Met Council – Citizens League partnership engages customers and communities to help us understand how we can improve transit safety
Over the past few years, Metro Transit has been highlighting efforts to improve safety on our transit system. But the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis one year ago brought the issue of safety and interacting with police to the forefront.
“The concept of safety on our transit system also extends to how our customers feel on the buses and trains, at the stations and bus stops, and near our transit facilities in the community,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “Community members asked us, along with other governments, to take a critical look at our Metro Transit Police Department.”
Attend a June virtual forum, fill out a survey
The Met Council has partnered with the Citizens League and the Twin Cities Innovation Alliance to apply their community-led engagement process to this issue. Now we invite you to either fill out a survey, attend a community forum, or both. The feedback from the survey and the meetings will help shape the critical policy questions related to transit policing and safety the Met Council explores later this year.
Sign up for one of the virtual forums:
- Thursday, June 3, 1 – 3 p.m.
- Saturday, June 5, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (for youth up to 24 years)
- Wednesday, June 9, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Tell us your experiences with transit by filling out the survey.
“So many perspectives are relevant to this discussion,” said Amanda Koonjbeharry, public policy director for the Citizens League. “Our method places community members most impacted by transit safety at the center of the planning process, creating questions for the surveys, and helping facilitate community forums. This intentional work is critical to assuring we’re creating an open process where people can be heard.”
Engagement will help set agenda for police review
This engagement phase will be complete this summer, and the Citizens League will create a summary of the engagement findings. That report will complement and help set the agenda for a more in-depth review of Metro Transit Police Department policies and practices to formally begin later this year.
“Our goal is to intentionally center our customers and our communities in this process,” Zelle said. “They will be leading the way as we examine what safety really means for our operators, our customers, our neighbors in community, the youth riding our system, and leaders.”