Oregon Public Broadcasting

Safety on the Portland Metro area's light-rail system became a hot issue last November.  One high profile attack in Gresham seemingly put the issue on the forefront of TriMet's agenda.

But some local officials and law enforcement officers say safety on the MAX was an issue bubbling beneath the surface for some time.  As Andrew Theen reports, TriMet's Transit Police Division opened its East Precinct Tuesday.

Carla Piluso is a self-described lover of light-rail.  But as a concerned Gresham mom she admits to keeping her young daughter off the train at times.

Carla Piluso: "She was being exposed to an element of society that she just didn't need to be  exposed to yet, and I didn't always like feeling I had to be  on duty."

Carla Piluso is also the Gresham Chief of Police.

Carla Piluso: "I would say in the last 18 months I have seen a huge increase in citizen related concerns about who they were sharing the light rail system with, and an element that made them uncomfortable, made feel unsafe."

The concerns came to a boil in November. The Mayor of Gresham, Shane Bemis announced that two city officers would ride the rails to enforce order.

Ironically, Piluso says, tragedy struck the very next day.

Carla Piluso: "We have a 71 year old man brutally assaulted on the train."

Andrew Theen: "With a baseball bat?"

Carla Piluso: "With a baseball bat.  That got TriMet's attention."

TriMet conducted two safety summits in December; one on either side of the Willamette River.

Those discussions produced the idea of creating separate precincts; one on the east side, one on the west.

TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen says it became clear they had to address "loud, obnoxious behavior" on MAX.

Fred Hansen: "But what's at issue here, and this has been particularly articulated on the westside, is it's really the quality of life issues that have been of greater concern there than the direct actual criminal behavior."

In early March, TriMet launched patrols on the Westside Precinct.

Three weeks into the new patrols, on a snowy day in Hillsboro, Police Sergeant Stacey Jepson just reported for another day of duty on the MAX line.

On this day she and fellow officers are doing another thankless job -- educating riders that, yes, a fare is needed on the MAX.

Stacey Jepson: "Several hours of our shift are actually riding the trains, conducting fare checks.  Just making sure people are being compliant with the rules of TriMet."

TriMet general manager Fred Hansen says ideally 70 percent of the officer's hours are spent either on the train or on a MAX platform.  The hope is that the mere presence of police will prevent some crimes and make riders feel safer.

Fred Hansen: "They should have a safe, secure and comfortable experience, and I think at certain locations and at certain times of the day, that's not happening."

Sergeant Stacey Jepson said a lot of trouble happens near the end of the Blue Line, at SE Washington and 3rd in Hillsboro.

Stacey Jepson: "People have a tendency to hang out there hang out in front of business in that downtown business district, cause problems.   So those are the kinds of things that we were seeing.  I think with this increased visibility and police presence those things have certainly curtailed."

All parties involved seem to agree the more aggressive behavior takes place in Gresham and Northeast Portland, but TriMet patrols there didn't start until Tuesday.

The Transit Police Division is starting its East Precinct, with an initial staffing of 6 officers, with a goal of ten by this summer.  The crew will patrol from Gateway Transit Center east into Gresham.

Meanwhile, the Gresham city cops made 17 felony arrests and 31 misdemeanors just in the month of November.

Gresham Police Chief Carla Piluso says Trimet looks at crime simply by counting incidents on the platforms and trains, which can be misleading.

Carla Piluso: "Statistically if you look at those crime numbers they are very low.  We choose to look at them about a quarter mile on each side  if not a half a mile on each side of the line.  There is no doubt in my mind that some of those crimes are associated with someone that have just gotten on or off the MAX."

TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said it is too soon to know for sure what the effect of increased police presence has been on the westside. 

Fred Hansen: "But what I am hearing is our regular riders are seeing that additional police presence, and are really saying, you know, it's great to be able to see it.  It calms things down and gives them a greater sense of confidence."

Hillsboro Police Sergeant Stacey Jepson echoes that sentiment, saying she's thanked on a daily basis.

Gresham Police Chief Carla Piluso hopes for the same level of success near Gresham.