SEATTLE — Just under one month after a bus driver was killed on duty, Metropolitan King County Council members were all ears Monday morning as union leaders demanded more protection and county agencies promised to supply more police and social workers aiding the nation’s seventh-busiest transit system.
Passengers might see police “surges” in transit stations and vehicles, similar to recent patrols at Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco and New York City Transit, as suggested Monday by Councilmembers Rod Dembowski of northeast Seattle and Claudia Balducci of Bellevue. The goal would be “to reset system expectations about conduct,” Dembowski said. “I wonder if something like that here might be of value?” he told a union leader.
“We desperately need that,” answered Greg Woodfill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, which represents 4,500 members at Metro. “Nobody feels that there will be any consequences.” The population causing trouble is relatively small, he said, so “if can get some control, that will have a good effect.”
Monday’s session was scheduled shortly after Friday’s emotional memorial service in Sodo for bus operator Shawn Yim, who was stabbed to death while on duty Dec. 18. A rider pepper-sprayed and kicked Yim during a dispute in the University District over an open window, charging records say. Yim followed him off the bus while calling 911 just before 3 a.m. in hopes of leading police to the suspect. The man backtracked and scuffled with Yim before stabbing the transit worker at least 10 times, charging documents say. The suspect, Richard Sitzlack, was arrested three days later aboard a different overnight bus and charged with murder.