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CapMetro leaders and operators press for immediate security changes after on-board killing
Summary
Capital Metro said an onboard attack that left a customer dead prompted a moment of silence and renewed promises to improve security; dozens of current and former operators told the board they feel unsafe and urged quicker, specific fixes including a transit police presence and stronger enforcement of rider rules.
Capital Metro leaders on May 19 addressed a fatal attack on one of the agency’s buses and heard more than two hours of public comment from current and former operators and other staff calling for faster, concrete safety measures.
The board’s president and CEO, Dottie Watkins, read a prepared statement and called for a moment of silence after the agency confirmed the death of a customer, identified in the agency release as Akshay Gupta. “We are heartbroken,” Watkins said in the statement read into the record, adding that the agency was “doing everything possible to support the passengers on board and the operator who acted with utmost professionalism under incredibly difficult circumstances.”
Why it matters: Operators said the death, and a spate of assaults and threats they described in public comment, show existing safety steps are insufficient. The comments accelerated a shift in the board’s publicly stated priorities: staff said safety is the number one near-term priority in the agency’s new strategic plan and that CapMetro will deploy its first transit police officers next month.
Public comment and staff response
More than two dozen employees and contractors spoke at the meeting. Several recounted recent assaults, sustained threats or ongoing safety hazards at stops and on vehicles. Common themes included slow police response times, gaps in transit security staffing, inconsistent supervisor response, and inadequate tools for operators to protect themselves.
- Kamazanovic Joseph, a community speaker, questioned the agency’s public statements about safety and urged action on “mid-block stops” and service inequities north of U.S. 183. Joseph also referenced a historical safety study and alleged disparate service provision for predominantly Black neighborhoods.
- Multiple current operators described repeated assaults and near-misses. “We operators don’t have that luxury,” said Stacy Pena Kambeu Kamsu, who identified herself as an operator. “We deserve to be safe, period.”
- Daryl Sorrells, vice president of ATU Local 1091 and a 23-year operator, urged management to provide immediate supports for operators who experience violence, such as paid recovery time and EAP access, and reiterated requests for shields and police support on buses.
- Chet Reese, a 13-year operator, pressed the board for “some type of means to defend ourselves against a deadly threat,” saying radio or police response often arrives after an assault.
Several speakers described specific incidents this month and over recent years: assaults by passengers with knives or other weapons, dog bites requiring rabies shots, and robberies at stops. Zena Waddie described two April incidents involving a passenger’s dog and told the board she was given four rabies shots and a tetanus shot after one attack.
Board and staff actions or directions
After public comment, Watkins said the agency hears staff and operator concerns and that “we do deeply care.” She announced that CapMetro expects its first transit police officers on the street next month and that the agency will convene a special called meeting of the labor-management safety committee. Watkins also said safety and security are the top priority in the newly approved strategic plan.
Distinguishing discussion from action
- Discussion: The public comment record included numerous personal accounts, requests and proposals from operators and union representatives for more security, shields, enforcement of conduct rules and immediate staffing changes.
- Direction/assignment: Staff announced a special labor-management safety meeting and repeated the agency commitment to bring sworn officers on board next month.
- Formal action: The board did not adopt a new safety rule or vote on a specific safety measure at this meeting; instead staff reported planned steps (new officers, committee meeting) and the board adopted a strategic plan that lists safety as the top near-term priority.
Clarifying details
- The fatal incident occurred “at approximately 6:45 p.m. last Wednesday” according to the statement read into the record.
- The board’s adoption of the five-year strategic plan (separately recorded on the agenda) lists “improving safety and security on our system” as the top priority in year one.
- Staff said the agency expects to have its first transit police officers “on the street next month” (a staffing and rollout timeline announced by the CEO).
Quotes
“We are heartbroken. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating loss and this awful act of violence,” President and CEO Dottie Watkins said in a statement read into the record.
“We deserve to be safe, period,” operator Stacy Pena Kambeu Kamsu told the board during public comment.
What’s next
CapMetro staff said they will continue convening labor-management safety meetings, roll out the agency’s first transit police officers, and implement short-term safety steps identified in the new strategic plan. Union leaders and operators said they will press for additional immediate measures including increased transit police presence, stronger enforcement of the agency’s code of conduct, and operational changes such as more visible security at transit centers and changes to relief/parking practices for operators.
Provenance: first related transcript remarks and last related remarks are excerpted from the public comment and CEO response recorded during the May 19 CapMetro Board meeting.
