Transit union announces security and safety task force

Following the stabbing death of King County Metro bus operator Shawn Yim, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 gathered to announce the formation of the Transit Safety and Security Task Force.

On March 7, union president Greg Woodfill announced that the union’s pleas for a King County-wide transit and public safety task force would come to fruition after Yim was stabbed to death while working on the morning of Dec. 18, 2024.

The first meeting will be 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m March 20 at the Machinist District, 751 Seattle Union Hall, 9125 15th Place South.

Woodfill said the public cannot thrive without public transit, but the billions of dollars citizens of the region have invested in transit are at risk if passengers don’t feel safe to ride public transit and transit workers don’t feel safe at work. Woodfill said the public needs to hold them accountable for improving public and transit safety, but Metro and local cities hold responsibility, too.

“King County Metro and Sound Transit are all 100% responsible for the safety of their transit employees, and our union will hold them accountable for that as they would expect us to do,” Woodfill said. “But our union will also always fight for the safety of our passengers and their right to be safe on public transit. And the cities of King County bear some responsibility for their citizens’ safety while using public transit in their cities.”

Woodfill said King County’s transit policing model is built around a smaller transit police force, which is then supported by the police forces of local communities with transit service. Woodfill said cities need to fill in the gaps and have a seat at the table.

Newly appointed King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn, whose District 5 includes Renton, said creating safety in the community is not done alone, but through collaboration. Quinn said community-based solutions need to be developed.

“We need a collective social contract, not just on our buses, but in our communities. We know we can’t legislate behavior, but we can legislate our response to bad behavior. We must do so in a unified community voice,” Quinn said. “We must recommend solutions that reflect our commitment to ensuring people using Metro Transit can get from point A to point B to opportunities in their lives without fear or concern for their safety.”

On Feb. 25, there was a shooting at the Renton Transit Center, with the alleged suspect being a 17-year-old male who allegedly shot an 18-year-old male in the abdomen, according to Renton Police Department spokesperson Meeghan Black. Black said the suspect left on a bus, and shortly after, officers arrested him, and a K9 found the firearm. According to the investigating agency, the King County Sheriff’s Office, this incident is still under active investigation, so no further details could be shared.

Regarding this shooting, Quinn said he would tell concerned Renton residents that safety at the transit center is not where it needs to be. Quinn said safety is a collective responsibility, and while he thinks citizens can report more incidents, he also believes the community can maintain a high standard of safety.

“I think this task force is a step in that direction, and we actually need more of those things, right? We don’t need the arbitrary barriers that exist because, in the end, people just want to be safe,” Quinn said. “I think we’ve gotten to a point now where we shouldn’t be taking any more steps back. We should collaborate.”

Quinn said that, overall, he wants to improve public safety in Renton. Quinn said his mother lives in Renton, and throughout his life, he’s spent a lot of time in the city. He said a lot of great things are happening in Renton, and there are many things the community isn’t happy with, but he thinks it’s time to come together and set minimum expectations.