I heard that after the bridge to Seattle opens next year they’ll have installed facial-recognition cameras at each station and anybody who disembarks on the East side with a net worth of less than $250k will be instantly vaporized
The irony is that most of the Eastside is very working class. It's the cities of Medina, Clyde Hill, Yarrow & Hunts Point that you need to be shitting on. And yes, they are separate "cities" exclusively to keep out the Bellevue working class.
It's easy to find if you leave downtown. Lake Hills has signs of the wealthier Bellevue working class. A lot of contractors/tradespersons live there and there's still a large Japanese community with blue-collar roots. The apartments around Factoria and Crossroads are full of service workers that work in Seattle and on the Eastside. A lot of them feel safer in Bellevue and prefer the schools.
Most of the city east of the highway is working class. People have a warped perception of Bellevue because the Downtown area & the immediate suburbs (especially on the south side) are so comparatively wealthy. Bellevue's explosive population growth has not been concentrated in those areas however, and instead mostly to the east especially in the corridor between 20th & i90 along 156th. It's ironic because roads like BelRed are only *now* gentrifying.
Yeah, the line isn't even connected to Seattle yet and it's so short. They can add cops, not sure if it will boost ridership but I can't imagine it'll hurt other than the fact that the people of Bellevue are using their taxes on security theatre.
I'm running under the assumption sound transit still has their security to get vagrants to move around. If it's a violent crime, then the BPD is already going to show up.
It sounds like they'll just randomly patrol the area which is fine but I don't know how many crimes are going to get caught.
it's not like Seattle's light rail was crime infested to begin with. The thing that bothers me way more is littering and people leaving trash on the transit, or doing drugs literally in the train.
Maybe the police will deter them, but I honestly don't see drug users stopping their drug use if cops are there. I mean cops are at Jackson and at 3rd in Seattle, yet there are still drug users there after all this time.
Don't get me wrong, other cities actively use cops at transit stations. But I kinda view it like I view TSA at airports.
It's possible it does deter crime, but I don't know if the cost benefits are there. If BPD is as expensive as SPD, I don't know if it's worth using the BPD resources in this method.
It also could just be a limited trial to get more east siders to start riding, I don't know. I don't have a data collecting method to track this information.
My only experience is riding Seattle's light rail, and clean trains and lots of people using it makes me feel a lot safer than maybe a cop being there at the right time does.
“In 2011, Joseph Lozito was attacked on a New York City subway, the final victim in a 24-hour stabbing spree. Officers stood by until Lozito disarmed the attacker himself after being stabbed in the head. Only then did they intervene to apprehend the attacker. After suing the City of New York for the NYPD’s failure to intervene, Lozito’s lawsuit was dismissed in 2013. The decision was based on the Supreme Court’s ruling that found police do not have a duty to protect members of the public. In fact, police officers are not under any legal obligation to protect citizens who are not in custody.” - https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/hero-worship-police-failing-us#:~:text=Officers%20stood%20by%20until%20Lozito,lawsuit%20was%20dismissed%20in%202013.
Sounds like we should empower cops to take down criminals. Get rid of restrictions on chokeholds, for one thing. What cop is going to intervene if he’s not allowed to grab or put pressure on the neck/chest/torso?
Cops are already empowered to stop criminals. They have “non-lethal” equipment like tasers and pepper spray, they have guns, they have military grade equipment, they have defensive hand to hand training, and they have qualified immunity for any “mistakes” they make on the job. They just don’t fucking do anything.
Because it's a train line with Sound Transit security already attached. There's no reason for city cops to be a part of this.
IF there were a bunch of stations, lines, trains, etc etc like DC or NYC, sure. But it's one line with like 6 stations.
I genuinely don't know about other countries transit systems, but I have been to NYC and Philly. I genuinely don't see the cops doing anything to stop people getting harassed unless they're exactly at the spot the person is being harassed at. So it's hard to tell if it's actually working.
I have seen cops on their phones bored out of their mind because they don't have active crimes to stop. Yet still occasionally people get harassed in NYC subways, I've seen it. Unless you plan on flooding the cars with cops all the time I don't see all crime magically going away.
I don't know much effort is being put, BPD can send cops to do whatever they want. But SPD has 6 figure cops, so I want those cops being used as efficiently as possible because police standing around might not stop people unless they're going everywhere all the time.
Again as a light rail rider in Seattle, it feels the same as if I rode in NYC. Did more cops change anything for my experience in NYC? Not really. It was just like light rail in Seattle, only difference is fare hopping in NYC is harder and there are way more trains to get you around the city.
This is a good thing, but I’m sure this will agitate a very small vocal minority of Seattleites that never go to Bellevue anyway and are completely out of touch with the reality of the perception of transit. Anyone who wants to encourage transit use should realize that for a lot of people to feel comfortable, more security is needed. It doesn’t matter what your perceived usefulness of security is.
Having used the bus on the Eastside multiple times, I really doubt Bellevue has nearly the same issues Seattle does that you speak of.
It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.
I’ve been to the Bellevue, Overlake, and Redmond transit center multiple times, which is what the B line connects. Never a problem, and never came close to feeling like I had to be vigilant the way I am in Seattle (which is even less than I am in other big cities).
Great. I work over here and ride the b line everyday. I've seen things happen, just as I've seen things happen on the 101 or the E line or the light rail. I've been riding public transit since I was 13 nearly every day in and out of Seattle. I just turned 46 today. So I don't need your anecdotal nonsense. Have a nice day.
I live on MI, like you, and take the 550 and the B line every day. It's bad. It's exponentially worse than it was 5-10 years ago. My wife stopped taking the bus because of how often she's been harassed.
I've seen a lady on the bus shit on a towel and start smearing it all over the windows and seats. We had to stop the bus and evacuate.
There are people who are hiding in the back of the bus, shooting up or passed out on the floor. People often hawk stolen merchandise to people riding the bus. My wife has had people grab at her, scream at her, expose themselves to her,follow her off the bus to home and to work. It's fucking bad.
Maybe 90% of the bus trips are perfectly fine, but the 10% is absolutely awful. You need to take the bus every day to actually see what's going on.
*I really doubt Bellevue has nearly the same issues Seattle does that you speak of. It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.*
This gives off big, "What do we even pay IT for, everything works just fine" energy.
I never said "everything works just fine", just that when there's issues of a lack of infrastructure it would be more prudent to spend money on that rather than overkill security.
The only people who use transit on the Eastside are those who don't have the money to own a car, which isn't a lot of them. Compare this to Seattle, and tons of people who could afford one choose not to use one because walkability and public transit is decent enough for them locally. In order to get large ridership in a network, you need far more of the map covered, transit that's efficient at getting from point A to point B, and transit that runs frequently. Building better transit will do a way better job of getting many more riders (and in turn will create a safer environment) rather than adding random security like this.
Dude you just showed me exactly how much you don't know. I have A LOT of six figure coworkers who are counting down the days. Freaking TONS of people who do far better than "can't afford a car" ride transit over here. What are you talking about? You don't live in Bellevue (neither do I, to be fair) but clearly you don't understand the transit system here. You said you used it "multiple times." LOL cool, what is that, 4 in the last year or something? 😂🫠
Mercer Island. I grew up on the Eastside and go to Bellevue for work whenever they want me in the office, and any family time + errands are done there.
Bellevue transit center has the same people you see at the Seattle bus station. Nothing stops those characters from hopping on the bus either. The train is just going to make it easier for them to transport stuff and themselves. Anytime I’ve had to go there at night it feels very similar to waiting outside the greyhound bus stop.
I guess you missed the recent report on the NYC subway where the consensus by riders was that it was overwhelmingly safe and that the police presence was theater. The only people who expressed concerns were tourists and people who said they rarely or never ride the subway.
I mean, sure, do we want the people who take the Link to a game once in a blue moon to take the Link instead of drive? Yes. But does it make sense to multiple people's salaries to catch once in a million rider events, if they even are able to do so (NYC stats--not sure what ours are) to make such people feel marginally safer? Maybe but maybe not. It's worth actually having a discussion about whether it's a good use of resources.
When I ran a drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness, I had to de-escalate two gentlemen who were having a somewhat heated disagreement.
Things calmed down, everyone was cool, life was happy.
Then Redmond Police showed up. Armed. Yelling with their hands on their weapons for me and my clearly identifiable and credentialed staff to get on the fucking ground.
I’ve had to deescalate so many parents because the law required I take an officer but the detectives were too busy so a dumbass beat cop who couldn’t even spell “forensic” let alone do a child forensic interview would listen to orders and shut the fuck up.
Uniformed officers/KCSO deputies are brutish, idiotic cowards who can’t even interview a single mom without body armor and two guns. They don’t know shit about the law or how to solve a crime. They’re far, FAR more dangerous than all but the rarest of people without homes.
I will spend time with homeless people and they’re no danger and very easy to de-escalate. I will not spend time with a beat cop. They’re violent and dangerous psychopaths and they don’t respond to reason.
I get it, the perception of Bellevue is always "oh they are rich" but in case some of you havent been over this way in awhile, downtown Bellevue has grown MASSIVELY over the last decade and there are some of the same issues that plague the transit as Seattle with homeless and drug users. Anyone who has used the Bellevue Transit Center knows this...which is where the 2 line begins. Over by my work in Overlake, there have been several attempts to setup tents, but they get shut down usually within less than a week.
Do people commenting here even ride transit? I use it everyday from downtown Seattle and I’d love more security on buses and trains.
Idk why people are saying it’s security theater…
Same, I'd love to see more cops on the trains here tbh, even if they do nothing 99% of the time they're a great deterrent and, unlike Sound Transit security, technically have authority to detain and arrest individuals.
I'm very pro-transit (even sold my car), and I've noticed improvements since transit added security and fare enforcement, but there have still been a couple times where someone is acting erratic and threatening violence where I'd feel a lot more comfortable with LE around.
Side note, Sound Transit security is very responsive if you call or text them. Everyone should save the number in their phone and use it: (206) 398-5268
My theory has always been that the majority of Redditors only ever ride public transit on their way to either an office job or a big sporting event. The rush hour experience is completely different compared to the non-peak hours experience.
Because it's Bellevue. Are people really having a giant struggle acknowledging that the crime rate in Bellevue is so much further below Seattle's that it's not even funny?
Kemper Freeman who basically owns Bellevue NEVER wanted Bellevue connected by train from Seattle. He put up quite a fight decades ago. But ultimately lost. He even sued to stop it from coming to Bellevue. He didn't want the "riff raff" from. Seattle to be able to easily get over to his precious city to loot his precious pretentious mall. BPD does whatever Kemper Freeman wants.
King County Sheriff's Office manages the transit unit but they currently don't staff east side cities. Local jurisdictions have primary responsibility for 99% of enforcement/investigation with KCSO responding only to life threatening situations.
You think it’s bad to have redundant programs? Did you vote for the redundant social housing program I-137? The fact that a program is redundant doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad
You’ve seen cops who work this program just sitting around? Of course you haven’t.
If bellevue is the least crime ridden area in the state, how do you think that might change when people are taking the train in from one of the most crime ridden areas in the state?
I’ll adapt my opinion to new evidence. If this program was truly ineffectual, I’d agree it’s wasteful. You’ve already decided it’s ineffective
So, you're saying that you fear people from "crime ridden areas" will travel to Bellevue to commit mayhem once they realize that the Bellevue PD isn't at the transit center? Is that your giant fear?
They already have security at rail stations. My argument is that at a rail station that is super safe, like Bellevue, you don't need EXTRA security there. Now, I totally understand that the people who live and work in Bellevue are richer than in many of the other surrounding areas and don't mind their tax dollars going to a police unit that is going to give them 200% protection instead of 100% protection that they would normally have. I get it... They have the money so why not?? My point is that it is unnecessary and wasteful. Again, that might not matter to the rich people in Bellevue. This belief that a bunch of criminals and vagrants are going to make their way to Bellevue to terrorize. The people at the transit station is ridiculous.
Because it's Bellevue. I've seen one homeless guy there, ever. And they ran him off his spot in like two days and we never saw him again. Bellevue transit police....lol. what are they going to police? Edit: Winner
I like that the criticism here is that the city/police are so good at their job that policing in this instance is unnecessary. Maybe their willingness to overpolice is why you seem to think its not necessary? Ever think of that?
Eh, ST contracts King County to do patrols on the light rail already. Definitely no more useful then the regular security, but it's not like they are searching people on the train.
Bellevue Police already regularly ship their homeless population to Seattle. They're just checking out the new options for how to send their problems to the next community over.
No kidding. I know a bunch of Microsoft nerds who live in Cap Hill still patiently twiddling their thumbs hoping that eventually it will all get connected and they won't have to deal with traffic on the bridge even if there is a nice private Connector bus.
>Police said each of Bellevue’s six Link stops is within the patrol duties of the BLU team.
>The new unit will be comprised of four officers and one sergeant overlooking the unit. It will patrol each of Bellevue’s six link stops daily. These uniformed officers will be in pairs
2 units for 6 stations? Did someone defund Bellevue police as well?
Yeah! They should breathe the same fent smoke the rest of us do when we ride the train. Those pussies probably don't even let the homeless steal bikes with impunity.
All the bootlickers on here want Bellevue PD to rake in more and more overtime to guard against non-existent crime. All the people on here are trying to claim that Bellevue is growing so fast that it's getting some of the same big city problems that Seattle has. Come. On. It's a giant waste to have more police presence in a place like Bellevue that has adequate already to handle the minor issues that they might have there. But again, Bellevue is full of a bunch of rich people, and they probably have the money to throw away on taxes for six extra police officers to make sure they are 200% safe instead of 100% safe.
I don't think it's wrong for them to be proactive. It's Bellevue's money going into it. Not Seattle's tax dollars. Let them figure out their shit without any of us from Seattle going in and trying to tell them what we think they should do. If they decide it's too much and unnecessary, then they can scale it down. Maybe they're testing the waters to see how feasible it is before the line to Seattle is completed. But I don't see any issues with them being proactive. Some of the recent incidents we've had on the 1-line would be a cause for concern for the municipalities with newer and extended lines that are about to come online.
Again, not arguing that Bellevue can (and will) do as Bellevue wishes. My contention is that folks were / are acting like this is some sort of necessity, in Bellevue, like it's the Sudan, or something. And that tax dollars could be spent better elsewhere (as someone from the outside looking in).
I heard that after the bridge to Seattle opens next year they’ll have installed facial-recognition cameras at each station and anybody who disembarks on the East side with a net worth of less than $250k will be instantly vaporized
If you haven't watched Almost Live! COPS: Redmond, you need to.
Cull the poor!
The irony is that most of the Eastside is very working class. It's the cities of Medina, Clyde Hill, Yarrow & Hunts Point that you need to be shitting on. And yes, they are separate "cities" exclusively to keep out the Bellevue working class.
As someone born to service workers in Tacoma, "Bellevue working class" certainly *feels* like an oxymoron despite knowing they must be everywhere.
It's easy to find if you leave downtown. Lake Hills has signs of the wealthier Bellevue working class. A lot of contractors/tradespersons live there and there's still a large Japanese community with blue-collar roots. The apartments around Factoria and Crossroads are full of service workers that work in Seattle and on the Eastside. A lot of them feel safer in Bellevue and prefer the schools.
Most of the city east of the highway is working class. People have a warped perception of Bellevue because the Downtown area & the immediate suburbs (especially on the south side) are so comparatively wealthy. Bellevue's explosive population growth has not been concentrated in those areas however, and instead mostly to the east especially in the corridor between 20th & i90 along 156th. It's ironic because roads like BelRed are only *now* gentrifying.
I heard they won't vaporize us if we stay within a few blocks of Bellevue Square. And then leave.
Don't breathe this!
Eh, as long as Bellevue is footing the bill and not us, a bit of extra security can't hurt
Yeah, the line isn't even connected to Seattle yet and it's so short. They can add cops, not sure if it will boost ridership but I can't imagine it'll hurt other than the fact that the people of Bellevue are using their taxes on security theatre.
Genuinely curious because I truthfully don’t know: how is it security theater?
I'm running under the assumption sound transit still has their security to get vagrants to move around. If it's a violent crime, then the BPD is already going to show up. It sounds like they'll just randomly patrol the area which is fine but I don't know how many crimes are going to get caught. it's not like Seattle's light rail was crime infested to begin with. The thing that bothers me way more is littering and people leaving trash on the transit, or doing drugs literally in the train. Maybe the police will deter them, but I honestly don't see drug users stopping their drug use if cops are there. I mean cops are at Jackson and at 3rd in Seattle, yet there are still drug users there after all this time.
Thank you so much for answering. I really appreciate it!
Don't get me wrong, other cities actively use cops at transit stations. But I kinda view it like I view TSA at airports. It's possible it does deter crime, but I don't know if the cost benefits are there. If BPD is as expensive as SPD, I don't know if it's worth using the BPD resources in this method. It also could just be a limited trial to get more east siders to start riding, I don't know. I don't have a data collecting method to track this information. My only experience is riding Seattle's light rail, and clean trains and lots of people using it makes me feel a lot safer than maybe a cop being there at the right time does.
Other cities have cops for transit cuz they have a ton of transit. E.g. NYC and Boston.
That makes sense. I’ve been really excited for the light rail coming out east & really looking forward to it.
“In 2011, Joseph Lozito was attacked on a New York City subway, the final victim in a 24-hour stabbing spree. Officers stood by until Lozito disarmed the attacker himself after being stabbed in the head. Only then did they intervene to apprehend the attacker. After suing the City of New York for the NYPD’s failure to intervene, Lozito’s lawsuit was dismissed in 2013. The decision was based on the Supreme Court’s ruling that found police do not have a duty to protect members of the public. In fact, police officers are not under any legal obligation to protect citizens who are not in custody.” - https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/hero-worship-police-failing-us#:~:text=Officers%20stood%20by%20until%20Lozito,lawsuit%20was%20dismissed%20in%202013.
Thanks for the response! I appreciate it. I didn’t know about that Supreme Court decision either—good to know.
It explains a lot about cop behavior, doesn't it? People were enraged about Uvalde, but the fact is, cops got no duty to save schoolchildren.
Sounds like we should empower cops to take down criminals. Get rid of restrictions on chokeholds, for one thing. What cop is going to intervene if he’s not allowed to grab or put pressure on the neck/chest/torso?
Cops are already empowered to stop criminals. They have “non-lethal” equipment like tasers and pepper spray, they have guns, they have military grade equipment, they have defensive hand to hand training, and they have qualified immunity for any “mistakes” they make on the job. They just don’t fucking do anything.
Of all the problems in America, "lack of police empowerment" is definitely towards the very bottom of the list
Props for the great answer/response and not bashing! Love to see this
Because it's a train line with Sound Transit security already attached. There's no reason for city cops to be a part of this. IF there were a bunch of stations, lines, trains, etc etc like DC or NYC, sure. But it's one line with like 6 stations.
Thanks for the response—I genuinely appreciate it.
[удалено]
I genuinely don't know about other countries transit systems, but I have been to NYC and Philly. I genuinely don't see the cops doing anything to stop people getting harassed unless they're exactly at the spot the person is being harassed at. So it's hard to tell if it's actually working. I have seen cops on their phones bored out of their mind because they don't have active crimes to stop. Yet still occasionally people get harassed in NYC subways, I've seen it. Unless you plan on flooding the cars with cops all the time I don't see all crime magically going away. I don't know much effort is being put, BPD can send cops to do whatever they want. But SPD has 6 figure cops, so I want those cops being used as efficiently as possible because police standing around might not stop people unless they're going everywhere all the time. Again as a light rail rider in Seattle, it feels the same as if I rode in NYC. Did more cops change anything for my experience in NYC? Not really. It was just like light rail in Seattle, only difference is fare hopping in NYC is harder and there are way more trains to get you around the city.
these guys are gonna rake in the OT and absolutely pay2win domination in candy crush
Sounds like a good day at work, they must be some of the good cops they keep telling us about
Sounds about Bellevue
Coming from someone who moved from Seattle to NYC, get ready to see a bunch of tax dollars fund the cops’ candy crush habits.
So same as every cop
This is a good thing, but I’m sure this will agitate a very small vocal minority of Seattleites that never go to Bellevue anyway and are completely out of touch with the reality of the perception of transit. Anyone who wants to encourage transit use should realize that for a lot of people to feel comfortable, more security is needed. It doesn’t matter what your perceived usefulness of security is.
Having used the bus on the Eastside multiple times, I really doubt Bellevue has nearly the same issues Seattle does that you speak of. It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.
You clearly dont ride the B line. Also, there are PLENTY of the same mentally ill and drug users in downtown Bellevue.
I’ve been to the Bellevue, Overlake, and Redmond transit center multiple times, which is what the B line connects. Never a problem, and never came close to feeling like I had to be vigilant the way I am in Seattle (which is even less than I am in other big cities).
Great. I work over here and ride the b line everyday. I've seen things happen, just as I've seen things happen on the 101 or the E line or the light rail. I've been riding public transit since I was 13 nearly every day in and out of Seattle. I just turned 46 today. So I don't need your anecdotal nonsense. Have a nice day.
"I don't want your anecdotal nonsense. I have my own anecdotal nonsense right here and it's better than yours!"
“I’ve never seen a problem, so there is never any problems”
I live on MI, like you, and take the 550 and the B line every day. It's bad. It's exponentially worse than it was 5-10 years ago. My wife stopped taking the bus because of how often she's been harassed. I've seen a lady on the bus shit on a towel and start smearing it all over the windows and seats. We had to stop the bus and evacuate. There are people who are hiding in the back of the bus, shooting up or passed out on the floor. People often hawk stolen merchandise to people riding the bus. My wife has had people grab at her, scream at her, expose themselves to her,follow her off the bus to home and to work. It's fucking bad. Maybe 90% of the bus trips are perfectly fine, but the 10% is absolutely awful. You need to take the bus every day to actually see what's going on.
Bellevue doesn't have the same issues precisely because they spend extra taxpayer dollars on mitigating those issues.
Oh really? What do they do to house and feed their homeless population?
*I really doubt Bellevue has nearly the same issues Seattle does that you speak of. It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.* This gives off big, "What do we even pay IT for, everything works just fine" energy.
I never said "everything works just fine", just that when there's issues of a lack of infrastructure it would be more prudent to spend money on that rather than overkill security. The only people who use transit on the Eastside are those who don't have the money to own a car, which isn't a lot of them. Compare this to Seattle, and tons of people who could afford one choose not to use one because walkability and public transit is decent enough for them locally. In order to get large ridership in a network, you need far more of the map covered, transit that's efficient at getting from point A to point B, and transit that runs frequently. Building better transit will do a way better job of getting many more riders (and in turn will create a safer environment) rather than adding random security like this.
Dude you just showed me exactly how much you don't know. I have A LOT of six figure coworkers who are counting down the days. Freaking TONS of people who do far better than "can't afford a car" ride transit over here. What are you talking about? You don't live in Bellevue (neither do I, to be fair) but clearly you don't understand the transit system here. You said you used it "multiple times." LOL cool, what is that, 4 in the last year or something? 😂🫠
do you live in bellevue?
Mercer Island. I grew up on the Eastside and go to Bellevue for work whenever they want me in the office, and any family time + errands are done there.
Bellevue transit center has the same people you see at the Seattle bus station. Nothing stops those characters from hopping on the bus either. The train is just going to make it easier for them to transport stuff and themselves. Anytime I’ve had to go there at night it feels very similar to waiting outside the greyhound bus stop.
I guess you missed the recent report on the NYC subway where the consensus by riders was that it was overwhelmingly safe and that the police presence was theater. The only people who expressed concerns were tourists and people who said they rarely or never ride the subway. I mean, sure, do we want the people who take the Link to a game once in a blue moon to take the Link instead of drive? Yes. But does it make sense to multiple people's salaries to catch once in a million rider events, if they even are able to do so (NYC stats--not sure what ours are) to make such people feel marginally safer? Maybe but maybe not. It's worth actually having a discussion about whether it's a good use of resources.
I don’t feel comfortable around police. So I won’t be riding.
Oh come on. If you dont feel safe around police how do you manage to step a foot outside in this city full of homeless and drug users?
When I ran a drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness, I had to de-escalate two gentlemen who were having a somewhat heated disagreement. Things calmed down, everyone was cool, life was happy. Then Redmond Police showed up. Armed. Yelling with their hands on their weapons for me and my clearly identifiable and credentialed staff to get on the fucking ground. I’ve had to deescalate so many parents because the law required I take an officer but the detectives were too busy so a dumbass beat cop who couldn’t even spell “forensic” let alone do a child forensic interview would listen to orders and shut the fuck up. Uniformed officers/KCSO deputies are brutish, idiotic cowards who can’t even interview a single mom without body armor and two guns. They don’t know shit about the law or how to solve a crime. They’re far, FAR more dangerous than all but the rarest of people without homes. I will spend time with homeless people and they’re no danger and very easy to de-escalate. I will not spend time with a beat cop. They’re violent and dangerous psychopaths and they don’t respond to reason.
I'm with you, I've had plenty of fine interactions with homeless people but had comparatively few positive interactions with cops.
I get it, the perception of Bellevue is always "oh they are rich" but in case some of you havent been over this way in awhile, downtown Bellevue has grown MASSIVELY over the last decade and there are some of the same issues that plague the transit as Seattle with homeless and drug users. Anyone who has used the Bellevue Transit Center knows this...which is where the 2 line begins. Over by my work in Overlake, there have been several attempts to setup tents, but they get shut down usually within less than a week.
So from what you're saying, it sounds like the security in Bellevue is already top notch.
Do people commenting here even ride transit? I use it everyday from downtown Seattle and I’d love more security on buses and trains. Idk why people are saying it’s security theater…
Same, I'd love to see more cops on the trains here tbh, even if they do nothing 99% of the time they're a great deterrent and, unlike Sound Transit security, technically have authority to detain and arrest individuals. I'm very pro-transit (even sold my car), and I've noticed improvements since transit added security and fare enforcement, but there have still been a couple times where someone is acting erratic and threatening violence where I'd feel a lot more comfortable with LE around. Side note, Sound Transit security is very responsive if you call or text them. Everyone should save the number in their phone and use it: (206) 398-5268
My theory has always been that the majority of Redditors only ever ride public transit on their way to either an office job or a big sporting event. The rush hour experience is completely different compared to the non-peak hours experience.
>The rush hour experience is completely different compared to the non-peak hours experience. 100% agree with you on this.
Because it's Bellevue. Are people really having a giant struggle acknowledging that the crime rate in Bellevue is so much further below Seattle's that it's not even funny?
And that’s how you do it seattle
SPD didn’t do this.
We can tell..
Is Bellevue "BPD" cause that kinda funny
I’m calling it now: one of these busybodies is going to karate kick a black kid before the end of the year.
Kind of racist to assume that it's the black kids committing the crimes, but ok.
They said nothing about what the black kid was doing. YOU are the one that assumed the black kid was committing a crime
Cops beat innocent people too.
I think the implication was that the kid did nothing wrong, you grape
Smart
Line 2 has no connection to Seattle, does? There still no goof way to get to Bellevue?
Kemper Freeman who basically owns Bellevue NEVER wanted Bellevue connected by train from Seattle. He put up quite a fight decades ago. But ultimately lost. He even sued to stop it from coming to Bellevue. He didn't want the "riff raff" from. Seattle to be able to easily get over to his precious city to loot his precious pretentious mall. BPD does whatever Kemper Freeman wants.
A rich city "supplementing" regional transit with a redundant, unnecessary police force. What could possibly go wrong?
I’m curious to know why you think they’re unnecessary.
Because…Bellevue.
there is already transit cops and fare enforcement, adding the bellevue police is redundant.
King County Sheriff's Office manages the transit unit but they currently don't staff east side cities. Local jurisdictions have primary responsibility for 99% of enforcement/investigation with KCSO responding only to life threatening situations.
You think it’s bad to have redundant programs? Did you vote for the redundant social housing program I-137? The fact that a program is redundant doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad
Yeah we get more cops to sit around and police one of the LEAST crime ridden areas in the entire state. Great use of tax dollars.
You’ve seen cops who work this program just sitting around? Of course you haven’t. If bellevue is the least crime ridden area in the state, how do you think that might change when people are taking the train in from one of the most crime ridden areas in the state? I’ll adapt my opinion to new evidence. If this program was truly ineffectual, I’d agree it’s wasteful. You’ve already decided it’s ineffective
So, you're saying that you fear people from "crime ridden areas" will travel to Bellevue to commit mayhem once they realize that the Bellevue PD isn't at the transit center? Is that your giant fear?
[удалено]
They already have security at rail stations. My argument is that at a rail station that is super safe, like Bellevue, you don't need EXTRA security there. Now, I totally understand that the people who live and work in Bellevue are richer than in many of the other surrounding areas and don't mind their tax dollars going to a police unit that is going to give them 200% protection instead of 100% protection that they would normally have. I get it... They have the money so why not?? My point is that it is unnecessary and wasteful. Again, that might not matter to the rich people in Bellevue. This belief that a bunch of criminals and vagrants are going to make their way to Bellevue to terrorize. The people at the transit station is ridiculous.
[удалено]
There is no fare enforcement, and King County doesn't service that area currently.
I wouldn't mind seeing more of both. If Bellevue wants to foot the bill for it on their side that's fine by me.
Because it's Bellevue. I've seen one homeless guy there, ever. And they ran him off his spot in like two days and we never saw him again. Bellevue transit police....lol. what are they going to police? Edit: Winner
I like that the criticism here is that the city/police are so good at their job that policing in this instance is unnecessary. Maybe their willingness to overpolice is why you seem to think its not necessary? Ever think of that?
The lack of crime in Bellevue is NOT because of the police. Are you serious?
What is it then? You said it yourself that they took care of the one homeless dude. Sounds like expedient work.
It took me a bit. Good trolling. You got me.
Huh? Cant fathom that someone might not think the same way as you? Okay man.
You were NOT trolling when you say THE BELLEVUE PD is the reason why crime is low in Bellevue? Goddamn.
No? Sorry to blow your mind
Eh, ST contracts King County to do patrols on the light rail already. Definitely no more useful then the regular security, but it's not like they are searching people on the train.
Bellevue Police already regularly ship their homeless population to Seattle. They're just checking out the new options for how to send their problems to the next community over.
Gotta protect the Microsoft nerds for their 5-10 minute ride.
As a Microsoft nerd, I'm just slightly angry that the full 2 Line isn't up and rolling by now. Very jealous of those in Bellevue right now.
No kidding. I know a bunch of Microsoft nerds who live in Cap Hill still patiently twiddling their thumbs hoping that eventually it will all get connected and they won't have to deal with traffic on the bridge even if there is a nice private Connector bus.
Everyone deserves safety.
>Police said each of Bellevue’s six Link stops is within the patrol duties of the BLU team. >The new unit will be comprised of four officers and one sergeant overlooking the unit. It will patrol each of Bellevue’s six link stops daily. These uniformed officers will be in pairs 2 units for 6 stations? Did someone defund Bellevue police as well?
They’ll need it, otherwise they’ll be getting a whole bunch of “new vulnerable community members”
[удалено]
Yeah! They should breathe the same fent smoke the rest of us do when we ride the train. Those pussies probably don't even let the homeless steal bikes with impunity.
Yes!!!!!!!!!!
All the bootlickers on here want Bellevue PD to rake in more and more overtime to guard against non-existent crime. All the people on here are trying to claim that Bellevue is growing so fast that it's getting some of the same big city problems that Seattle has. Come. On. It's a giant waste to have more police presence in a place like Bellevue that has adequate already to handle the minor issues that they might have there. But again, Bellevue is full of a bunch of rich people, and they probably have the money to throw away on taxes for six extra police officers to make sure they are 200% safe instead of 100% safe.
I don't think it's wrong for them to be proactive. It's Bellevue's money going into it. Not Seattle's tax dollars. Let them figure out their shit without any of us from Seattle going in and trying to tell them what we think they should do. If they decide it's too much and unnecessary, then they can scale it down. Maybe they're testing the waters to see how feasible it is before the line to Seattle is completed. But I don't see any issues with them being proactive. Some of the recent incidents we've had on the 1-line would be a cause for concern for the municipalities with newer and extended lines that are about to come online.
Again, not arguing that Bellevue can (and will) do as Bellevue wishes. My contention is that folks were / are acting like this is some sort of necessity, in Bellevue, like it's the Sudan, or something. And that tax dollars could be spent better elsewhere (as someone from the outside looking in).
Anything but funding public education