Washington

[This post has been updated: 4:05 p.m.]

The D.C. chapter of the Guardian Angels plans to patrol Metro’s trains and buses with more frequency following reports of teen fights and attacks on some portions of the transit network.

The group announced in January that it would increase patrols, which have been taking place since this summer. The latest decision follows reports of an attack at Suitland Station on the Green Line on Friday. The news of the fight was publicized this morning on nbcwashington.com.

The NBC report said 41-year-old Robert Joy was waiting for his niece at Suitland Station when he saw a group of youths beating another. Joy said he was attacked by the group when he tried to call 911. The report said Joy’s two front teeth were knocked out and he required stitches for facial injuries.

John Ayala, East Coast director of the Guardian Angels, said in a statement that both uniformed and nonuniformed members will be on Metro’s trains and buses. Ayala said the members would intervene if they see an attack — and detain people for the police.

“The attacks are out of control,” he said.  “It’s time for the community to do their part to make the Metro safe for everyone.”

According to an e-mail from Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein, people believed to be minors were involved in a verbal dispute with a minor at Suitland that escalated into a physical confrontation. An adult attempted to call 911 and was assaulted by the suspects, she said. A minor was treated at the scene and the adult was transported to the hospital, she said.

Farbstein said police received calls from multiple bystanders and Metro employees, and are pursuing leads.

“We regularly remind our customers that if they see something to say something,” Farbstein wrote. “At the same time, we never want our customers to put themselves in harm’s way. Here is an instance where a customer saw something and was attempting to do the right thing by reporting it, and unfortunately he became a victim.”

Ayala said patrols have regularly noticed groups of 20 to 40 “rowdy and disorderly” teens traveling in the Metro system. The presence of the Angels is intended to be both deter bad behavior and to encourage positive actions, he said. The group wants to recruit young people 15 and older to assist their efforts — and earn community service hours, he added.

“They’re exhibiting a lot of energy, and a lot of that energy has been going toward negative stuff,” he said, “but we know for a fact that there are a lot of positive young people out there.”

The Guardian Angels have been mostly patrolling on Saturday nights between 8 and 11 p.m. on the Green and Yellow lines, Ayala said, but that will now expand to twice during the week from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 11:30 p.m. The efforts will focus on buses and certain rail lines: the Orange Line from L’Enfant Plaza to New Carrollton; the Blue Line from L’Enfant to Stadium-Armory; the Green Line from Fort Totten to Congress Heights; and the Yellow Line from Fort Totten to L’Enfant Plaza.

Ayala said the Guardian Angels typically deploy three to four people on a single bus and six to eight on a train (one person per rail car).

The Guardian Angels have been detailing some patrol activities on their Web site.

A recent report from Metro said that serious crime has hit a five-year high on the sprawling transit network, with an increase in thefts of electronics devices leading the way. Aggravated assaults had been declining, but grew from 2009 to 2010. The system experienced 119 in 2006; 106 in 2007; 92 in 2008; 94 in 2009; and 136 in 2010.

Videos on YouTube and blogs have increasingly appeared on the Web in recent months, drawing more attention to the issue of fights in the Metro system, which covers 86 rail stations, more than 300 bus routes and dozens of parking facilities.

Metro Transit Police devised a plan last summer to escort potentially disruptive groups through the rail system after a brawl where dozens of people boarded a Green Line train at Gallery Place. When the train arrived at L’Enfant Plaza, police have said, a fight spilled onto the platform. That fight led to the arrest of one adult and two juveniles and the hospitalization of four people.

Metro also announced that it would increase patrols at L’Enfant Plaza following a report of an attack on an adult at the station in early January.

WASHINGTON – The fists went flying on Metro Friday around 3:30 p.m. The transit system is investigating another fight between a group of young people aboard a train on the Orange Line.

“This seems to be kind of a trending crime or a trending activity,” said D.C. Council Member Tommy Wells and a new member of the Metro Board.

He says when this happens, they need the other passengers to take action.

“As soon as they witness any behavior that seems out of the ordinary, call 911 or call the other security number,” Wells said.

Friday’s fight comes on the heels of a video that posted on UnsuckDCMetro website and originally posted on dmvallaccess.com on February 13.

Two teenagers, throwing fists in a rail car on the Orange Line as a crowd cheers them on. The punching and kicking continued for nearly a minute before the crowd jumped in to stop it.

Passengers say they are not surprised by the violence.

“About six weeks ago, some teenage girls randomly attacked a man there,” said one passenger.

Another passenger say she pushed the emergency button on the train when a young man was about to get jumped.

“The little boy was just sitting there by himself, quiet, not messing with anybody and they came over to him, pushing him,” recalled the passenger. “It was here at Metro Center. We got all the way to Benning Road before [Metro] Transit Police came.”

Wells says they are adding more police. D.C. Police is helping patrol and they plan to deploy more Metro officers in hopes of making the trains safer. But it will take the police and the public together to stop these attacks.

Related Stories:

Metro Police Investigating Fight on Metro Train Caught on Video
The Metro Police Department is investigating an apparent fight between two teenage boys that has been posted on the internet. The posters say the fight happened on the Orange Line. The video shows a larger youth repeatedly pummeling a smaller teen. After about a minute, the fight is broken up by bystanders.

Police investigate Green

Line stabbings, sexual assault

By: Kytja Weir
Examiner Staff Writer
June 1, 2010

For your security, Metro Transit Police officers are everywhere in the system: on Metrobuses and trains, at stations, and in parking lots. But you play a role in your security, too. We suggest that you follow these safety and crime prevention tips so that you don’t become an easy target.

TEEN SHOT ON METRO BUS IN SE, DC

May 5, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) — A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being shot on a Metrobus by another passenger.

Metro spokesperson Kathy Asato said the youth was shot in the right side and a wrist at about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Pete Piringer of DC Fire and EMS said the boy was flown to Washington Hospital Center with life-threatening injuries.

Bus 2732 was at 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue SE on a U2 route when the shooting occurred.

The suspect, also a male, fled after the shooting and no arrest has been made. The suspect and victim had been arguing or fighting with the victim, police were told.

There were no other injuries.

Late Night Travel Tips

• Travel with someone you know.
• Stand near other passengers when waiting for a train or Metrobus.
• If you feel uncomfortable, move near other people or look for a Metro employee for assistance.
• Ride in a rail car occupied by other people or sit in the first car where the train operator is located.
• Be alert to your surroundings.

Protect Your Electronic Device

• Carry your electronic device in a pocket or a place where it is not easily seen or in easy reach of others.
• Be smart about when and where you use your electronic device.
• Change the color of your ear piece so that it does not readily suggest you carry an expensive electronic device.

• Avoid sitting or standing near the doors of rail cars or Metrobuses.

Report Suspicious Behavior and

Objectionable Conduct Immediately

• Call the Metro Transit Police at               202-962-2121         202-962-2121.
• On a Metrobus, tell the operator.
• In a station, use the emergency telephones located on platforms to talk to a station manager.

• In a rail car, use the emergency intercoms located at both ends of the rail car to talk to the train operator.

Crime Statistics – Year-to-Date Crime

Enforcement Report

Return to Crime Statistics

Metro Transit Police Crime Report — March 2010

This table compares crime and enforcement efforts during March of 2009 and 2010 in the “Month” column. Year-to-date statistics are displayed in the “YTD” column.

This report includes all crime reported to Metro Transit Police at Bus, Rail, Parking Lots, Metro Facilities, and Others. The category of “Others” includes bus stops, crime reported to local jurisdictional police departments taken on Metro property, and any other miscellaneous location where the Metro Transit Police were involved and a report was generated.