MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Committee on Transportation and Transit unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to create a new security force for county buses.
"Milwaukee County has a chance now to provide the highest level of service to our most vulnerable population," said Supervisor Peter Burgelis, who co-sponsored the resolution.
The Transit Security and Safety Task Force recommended the creation of the Transit Ranger program, which, according to the resolution, would "ideally" create 51 transit rangers, four shift supervisors, one public safety manager, a DHHS liaison and a housing liaison.
"We can do a much better job in-house, pay those people an adequate wage, give them full-time benefits and give them the skill set to be a professional public safety officer," said Burgelis.
The unarmed rangers would perform bus rides, wellness checks, fare enforcement and respond to operator calls. They'd also transmit country resources for mental health, housing and other DHHS services, according to Burgelis.
At Tuesday's hearing committee, frustrated MCTS bus operators shared their concerns about safety.
"In that moment, I knew that I was out there alone," said Cynthia Simpson, an operator who fought back tears as she described the moments after a driver flashed a gun at her while she was on a route.
ATU Local 998 Vice President Michael Brown read a statement for a bus operator. Last week, Brown said, her fiance was shot on an MCTS bus.
"We all know these stories. Time and time again. Now, my fiance has been shot on the bus. I'm scared for my life," said Brown on behalf of the operator.
Currently, MCTS contracts with a private security company called Allied Universal. The contract expires at the end of October.
"The shooting that occurred on one of our buses last week is unacceptable," said MCTS Chief Operating Officer Dan Basile.
In a report on safety presented at the committee hearing, Basile said incidents involving gunfire on buses are serious but "extremely rare."
The report stated that through August 2023, operator assaults have fallen by 42% compared to the same period last year. It also said incidents of drivers being threatened or harassed have dropped 24% during the same time.
MCTS representatives at the hearing didn't say no to a Ranger program, but they said a lot more needs to be discussed first.
"Carving security out of MCTS is awkward. The devil's in the details here. And just handing [security] over to county employees without any understanding of how that's going to be governed and managed is awkward to say the least," said Basile.
At this time, it's unclear which county department would house the Ranger program. According to the resolution, it's estimated to cost just under $3.5 million annually.
MCTS Denise Wandke recently said the Ranger program is "very similar to what we already have in place and will not bring a long-term solution."
Wandke's full statement on the program is below:
“I also want to address the recommendation of the Milwaukee County Transportation and Transit Committee Safety and Security Task Force. We respect the Task Force members’ time and attention and care for our bus operators. As a community, we all want to feel safe yet we are feeling more vulnerable with the increase in crime. I understand how the Task Force may think Park Rangers are a better option than our current security. 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."
You can read the full resolution below:
You can also read the MCTS report below:
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
