If He Is Alive, Will He Vote to Renew Metro's Contract with Sheriff?

Just over a week ago, a man was beaten and left for dead on the Blue Line's Pacific platform. The downtown Long Beach platform, which is supposedly overseen by the L.A. County Sheriff, is one of many Blue Line platforms obviously neglected by the deputies.

The attack, which occurred Saturday, 08 Nov 2008 at 11 p.m., has received little news. The name of the victim has not been released nor has any news about the victim—or if he even remains alive. A solitary report was issued by the L.A. County Sheriff may as well have stated, "Some guy was nearly beaten to death. What? Dunno." No updates have been announced as of 16 November 2008.

If the unnamed beating vivtim has not died by this Thursday morning, will he cast a vote in favour of giving the L.A. County Sheriff a three-month contract extension worth nearly $16 million?

A number of other violent incidents have happened on the Blue Line over the last few months, all of which can be traced back to an almost absolute absence of deputies. Of course, the deputies are present—but only at a very few stations during during rush hour when the possibility for revenue from fare evaders is highest, or when staging stings (by non-Transit Division deputies using Red Line stations for staging grounds).The brown-shirted bums have even released a report admitting to the poor record of protection proffered to Metro patrons.

The behaviour of the deputies is certainly suspect when they are more concerned with passing the buck and later harassing straphangers. This video is of deputy Larry Ware in September, 2008, being asked about a Metro matter and showing a lack of concern as he directs the concerned person—myself—to pester his colleagues loafing by the fence:

Two months later, Larry took it upon himself to arrest this transit advocate for documenting the blatant laziness of the deputies loitering at Pershing Square. Pershing Square appears to be the deputies' private lounge—as implied by the footage put up by The Bus Bench in September and in this new footage:

Pershing Square is not the only staging ground for LASD's revenue collection stings. Below is a video each from Pershing Square and Wilshire/Western Stations:

And we have received reports of previous incidents along the Gold Line, where deputies followed straphangers home—a blatant violation of the law.

Now is the time to act. This Thursday, 20 Nov at 9 a.m., Baca's brownshirts come under review when Metro considers a temporary renewal of the sheriff's contract. (It is the Executive Management and Audit Committee Meeting at One Gateway Plaza—Red or Gold Line to Union Station—in the 3rd Floor Boardroom.) The extension of this contract means nearly $16 million more for the schmucks seen in the above videos. Are they worth it? The Bus Bench emphatically states "NO."
How can we expect them to discharge their duties when even their placards (this one is at 7th/Metro) are left to rot?

Show up, speak out and help persuade Metro to kick these lazy cretins to the curb. 

-BusTard

Comments

[Mark Panitz]

why didnt Long beach police show up the blue
line train was in Long beach

[BusTard]

Can't say, Mark. All I know is that those little islands of track-surrounded concrete are the jurisdiction of the L.A. County Sheriff—for the present.