Washington

Metro Train Safety

dc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:23:36 +0000

31 August 2010 9:05 PM | By Prince Of Petworth in Transit, quality of life

Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

“Dear PoP,

I keep reading accounts of people being attacked on sparsely populated Metro trains (late at night, on weekends, etc) – it seems like occurrences are becoming more and more frequent as reported on Police Department listservs.

Metro keeps reporting budget crunches, and I’m sure criminals and petty thieves know MetroTrains are easy venues for their activities, since Metro Police can’t be in every car, or even on every train.

Whenever I’m on Metro late at night, I always choose to enter a more populated car, but can we take our protection to the next level by collectively occupying the first or last car of each train – say after 8pm?

You know what they say – safety in numbers! How could we organize such a publicity campaign, or has something like this been attempted in the past?”

That’s why the Guardian Angels ride the metro. From the MPD listserv:

Friday August 28, 2010 aapproximately 8:20 pm Guardian Angels was patrolling
the green line from Annacostia to Gallery Place. When the doors opened up at
the Navy Yard stop, three males approximately 20 years old, were engaging in
a loud, heated argument. The three males began to fight. Guardian Angels
rushed in to stop the fight. The males were very aggressive. The Guardian
Angels had to detain the three males and call Metro Police. When the train
arrived at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Police took one male into custody for simple
assault and disorderly.

Honestly I ride the metro (including the Green line) quite frequently late at night and have never felt uncomfortable. There have been some highly publicized fights (featured on this blog) but I’d say they are still rather rare. I’m not saying I’m a tough guy, maybe I’ve just got lucky, but it’s always been fairly uneventful (perhaps some yelling and music but no fighting).

Anyway, what do you guys think – does riding the metro late at night make you feel uncomfortable?

Would you like to see a campaign to fill the first and last cars for safety or something like that? If so how would you recommend that campaign be launched? In cooperation with WMATA?

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Guardian Angels Detain Three on Green Line Train

dc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:12:45 +0000

The Guardian Angels, who have been patrolling Green Line trains since last month’s large brawl, detained three men who were fighting Friday night. According to John Unique Ayala of the Guardian Angels, three men were observed arguing at the Navy Yard station. The argument escalated into a fight onboard the train, at which point a Guardian Angels patrol intervened. The patrol detained three men in their 20s until Metro Transit Police arrived at L’Enfant Plaza Station. Transit Police took one of the men into custody for simple assault and disorderly conduct.

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So Can The Guardian Angels Legally Detain Someone on Metro?

dc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:40:51 +0000

In recent weeks, the Guardian Angels — the unarmed, volunteer crime patrollers — have stepped up their patrols on Metro trains. Aside from the rare beating, the Angels are generally a positive force, especially on a sprawling system like Metro, which has plenty nooks and crannies that are really difficult for police to monitor. Angel patrols have been stepped up after several fights on Metro this summer: in the wake of the 70-person brawl that broke out earlier this month, the Angels dedicated themselves to upping patrols around the Gallery Place/Chinatown station. They’ve started riding on Metrobuses more, as well. This is nothing new, of course — the Angels have a sizable presence in D.C. and are often quick to offer up their patented brand of group policing.

Photo by Matt.Dunn.

The increased presence paid off last Friday, when Angels detained three men after a fight broke out on a Green Line train. But one DCist commenter on that post was curious: is it actually legal for the Guardian Angels to detain someone like that?

According to MPD Lieutenant Damion Taylor of the Seventh District, the Angels are usually in the clear — it’s all about the intent of their actions.

“Generally, we do not encourage untrained and/or non-law enforcement personnel to approach or attempt to restrain violent or potentially otherwise dangerous individuals for obvious reasons,” Lt. Taylor wrote in an email. “However, in the event of some crimes in progress such as an Assault on another person, citizens acting within good faith (e.g. good samaritan observing a domestic assault) and otherwise reasonable means (e.g. immediately contacting police) generally will not be criminally charged by police officers,” he added.

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Teen arrested in fight stopped by Guardian Angels on Green Line train

dc — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:04:21 +0000

By Ann Scott Tyson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Guardian Angels stopped three youths involved in a fight on an inbound Green Line train Friday night and turned them over to Metro Transit Police when the train arrived at L’Enfant Plaza Station, according to Metro and one of the Guardian Angels.

Transit Police arrested one of the youths, Jermaine Washington, 18, of Upper Marlboro, for simple assault, according to Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato.

The incident was the latest in a spate of violence surrounding L’Enfant Plaza Station. Last week, two men were injured and taken to the hospital from L’Enfant Plaza after they reported being assaulted on a Green Line train headed to Branch Avenue. Two suspects fled, and police are investigating, Metro said.

Earlier this month, a fight that spilled from a rail car onto the platform at L’Enfant Plaza left four people injured and led to the arrest of one adult and two juveniles.

John Ayala, director of operations for the Guardian Angels of Washington, said the three youths had boarded the train about 8:20 p.m. Friday at Navy Yard Station, where they were engaged in a heated argument, and soon began to fight aboard the train.

Ayala said there were eight Guardian Angels on patrol, and he helped break up the fight.

“The Guardian Angels rushed to stop the fight” and then called Metro police, Ayala said.

Metro police have increased patrols Friday and Saturday nights at L’Enfant Plaza after the large brawl earlier this month. Metro asks riders to report suspicious or criminal activity by notifying the train operator or calling police at 202-962-2121.

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Fight On Green Line (DC Angels First Arrest On Metro )

dc — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:59:04 +0000

On Friday August 28, 2010 approximately 8:20 pm Guardian Angels was patrolling
the green line from Anacostia to Gallery Place. At 2025 hours (8:25 pm) there was a fight between three males approximately between the ages of 18-20 years of of age broke on in a loud and dangerous fight. At the Navy Yard Metro station on the green line train(when the doors opened). With in seconds All Angels on patrol stepped in to brake up the fight between the three young men. Three males where detained by the Angels for the disorderly fight on the train. When the train arrived at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Police took one male into custody for simple assault and disorderly. One of the males involved in the fight was treated on the scene for an injury over his left eye by EMS.

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DC Guardian Angels on Train Patrol

dc — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:03:27 +0000

Train Patrol Saturday August 21, 2010

1900: Guardian Angels Michael Peters, Allison Pinkney and new recruit Ryan Thomas meet at the Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro Station.

1920: Guardian Angels John Ayala and Anthony Feliciano meet up with new recruit Desmond Wright at the Anacostia Metro Station.

1935: All Angels meet up and at the Anacostia Metro Station and begin recruiting in the local area.

2015: We all take the Green line from Anacostia to Chinatown/ Gallery Place. Once we arrive, we meet up with Alex Young. All seven members of the Guardian Angels ride back to the Anacostia Station.

2030: The Guardian Angels get back on the Green line and take it to Suitland. We then walk around the immediate area and hand out recruitment cards.

2111: From Suitland, we ride to Ft. Totten. Many commuters thank us for our presence and let us know how much we are needed on the metro.

2210: After patrolling on Ft. Totten, we then get on the Red Line and take it to Chinatown/Gallery Place.

2240: Once we arrive at Chinatown/ Gallery Place, all Guardian Angels get off the metro and begin a quick foot patrol area of the Verizon Center. The kids, who are normally rowdy and confrontational, began to quiet down and move to another location just at the site of our presence.

2300: All Guardian Angels get back on the Metro and take the Green Line back to Anacostia.

2335: Once at Anacostia, All the Guardian Angels begin to wrap up patrol.

2340: Patrol Ceases.

Anthony “Bulldog” Feliciano

Patrol Sergeant/ Guardian Angels

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From Staten Island to Washington DC John Ayala AKA John Unique King

dc — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:46:11 +0000

John “Unique” Ayala
Chapter Leader, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director

John Ayala “Unique” King Is a native New Yorker who was born in Brooklyn and raised in Staten Island. He grew up in a low-incolme neighborhood seeing drugs being sold in front of and behind every building. Most kids in the neighborhood belonged to a gang. At the age of 8, John joined the Young Marine Cadets as an alternative to the gangs. The Bruce Lee films he watched on Saturdays motivated him to begin learning Martial Arts.

When John was 14 years old he met a few Guardian Angels. He liked the fact that they look like a gang but were out to help people that could not help themselves. After finding out that the Guardian Angels studied Martial Arts, he decided he had to be part of this group of young men and women. John lied about his age and joined the group.

In 1989, at the age of 19, Mr. Ayala relocated to the Washington DC Metropolitan area to bring the concept of the Guardian Angels program to our nation’s capitol. During the course of his duties there, John has been stabbed, and was cut on patrol by a drug dealer. These incidents do not stop him, he continues to do what he believes in – keeping the street safe and free of drugs.

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Send In The Marines!!

dc — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:59:35 +0000

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Send In The Marines!!

Oh?

What?

The Marines are busy?

*sigh*

Ok, We’ll settle for the Guardian Angels I guess :-/

I saw this story on WJLA news this morning, and it is also reported by the local Fox station. The Guradian Angels will be patrolling the green line three nights a week in effort to thwart the misbehaving antics of the teens we love to hate. The move comes in the wake of the 70 person brawl that occured last Friday night at Gallery Place Chinatown and L’Enfant Plaza Metro Stations.

In addition to this new batch of enforecement, Metro Transit Police has announced new tactics to cope with the bad apples within the system. According to MTP’s Deputy Chief, “when we are dispersing groups of rowdy kids we will follow them to make sure they get to their destination safely. We will do a better job this weekend.” Oh yeah? Really? Who believes this is feasible? The presence of Metro Transit Police is pretty diluted as is. Am I to believe they have the resources to execute this objective? It looks good in the newspaper though…I guess

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Guardian Angels expand Metro patrols after fight

dc — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:46:58 +0000

Guardian Angels expand Metro patrols after fight
August 10, 2010 16:25 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The D.C. chapter of the Guardian Angels says members will start patrolling Metro’s green line three nights a week after a large fight broke out at a station over the weekend, injuring four people.

Chapter leader John Ayala says between eight and two dozen people will be involved in first green line patrol on Tuesday evening.

Ayala says the group already patrols the area around the Gallery Place/Chinatown station on Friday nights. He says fights break out all the time, but not as large as the one that reportedly involved dozens of young people on Friday night.

Guardian Angels will patrol the green line between the Congress Heights and Fort Totten stations on Friday and Saturday nights and one night during the week. Ayala says they will report violent crime to Metro police.

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PRESS RELEASE August 9, 2010

dc — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:03:35 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC GUARDIAN ANGELS

August 9, 2010

On the evening of Friday, August 6, 2010, a ‎70-person brawl broke out in the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station. It was reported that the disturbance began at Gallery Place Metro Station. In June, a 16 year old male was beat unconscious by teens and was robbed of his Air Jordan Shoes at Fort Totten Metro – Redline Train. Due to the attacks, the Washington, DC Guardian Angels will begin patrolling the Green Line train and platforms between Congress Heights and Fort Totten Metro stations. The purpose of the patrols are to deter violence and crime. If the Guardian Angels witness a violent crime they will call Metro Transit Police. The Guardian Angels will not report non-violence crimes such as eatiing, drinking or littering.

The Guardian Angels will begin its first patrol on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 8:30pm from Gallery Place Metro Station Street level 7th and H Street, NW.

The Guardian Angels will patrol Friday and Saturday nights 8 pm to 12 midnight and one day during the week from 8:30 to 11:30pm.
.
Our safety patrol is a volunteer program which includes street patrols, Metro patrols, and neighborhood/community events to safeguard citizens of all ages.

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