CATS adds new bike and UTV patrols following deadly stabbing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Security officers on bikes and utility terrain vehicles will patrol transit areas in Charlotte moving forward.

The Charlotte Area Transit System Interim CEO Brent Cagle, Mayor Vi Lyles, City Manager Marcus Jones and Metropolitan Transit Commission Chair and Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox made the announcement Friday. 

The new measure comes after Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was killed on the light rail in August. Decarlos Brown Jr. is accused of stabbing her to death. 

“We owe that, not just to those of us who are here today but we owe this to Iryna’s family and to every person whoever thought about we should ride the bus or the train for whatever reason. I’m committed to this work, and I won’t stop until it’s as safe as it can possibly be,” Lyles said. 

Professional Security Services is the transit security provider for CATS. Cagle said bike and UTV patrols in addition to the expanded jurisdiction the security officers now have will make a difference. 

“Especially in areas like Uptown and South End, where it is very difficult to reach some of these platforms by vehicle, this extends their reach, and it also gives them the ability to respond much more quickly,” Cagle said.

“This extends their reach, and it also gives them the ability to respond much more quickly,” Cagle said. 

Light rail rider Yashas Reddy welcomes more patrols in the transit system he rides twice a week.

“I think that’s definitely a good measure. That definitely adds especially during off-peak hours, maybe like late in the night or early mornings,” Reddy said. 

The news conference also comes after the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor released a preliminary special report on the security contracts for CATS earlier this week. It reveals the number of armed guards decreased from between 68 and 88 in 2018 to 39 last month. 

It makes an emphasis that while the current contract provides 219 security officers, having only 39 armed doesn’t allow the transit system to have one armed guard at all of its 48 train cars. 

“We don’t believe that that is feasible. We also don’t believe it creates a force that can stay mobile to respond throughout the system. If there are significant numbers of security on every vehicle, if those trains need to be stopped for some reason, that means those security are stationary with that train,” Cagle said. “It’s not about are there personnel on every vehicle every day, all day long. It’s are there personnel visibly present throughout the entire system throughout the day.”

Cagle added they have more than 200 security officers, including over 40 armed and both are backed by off-duty Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers. 

“All of the personnel receive extensive training, including unarmed personnel, before they go out to serve the community and transit. And all of the unarmed personnel are fully supported by armed personnel with and by CMPD,” Cagle said. 

Reddy, who overall feels safe when riding, said he wants to see priority placed on checking if riders paid for a ticket.

“Especially at certain specific railway stations. If there’s an entry and exit checkpoint so that not anyone or everyone can come in, maybe that would probably help out,” Reddy said. 

Brown didn’t have a ticket at the time of the murder. 

Cagle said CATS will focus on reducing and eliminating fare evasion as they move forward. Lyles said she plans to work with members of the MTC to move forward a resolution about fare evasion. 

“We have to approach this process and this plan for fare evasion, because fare evasion is often a symptom of different challenges. We can’t ignore that so we will have to work out how to best do it,” Lyles said. 

CATS reminds riders there are ways to report an emergency from a train car. Cagle said there are call buttons on every train car that go directly to the operation. Even if the passenger doesn’t feel comfortable saying something, the call opens the communication with the operator for them to hear what’s going on in the train behind them and notify CMPD. They can also report an issue on the CATS app.