Tri-Met strives to improve safety in regional system while respecting social justice movement

Posted April 2021

By Eva Wu

Staff Reporter

Tri-Met has strived to improve safety in the regional Tri-Met system while respecting the social justice movement in demands of racial equity.

The agency’s board of directors spent several hours on Nov. 19 in the discussion of issues. Afterwards, the board committed to form a Crisis Intervention Team after revising research and recommendations, formed to assist riders and respond to individuals experiencing mental health issues, along with conducting an agency-wide training on, “anti-racism, cultural competency, mental health, and de-escalation techniques.”

An issue in regards to the future of the Transit Police, however, went unfinalized. The division, composed of armed officers, has received a significant criticism concerning officers focusing on POC and inciting fear in members of marginalized communities. The response to the criticism was acted on Dec. 31, when the Portland City Council voted to pull the Portland Police Bureau out of the Transit Police division.

“The future of the Transit Police Division is currently in flux and will be changing in the next year as part of regional efforts to reimagine public safety,” said TriMet Public Information Officer Tia York to pamplinmedia.com.

Though, according to a Tri-Met survey, the absence of Transit Police makes half the riders feel unsafe, including about 67% of Black people, 58% of non-English speakers, and 54% of POC; 24% of individuals said otherwise. Research suggests that those who did feel safe, “came from young people, including young whites.”

Portland City Council, following the Black Lives Matter movement and protests following the death of George Floyd, announced it would bring out commanders and officers from Transit Police and School Resource Officer programs in school districts within the city limits, alongside cutting the police bureau budget by $27 million, which occured on July 1, 2020, added by TriMet’s response in forming the Reimagining Public Safety & Security Transit project, alongside conducting a survey taken by nearly 13,000 passengers. Questions were based on how safe or unsafe responders felt before the pandemic.

Some research and recommendations were presented to Tri-Met’s board of directors. Suggested by a Tri-Met survey, about 61% of riders believe the greatest endangerment to their safety is other accompanying riders who are overly aggressive, abuse drugs, or have mental health problems. In addition, several organizations desired the elimination of the Transit Police and fewer armed officers as a priority. Some of the organizations included the Coalition of Communities of Color, Portland United Against Hate, We All Rise, and the Youth Environmental Justice Alliance at OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon.

Eighty-eight percent believe that those suffering from mental health issues could be better aided by mental health professionals. Staff training came at 81%, and more transparency about reported crimes at TriMet came in 76%. For more information, visit pamplinmedia.com.

"When you look at the survey, most felt the Transit Police were necessary, but could be reformed," DHM Research Neisse said.