Security guards should have intervened
Editor, The Times:
Thanks for your online video portraying the Jan. 28 beating of one teenage girl by another girl in full view of security officers in Metro’s transit tunnel [“Teen’s beating in tunnel prompts review,” page one, Feb. 10].
Because I am downtown nearly every day — though rarely use the tunnel — I am not surprised that this incident happened. I have observed vicious behavior at downtown bus stops, but never to this extent of confrontation and violence. I am surprised the security officers stood by and watched while the assailant kicked the victim in the head! How glad I am that I was not in the midst of it!
Outraged by this incident, I will think twice about using the tunnel in the future. On-site security officers should be able to intervene during a confrontation, otherwise where is the “security” that comes along with their presence? When the general public carry cellphones with the ability to call 9-1-1 readily, why have guards on-site at all? Does a bus driver stopped at such a situation have the capability of leaving the bus and breaking up a fight like this?
I am very thankful this video was released for viewing by the public and that The Times could report on this very hurtful and unnecessary crime. I hope that the victim will recover from her injuries and that the assailant will be treated as well.
— Judy Buettner, Seattle
Provide benefits for guards
The security guards in the transit tunnel are employees for a private company. It’s a nonunion company, so they probably work at an hourly wage with few benefits. They were contracted by King County to protect property, not people. The security guards are supposed to call Metro Transit Control if they have an issue and from there Metro relays the call to law enforcement.
As a bus rider, I want “security” to intervene in an attack. I want them to instinctively call 9-1-1 when 10 teenagers come bounding into a tunnel station and threaten to attack someone. I want them to protect people before property.
Let’s fix this problem by having King County hire from companies that use Service Employees International Union membership and assure that better training, wages and benefits are given for the risks we are asking security guards to take.
— Maggie Corrigan, Seattle
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