County Committee Moves to Replace Private Bus Security

An MCTS bus became a crime scene after a shooting occurred aboard it. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Milwaukee County Board gave the first approval Tuesday to a new plan intended to improve security on Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) buses.

The plan comes out of a Transit Safety and Security Task Force created by the board. In July, the task force wrapped up its work with a handful of new policy ideas, including four different iterations of a new security force for the transit system.

The two supervisors who co-chaired the task force, Ryan Clancy and Peter Burgelis, authored a resolution including a list of security-related policy recommendations, but the major piece of the legislation is a proposal to create a new county-run security force that would replace the current private contractor, Allied Universal.

The task force came up with four ways to replace Allied Universal, two that would be maintained and overseen by the county, called “Transit Rangers” and two versions of a new security force housed with MCTS. Clancy and Burgelis chose to include a proposal for 51 “Transit Rangers.”

Allied Universal has been a persistent problem, according to the union and bus operators, who say that they provide little deterrence and are rarely there when needed. The private security officers have no law enforcement authority, though neither would the Transit Rangers, and cannot remove anyone from the bus.

The rangers, though, would receive training based on the Milwaukee County Parks‘ rangers. The new security force would also include a liaison to the county’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and another to the county’s housing division.

Supervisors estimated the cost of the Transit Ranger program using numbers put together by MCTS for their own version of an in-house security force during the task force process. The cost is pegged at $3.4 million annually. The current Allied Universal contract is approximately $2.2 million.

The resolution was heard at a meeting of the county board’s Committee on Transportation and Transit Tuesday and a number of operators attended to share stories of assaults and security incidents and to implore supervisors to advance the resolution.

The meeting followed less than two weeks after a non-fatal shooting occurred on an MCTS bus. The event demonstrated in a shocking manner the worsening security situation operators have been telling policymakers about for years. On Tuesday, drivers shared stories of having to drive for miles with passengers telling them they were going to shoot them, being stalked on the bus and at MCTS properties, having guns waved at them, of watching their buses clear out because of passengers threatening violence and leaving them alone on the bus with them, and of being physically assaulted.

Several drivers described the impact these events have had on their lives, traumatizing them and affecting their mental health. Operators explained that the current state of security makes them feel like they don’t matter and they are on their own while they’re working.

Union officials continued their call for law enforcement involvement in solving the issue of security within the bus system. But the current security force, they say, isn’t cutting it and they want the Transit Ranger program implemented as soon as possible to hopefully improve security on the buses.

ATU President Donnell Shorter said the new security proposal was a long time coming and reiterated the need for the Milwaukee County Sheriff‘s Office to be involved in a long-term security solution for the transit system.

“When Denita Ball ran for office, there was no literature that said she would be sheriff over everything but Milwaukee County transit,” Shorter said. “We need her to be sheriff over Milwaukee County transit, too.”

Burgelis noted that the proposal, now headed to the full board for approval, still leaves room for the Sheriff’s office to be involved. He suggested a small, “highly specialized” patrol unit that would work with the transit rangers.

Kyle Handel, a mechanic and ATU board member, thanked supervisors for advancing the proposal, choking up as he addressed them. “We need this now,” he said “And I hope going forward there’s gonna be a lot of criticism of this program. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s something that you guys can do here today, now, to really show us that you’re gonna stand with us.”

MCTS does not support the proposal for setting up a new transit security force. “I understand how the Task Force may think Park Rangers are a better option than our current security,” Denise Wandke, MCTS President and Managing Director said in a statement Friday, Sept. 1. “Unfortunately, I feel this recommendation is very similar to what we already have in place and will not bring a long-term solution. We are always grateful for the time and assistance that the Sheriff and local police departments give us, and we know that their restraints impact our long-term needs as well. This isn’t just a transit issue, this is an issue that exists in a growing, urban area and it will take all of us working together to create meaningful change.”

The board’s transit committee unanimously recommended Clancy and Burgelis’ transit security resolution for approval by the full board.