METROLINK STL SECURITY VISIBILITY

Busch Stadium MetroLink platform St. Louis:   Approximately 10:50 PM last Sunday night a homeless man (57) leaving the train was shot in the head on the MetroLink platform from a scuffle inside the train.   Four male and two female teens (approx. 16-19 years of age) had boarded the train on the East Side (Belleville), shortly thereafter demanded money from a 51-year-old and his 29-year-old son.   The son gave up $5 to the thugs but that wasn’t enough, as one of the teens pistol whipped the son demanding  more, in a scuffle the gun went off through the train window striking the victim standing on the platform.   The victim is not expected to live.  There was no security!

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covering this story have been told by police Capt. May Warnecke at a news conference “We can’t have officers everywhere, but at a time like this, of course we want more resources.”

MetroLink (St.  Louis) contracts with St. Louis and St. Louis County police, the MetroLink police unit has 38 county and 8 city officers.   Metro also employs 37 public safety officers and contracts with a security firm for 120 security guards.   That totals 207 public safety, police and security officers.   So………where the hell are they?

The Metro’s chief of public safety said “By and large, we have an armed security officer at each platform.”   Apparently the Chief doesn’t get out much, I know for a fact that is untrue, I ride the MetroLink every weekday morning and evening.  There is an armed guard at the station I get on at because it is the busiest, highest traffic platform on the route, the North Hanley Station.   After that……. you seldom see and armed guard at the other stations; and many no security at all.   I have been riding from the Hanley Metro Station for nearly 2 years to the downtown area, I can count on one hand how many times a security officer has even checked for my ticket.

MetroLink officials say they try to make their officers visible.   With  that many security officers, I’d say they are closer to being invisible.   The problem may not be in quantity of the officers but the quality.     Security is needed to keep more than robberies, killings or assaults from happening.  Many young people, teens and early twenty somethings get on, many without tickets, are obnoxious, rude, loud and vulgar ………   ITS A PROBLEM!

The security officers I have seen, do not give me a lot of confidence of having the ability to protect passengers.  Many are out of shape individuals, that are difficult to picture defending riders ……….and certainly look incapable of arresting law breaking thugs.  They appear to be afraid of many of the punks (male and female) that board.   I’m 64 and I feel more comfortable fending for myself than relying on this security force.   The security on the MetroLink in St. Louis is far from being adequate.

Later this evening the man that was shot Sunday night died.  Now the punk that shot him is facing a murder charge.   NO SECURITY, armed or unarmed.

 

SECRET SERVICE WANTS TO BUILD $8M FAKE WHITE HOUSE

from Black Listed News

Getty Images

By Jordan Fabian – 03/17/15 09:36 AM EDT

 In response to a series of major security lapses, the Secret Service wants lawmakers to provide $8 million to build a model White House.

The embattled agency is requesting the funds to build a scale replica of the White House in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Beltsville, Md., to better train agents to protect the presidential mansion, according to The New York Times.

Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy will make the pitch to members of Congress during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday.

“The Secret Service currently uses a rudimentary, not-to-scale simulation of the north grounds of the White House, using bike barricades to act as the fencing,” Clancy will say during prepared remarks, which were obtained by the Times. “There are no structures, vehicle gates, lighting or other aids to enhance the training simulations.”

The request comes at a time when the Secret Service is facing congressional scrutiny over a series of scandals that have raised questions about the agency’s culture and its ability to protect the White House grounds.

The Obama administration is investigating an alleged drunken driving incident involving two officers. In September, a man jumped the White House fence and entered the building through the front door.

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Arlin Report comments:

$8M That isn’t 8Gs that’s EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS as a White House training facility.   Seriously, the White House has some of the most sophisticated security anywhere in the world; fence, cameras at every angle, lighting, motion detectors……..name it.    Why not just train more competent agents from the start?   That is the real problem here.

Rather than build a facility with tax payers dollars, why not just use the real White House to train the agents while the rat and his family are away, or when he hits the links.   There should be plenty of time.

We wonder why we’re broke!

The White House began construction in 1792…… Many presidents have come and gone…….and now with this administration security needs to be improved by building a fake for training agents.   How about better security for our nation?  Great leadership brings the greatest security.

SECURITY AT THE WHITE HOUSE – NO STAND DOWN ORDER GIVEN

White House had a fence-jumper recently, Obama not at home. Playing golf?

Looks like the White House has more security than the consulate in  Benghazi where they had a severally dangerous atmosphere.   With the breach of security by a fence jumper, if the situation turned critical, would the Secret Service have gotten a “STAND-DOWN”   order had they needed to take action and called for help?   I doubt it, the National Guard, Army and anyone in uniform would have shown up with plenty of weapons.

Our embassies and consulates everywhere in the world deserve the same protection/security as we give to the White House.  Every official should be treated with the same respect that the president expects.