emboldened. Disorderly conduct, fare jumping, smoking, drinking, littering, theft and loitering become the norm when ignored. We already have seen the severity level increase as aggravated assaults and shootings have occurred around transit stations too. Whether on a bus, train or some other public space, all of us will continue to be put in harm's way until we allow law enforcement officers to do their job.
