We’ve received a heads-up that Metro police Chief Tom Lambert will be on with Chris Baker (KTRH-740) at the beginning of the 3:00 p.m. hour. Maybe Chris will ask him if he’s interested in Laurence Simon’s remote cam technology that can go on the web. Then Park and Ride patrons could keep an eye on their own cars.
It’s interesting that talk radio, TV news and blogs are on top of the security problems at Metro’s Park and Rides, but the Chronicle (Houston’s Daily Information Source) is MIA.
The Chronicle did, however, manage to squeeze in that LULAC story today.
UPDATE: Wow! A whole day to get himself together doesn’t appear to have helped Chief Lambert. He has a set of bullet points and he’s sticking to them:
— He’s forming a Park and Ride Task Force (PART F) — 15 officers who will patrol Park and Rides.
— He’s joining up with Crimestoppers (which will provide signs and rewards)
— The security guards will not be back
— Metro has learned some lessons
— Technology to support the PART F officers is the best course of action (technology that Metro is still searching for)
— Metro must learn to be flexible, adaptable and be open to directive action (whatever the heck THAT means)
He said that he alone made the decision to get rid of the security guards and he anticipated an increase in crime. Really?! Did he warn Park and Ride patrons beforehand? Did he post any signs warning Park and Ride users that they should anticipate increased crime? Good grief. And he says Metro has learned. Well that’s nice, but Metro just used a whole bunch of its customers as guinea pigs.
He said that Metro needs to broaden its knowledge, change and learn. Chris pointed out that it sounded like Lambert was in therapy! Chris also pointed out that everything Lambert is proposing is reactive. Chris wondered if valued Metro customers should be worth more than “after-the-fact” thinking.
When Metro made the decision to get rid of the guards, it said cameras would be used instead. Now we find out that there aren’t any working cameras in use. Chief Lambert hasn’t explained why.
And expecting Crimestoppers to solve Metro’s funding problem is unbelievable. That light rail train has sure impacted Metro in ways Metro never warned Houston-area citizens about!
Does all this make Houston world-class?
UPDATE AGAIN: A story finally showed up at Chron.com. In it we learn that Metro is testing some new surveillance cameras on MetroRail platforms and Lambert says the cameras will be installed at Park and Rides by July 1. Of course, that doesn’t explain why Metro didn’t wait until July 1 to end the security guard service.
The story also includes this:
Metro Police Chief Tom Lambert and Kim Ogg, executive director of Crime Stoppers, also asked bus riders to watch for suspicious activity on the lots and report it to 713-222-TIPS.
Ummm, who’s hanging around the lot to call Crime Stoppers? The people who use Park and Rides tend to park and then ride to work, right? (They aren’t called Park and Hang Outs) Who do those two think are going to be around to do the job Metro is supposed to do?
