36. Spotlight on Safety

SL036 Draft 3

Juliana: 00:00

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your daily commute?

Ricky: 00:03

Or how transportation impacts the community you call home?

Juliana: 00:06

Maybe you want to explore outside your community and don't know where to start.

Ricky: 00:10

Well, you're in luck because this is where you hop on.

Juliana: 00:13

I'm Julianna Vazquez-Keating.

Ricky: 00:14

And I'm Ricky Tejada.

Juliana: 00:16

We work for Valley Metro and together we'll discover all the ways that public transit enhances lives across the cities we serve.

Ricky: 00:23

And we might even make some new friends along the way.

Juliana: 00:26

Welcome to Storylines. On this episode of Storylines, we're highlighting a critical part of our organization, Safety and Security. Our top priority is ensuring our tens of thousands of daily bus and rail riders have a safe and secure ride on our system.

Ricky: 00:43

And speaking of bus, we have a new safety program on buses that is becoming very popular called Operation Blue Ride. We sat down with someone who runs the program to tell us all about it.

Dave: 00:55

My name is Dave Munley and my title is Bus Security Coordinator, Valley Metro.

Ricky: 01:00

So Dave, for those who don't know, could you please explain what Operation Blue Ride is?

Dave: 01:05

Blue Ride was started about a year or so ago. It is a joint effort between Valley Metro, Valley law enforcement, and human and social service agencies. And the idea behind Operation Blue Ride is to get law enforcement, social service agencies out on the buses to address crime, to deter crime, and also to assist the vulnerable out there who may be in need of services. So it's kind of a holistic approach. It's not just enforcement, not just locking people up. It's actually turned out to be quite a positive, opportunity for law enforcement to get out there and meet our customers and meet our bus operators also assist people along the way. We call it sometimes commute with a cop, but Operation Blue Ride seemed to stick.

Juliana: 01:51

So what led to the start of the program and how many of our member cities take part currently?

Dave: 01:57

We have buy-in from the city of Mesa and also the city of Chandler. We're always in search of other cities to come on board. We started this an opportunity to try to make our buses safer. I track every incident that happens out there on our buses, and I look at the busy routes, the routes where most of those incidents occur. And we actually have five routes that account for about 60 percent of all of our incidents out there. So we focus on those routes but we were looking for an opportunity to get law enforcement out there to meet our customers, meet our operators, and send a message out there that Valley Metro and our law enforcement partners are going to do whatever we can to try to make our bus customers and our staff safe while they're out there on the road.

Juliana: 02:44

And our partnerships with these outside agencies are so important and I think it's just important that we showcase that.

Dave: 02:50

Absolutely and Mesa Police Department has also been very, very proactive in what they do. And I know we use them on the light rail as well. They're out there a lot with their bike teams, with their special enforcement guys out there helping us on the buses. Chandler Police Department has their bike squad out there that's been helping us as well. So we hope to reach out to some other agencies in the near future as well.

Ricky: 03:12

Sounds like there's been some great moments for this program. Dave, how successful do you think this program has been so far?

Dave: 03:19

I think it's been very successful. We track all of our stats out there as well. Some of the things we look at is our contacts with our law enforcement people and our customers and our operators. We look at our contacts. We check bus stops because as you know, there's been incidents that happen at bus stops, drug use and such. We track how many bus stops they stop at. We look at how many people are referred for services as well. Any potential arrests that occur, but a lot of it is just getting out there and being visible, you know, a uniform on a bus. It really sends a message out there to people. So, I think it's been very successful. And you know, who's really responded well to it is the operators. I take a lot of rides on the buses. I spent an awful lot of time out there and I've ridden every route end to end so far. Met a lot of bus operators. One of the questions I always ask them is, what do you think about cops on your bus? And 100%, every one of them said, Oh, I would love to have cops on my bus, send them out anytime we take the opportunities to have them sit down and chat with the bus operators, get some photos, that kind of stuff. So I think it's been very successful. It's just getting them out there. I wish we, can get them out there every day the year, but it’s just not possible.

Juliana: 04:27

But you're doing what you can and I think that means a lot to our riders.

Dave: 04:30

Yes. And it's evident too I've been on every operation. I've been out there and I ride with these guys and I see how the customers react to them. And it's really kind of to watch because they're like, well, what are you doing here? Well, we're riding the bus. That's what we're doing here. And again, there's lots of good contacts that they're making out there and they're taking some really good opportunities to some community outreach with some of the customers that we have out there.

Juliana: 04:51

And community outreach is such a big part of what we do and this is just one of those initiatives that I think goes a long way. So any memorable moments from Operation Blue Ride that you'd like to share?

Dave: 05:03

It's always something different when we go out there. There was an incident, I recall, there was a 70-year-old man. He was at a bus stop in a walker. He had a walker. And he was in bad shape. The officer stopped to talk to him. And we always have social service, human services agencies available and they're back at the command post and they're sitting there waiting. We call them over. And then, this gentleman who was out there who was homeless was waiting for a check to come in so he can get a ticket to go back to Arkansas to live with his sister. But in the meantime, he was going to live out there on the street at a bus stop. And, officers were able to talk to him, get him some help and find him some housing so he didn't have to sit out there before he had his trip back to Arkansas. So that was kind of a fun success story. We had a similar incident with a female who was out there at a bus stop and they were able to find housing for her as well.

Ricky: 05:49

And Dave, the success of Operation Blue Ride is definitely going to continue with those moments that you just shared with us. I feel that brings us great joy to hear the great job that you're putting forward to those cities, Mesa and Chandler for being able to provide those units for those particular jobs. What we would like to know is, is there any other plans to expand this program?

Dave: 06:15

Oh I'm always looking to expand. Always looking to sign up more dates. You know, my goal coming into this was to do at least an operation every quarter. I was looking for a few each quarter but I'll settle on one each quarter. I had a lead with Scottsdale PD. I'm going to revisit that one again. And Gilbert PD as well. So, we're always looking to build. We're always looking to bring others on board. So, my invitation to both of you is that. You know, next time we have one, I'd like to invite you both out and come on out and ride. It's actually quite fun.

Ricky: 06:45

I'm game.

Juliana: 06:47

Yeah. Same. I love getting out, doing community outreach when I can.

Dave: 06:52

We'll wait for it to get a little bit cooler for you guys too. So.

Juliana: 06:57

Of course. So is there anything else you'd like to add?

Dave: 07:00

I just want to say thank you to you guys for pushing the story out there so people know about it. You know, the more people that know about it, the better because it really does show, I think that Valley Metro is trying to do whatever we can to try to make it safer for our customers in our staff out there, and it is greatly appreciated when they see the officers on board. So thank you guys for featuring the story.

Ricky: 07:23

I'm glad to hear about the success Dave and local police have achieved with Operation Blue Ride and hopefully we'll see more cities joining in the future.

Juliana: 07:31

An Operation Blue Ride is just one way we're working to keep our system safe. Now let's hear from someone from our security team about our efforts to enhance security on light rail and streetcar.

Don: 07:40

My name is Don Schneidmiller and I'm the Valley Metro Transit Security Manager.

Juliana: 07:47

So what safety measures and features make our light rail system a secure transportation option for our region?

Don: 07:53

Well, we've got several. The first one I'll mention is that we contract currently with Allied Universal Security for first line fare inspection and customer service and security deterrence. We've got about 130, 140 of those officers that spread out and work our system 22, 23 hours a day, seven days a week. Their primary focus is customer service to interact with passengers, to answer questions to assist them to make sure they're getting where they need to go, but they are security professionals. And so we ask that they inspect each person to make sure they've got a proper fare for those that don't have fare we make sure they're not a repeat offender. We give them a chance to buy a fare. To conduct some fare recovery they also assist with medical situations, which is a particular priority right now with 116, 117 degree temperatures. So, they work with our fire responders to help people who are in need. They also enforce our code of conduct. So if somebody, for example, is sitting on the seats, taking up more than one seat or just not following the rules, they get paid to address that as well. The other thing that we have that works kind of hand in hand with them, they're not security professionals, but they're Customer Experience Coordinators, and they really are a forward facing, group of people that we don't ask that they enforce rules, But we do ask that they stay visible and their primary job is to do anything and everything to make sure the ridership experience is a positive one. So Allied Universal security does some of that, but the real focus that comes from the CECs is that customer experience, answering questions, wayfinding, and just kind of introducing them to our system and our fare media protocols and getting them educated on how it works. Another thing that we're doing to help keep people safe is that we've got emergency call buttons and passenger operator intercom. So on all of our trains, if there's a crisis, you can push a button and have direct communication with the operator of the train. And then on the platforms and in the Park-and-Rides, you can identify the emergency call buttons with a blue light standing up on a stanchion and you can push that button and speak to our communication specialists and let them know what's going on. And then we also have closed circuit television. Multiple cameras on all of our platforms, multiple cameras on all of our trains and cameras that cover a majority of our Park-and-Rides. So we're able to, if we have a particular problem in an area, we're able to real time evaluate what's going on there by way of the cameras. And then finally, probably one of the newest things that we've gotten and something that's really been beneficial, particularly for the riders, is the initiation of the Alert VM app, where they can get that on their cell phone. And for example, if somebody is seeing something that makes them uncomfortable and they don't want to have to get up and walk over and push a button and draw attention to themselves, they can simply sit in their seat and use the app to identify the train that they're on and where they're at, and to describe the conduct that has caused them to bring it to our attention and then one of our customer service professionals will be on the receiving end of that app, real time, and they can either decide whether PD needs to be called or whether our security folks need to respond. That's been really popular. And I hope that continues grow.

Ricky: 11:11

How is Valley Metro working to improve security on our system?

Don: 11:14

I'd say the number one thing is just the relentless pursuit of feedback. Feedback from our customers, being visible, having social media accounts that invite people to share with us their experience, good or bad. I and some of the other members of our team go to a lot of community meetings, whether it's coffee meetings with a respective council person or an individual business district luncheon, or even a living room here or there with a community advocate or community leader. Where people are coming together to talk about issues in the neighborhood and what Valley Metro can do to try to make a difference. We also ride the system. I don't just rely on the feedback from passengers and from our security folks and our CECs, but I'm on the system multiple times a week. So is my team. So we're seeing firsthand, you know, what the situation, the conditions are out there. Another thing that we're doing is we're making sure that. The quality of our security team is at its highest by maintaining a competitive wage. So we want to make sure that the people that we put out there, cause we ask a lot of them, like I mentioned earlier, with the tending to people with medical conditions and enforcing code of conduct and being that forward facing customer experience person, that's a lot. You've got to have a certain skill set, emotional maturity, communication skills, so we're not able to get the people that we want, unless we're offering a competitive wage, and so we've done a good job of being able to increase what the starting hourly rate is just to make sure that we're getting the best applicants we place an emphasis, with our security contractor and with our staff on training, particularly in the area of situational awareness and de-escalation. So if somebody who's not a security professional. Somebody from Valley Metro who's on the system. If they see something developing, they've got some basic tools on how to deescalate it and to properly report it to those who are best suited to respond. And then finally, I'll mention, back to the topic of communication. We meet regularly and communicate regularly with our police partners. So we've got a strong, collaborative relationship with Phoenix PD, Tempe PD, and Mesa PD, and they're sharing with us the things that they're hearing and seeing, not just on the light rail, but in the general area around the light rail, so that we can be mindful of what's going on, what the temperature is, and we're letting them know about the things that we're dealing with, so we're all on the same page, we're all seeing through the same set of lenses.

Juliana: 13:41

You touched on a lot of important topics there. Feedback from riders, super important. And we see that on a daily basis, just all of us in general. But I think the biggest takeaway is that we are listening to what they're saying, and we are working to make changes to make everyone feel safe.

Don: 13:58

That's why I listed it first, because I think listening to riders is the number one tactic that we should be implementing to keep people safe, and we do it.

Juliana: 14:07

Absolutely. So can you describe the recent security improvements at the 19th Avenue and Dunlap, Ramada, specifically what changes were made and what the process was like for implementing them?

Don: 14:18

So that's still a work in progress, but we're far enough along that it's an appropriate question, and I can give you an update on it. That property is owned by the City of Phoenix. We've got management rights and responsibilities associated with it. And I bring that up only because whatever we have done and will continue to do is a partnership with our city of Phoenix partners. So we've sat and met with PD. We've met with city of Phoenix public transportation officials, and we've recognized that if we turn the Ramada into a paid fare zone. Where in order to be in there, you have to actually have a valid ticket, that eliminates people coming into that area with nefarious intent. So we did make it a paid fare zone. We demarcated the area with signage, identifying it as a paid fare zone, clearly with a line that lets you know what is and is not part of that paid fare zone. We limit how long you can loiter there. We'll give you 15 or 20 minutes. And if we don't see you attempting to get on a bus or a train, even if you've got proper fare, you're going to have to move on. So it's not the place to just hang out for an hour or two. It's a place to meet and plan where you're headed next, whether it be by bus, at the nearby bus stop or by train. The other thing that we've done is we've increased our security presence at the 19th and Dunlap platform. So our ability to walk over to that Ramada, and to have a security presence has been increased significantly. And then finally, and the part that's still ongoing, we want to create. Positive community activity programming in that area. So Valley Metro, working with City of Phoenix, we're trying to work with community leaders to let them know that's what this space is for. We want to invite them to give us suggestions on how we can assist and sponsor programming, whether it's a world bazaar or a community fair. Your imagination is the limit, but the idea is to empower the community to come in and make that their space for a given period of time and take ownership of it. Hopefully that answers your question.

Juliana: 16:17

That answered my question and more.

Ricky: 16:19

Yeah, it's really nice to hear how Valley Metro and our city partners are working in unison to be able to make our system the best place that it can possibly be. What are the best ways for riders to get help? if they notice. An incident on a train or a platform.

Don: 16:35

Well, let me deal with our Valley Metro trains and platforms first. So there's a couple of options and it’s going to be based on what the behavior of the passenger is. So first and foremost, I go back to that Alert VM app. That's your best, strongest, fastest most responsive tool. So if you don't have it and you're listening to this podcast, I'd strongly suggest that you go find it and download it, cause again, we have somebody on the other end of that app that's able to react to the information coming in. So it's a responsive tool that allows us to hear what's going on based on what passengers are seeing, what the public is seeing, the other thing that we do, is we would encourage you to go use , those passenger operator intercom buttons or the emergency call buttons, that are there for a reason, you know, not just if you're seeing something that you don't like, but if for some reason you're feeling vulnerable, go push it because we have cameras located at each of those buttons. And if the camera isn't being monitored, the moment that button's pushed based on what we're being told, we can always pull up the camera. And that enables us to give real time instructions to police. If we have to call the police. And then the other thing I'll mention for sure is sometimes your best bet is just to call 9-1-1. If something violent is going on right in front of you, maybe pushing a button isn't your best option. Maybe sending an app text isn't your best option. People know when something bad's about to happen. Fortunately, those are really rare on our system, extremely safe system, but you've always got the tool of 9-1-1. And that's when we work closely with our PD partners if we need you to stop a train at a platform and give PD a chance to respond. So the app, the POIC buttons on the trains, the emergency call buttons on the platforms, and then good old 9-1-1 on your phone. If the situation is significant enough to require that.

Juliana: 18:20

So what is one thing about our security system or officers that you would like everyone to know about? Maybe something that people may not know.

Don: 18:28

Well, I like to brag on our program. And so I'm going to use this opportunity to do it. And I will just say that I'm familiar with systems across the country. I've got relationships with my security peers across the country. And I will tell you, we have an incredibly safe system. It is incredibly safe. Violent acts are rare. Our system is clean. The on-time performance is fantastic. People who come to Arizona from other states and who are accustomed to riding systems in other states, across the board, we hear how much they enjoy this system and how clean it is and how safe it is. The other thing I'll mention is that we have a professional group of Security officers and Customer Experience Coordinators, they are in those jobs because they care about people and they care about particularly vulnerable people. So our allied security and our CECs work very closely together to identify those who may be vulnerable to make sure we understand what resources are available and how to contact those resources and to maximize our visibility, because even if there's nothing going on, when a passenger looks up and they see Customer Experience Coordinator and their bright yellow shirt Allied Universal security officer in their bright blue shirt, the mere visible presence does a lot to reinforce the perception of security and anybody who may have bad intent. It certainly makes them think twice about whether they want to get away with it. So just to recap, I just say, if you haven't ridden our system, give it a try. It's safe. And again, I'm not just saying that because I work here. I'm not trying to give myself a grade on my own report card. I travel the country. I see other systems. I talked to my peers. We have a fantastically safe, clean system.

Ricky: 20:12

Is there anything else that you'd like to add, Don?

Don: 20:15

I appreciate the chance to come on and talk about our folks and to talk about our system. Like I said, I like to brag about what we do. I invite those folks out there that have our app and who use our system to give me feedback. When you see somebody doing something good, whether it's a CEC or security officer, let me know so I can let them know. If you haven't used the train, if you haven't thus far, you haven't tried the train as a form of public transportation, give it a try. I'm inviting you to come out and hold me accountable to everything that I just said on this podcast. And if you have used it, maybe it's been a while since you've tried it again. Come on out and retry it, give it another look. Cause we've really done a good job of increasing the visibility of our security and our CECs. I think that even if you had a not so positive experience years ago, if you tried it then I think you're going to come out and be very pleasantly surprised with the program that we're running. It's a great program. It's a great system and we want more writers to use it.

Juliana: 21:10

I don't know about you, Ricky, but I'm excited about all the improvements we're making to ensure all our riders feel safe and secure on our system.

Ricky: 21:18

Me too. Our staff and our security teams and Customer Experience Coordinators work hand in hand and are critical in keeping our system safe.

Juliana: 21:27

Like we mentioned in our last episode, heat safety is also a team effort, and during these hot summer months, we encourage you to do your part as well. If you see someone who may be in distress or in need of assistance, please let us know. You can use the Alert Valley Metro app and emergency call boxes at rail stations. If you're on the bus, let an operator know, or if you're at a bus stop, contact customer service or call 9-1-1.

Ricky: 21:50

Our Customer Experience Coordinators are also hosting heat relief events at light rail stations all summer long to help riders stay hydrated and safe in the heat. You can also head to valleymetro.org/heatrelief to find out where they'll be next.

Juliana: 22:04

That does it for this episode of Storylines. Remember to subscribe to us on your podcast app of choice. For Valley Metro, I'm Juliana.

Ricky: 22:12

I'm Ricky.

Juliana: 22:13

Thanks for riding with us.

Ricky: 22:15

We'll meet you at the next stop. Storylines is produced by Alex Tsotsos. Peter Corkery is the Executive Producer. For Juliana Vasquez-Keating, I'm Ricky Tejada. Thanks for listening.