Security firm promises guards will spend more time on buses

Mar 12, 2009 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WAK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The general manager of the firm that provides bus security in Milwaukee County promised Thursday to dramatically increase the presence of guards riding buses, in the face of withering criticism from Milwaukee County supervisors.

The firm will immediately start to boost the amount of time the 20 Wackenhut Corp. security guards spend on buses to 65% or 70% of their work day, said Wackenhut's Mark Schaefer.

"Those changes are going to start happening today," said Schaefer, before the County Board's Finance and Audit Committee. "We will have uniformed people on buses."

The guards now spend about 30% of their time riding buses and the rest patrolling in cars. A county audit last week faulted Wackenhut for spending even less time on buses. Auditors found during a period studied in 2008 that the guards spend less than 3% of their time riding buses and recommended a far greater emphasis on that over patrolling.

Wackenhut said it could have guards spend up to 85% of their time on buses in the firm's 2003 contract renewal proposal. That document became part of Wackenhut's contract with Milwaukee County Transit System, but the figure was a goal rather than a requirement.

It's important for the guards to also spend time monitoring key intersections with heavy bus traffic and to be available to respond to calls for help from bus drivers around the county, said Anita Gulotta-Connelly, managing director of the transit system.

Supervisors were skeptical of Wackenhut, with complaints about cultural insensitivity of Wackenhut guards to African Americans and other racial minorities.

"They don't know how to talk to people," said Supervisor Elizabeth M. Coggs. "They talk to people like they're garbage."

Supervisor Peggy West said she would not let her children ride MCTS buses because she considers them unsafe.

"I am scared," West said. Assaults and other problems seem to be escalating, she said.

Heightened public concern about bus safety over the past year has been prompted in part by the release of videotapes showing assaults on drivers and passengers. Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. also has been critical of Wackenhut.

The audit found 3,216 calls for service by bus drivers last year, which includes major and minor problems, out of 1.35 million bus trips. That means there's a 99.76% chance there won't be any problems riding the bus, auditors said. The audit also found there were 100 assaults, 24 robberies, 55 thefts and two sexual assaults on buses last year.

Coggs and West called for review of having the Sheriff's Department provide bus security with deputies.

Clarke, in an interview, said he'd like to take over administration of the bus security contract to better deploy Wackenhut employees. That would permit him to place guards on the right bus lines at times of the day when security problems are greatest, he said.

It would cost about $5 million to have 50 deputies provide bus security, Clarke said. That's nearly five times the $1.125 million annually that Wackenhut gets.

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