|
Despite months of discussions between city officials and bus drivers, Metro Transit bus transfer points continue to be riddled with teenage delinquency.
Thursday, police were called to the West Transfer Point at Whitney Way and Tokay Boulevard after a caller reported a fight among 20 to 30 youths, some wielding baseball bats. When police arrived, Lt. Pat Malloy said, the youths scattered. Those who stayed behind wouldn't cooperate. On Friday, police learned that teens were heading to Memorial High School to confront students there who may have been involved in the fight at the transfer station as well as a fight Wednesday at West Towne Mall. Police spokesman Howard Payne said up to 50 youths were involved in the melee at the mall. Five young men, age 13 to 15, were arrested Friday for disorderly conduct and having weapons on school property, Payne said. The weapons included edged weapons and pepper spray. On Dec. 19, another group of young men was pushing girls into snow at the East Transfer Point off Milwaukee Street. A 42-year-old man asked them to stop, police reports said. The youths, all La Follette High School students, turned on the man, beating and kicking him before running away, Madison police spokesman Mike Hanson said. Two 16-year-old students were later arrested. They had threatened witnesses with violence if they cooperated with police. Incidents like these prompted Metro Transit and the City Council to finally capitulate in October to bus drivers' requests to install video cameras on buses. Cameras are slated for five buses used most by students as well as 10 others on problem routes. Metro Transit spokeswoman Julie Maryott-Walsh said the department has asked for bids and hopes to have the cameras in buses soon. But Maryott-Walsh couldn't provide any information about the number of incidents drivers were reporting at transfer points. Sharon Williams, a driver who has pushed the issue into the newspapers in the past year, said the problems continue in part because the bus company isn't willing to take meaningful action. However, she praised supervisor Randy Boyd for supporting drivers by working to involve police when fights or other incidents occur on buses and for monitoring the situation closely himself. Last week, Boyd was involved in arrests of nine youths, including one in which a young woman held a plastic gun to another person's head saying "Bang, you're dead," Williams said. Boyd couldn't be reached for comment. Unlike schoolteachers, bus drivers aren't trained on handling conflict, self-defense or how to spot trouble before it gets out of hand, Williams said. Right now, Maryott-Walsh said, drivers call dispatch if there are problems on a bus or at a transfer point and the dispatcher calls police. Madison School District spokesman Ken Syke said the school can't take any action against students for misbehaving outside schools. But they do talk to students when they find out they've behaved inappropriately on a bus. Madison Assistant Police Chief Randy Gaber said a captain has been meeting with Metro officials to discuss ways to improve the situation. But the problem isn't the buses or even the transfer points, he said.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |