Unsuck DC Metro: Transit Police Officers Vote No Confidence in Chief

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Transit Police Officers Vote No Confidence in Chief

Metro cops have lost confidence in their leader, Chief of Police Michael Taborn, sources familiar with the force said. Taborn has been chief since March 2008.

Two, separate sources confirm an overwhelming no confidence vote was made last Wednesday at a union meeting at the Fraternal Order of Police's DC Lodge #1.

The vote comes as security on Metro has been scrutinized in the wake of bag searches, high-profile assaults and fights in the system and an 18 percent spike in serious crimes.

When asked if the vote would lead to any real change, one source said "Probably not. Taborn does a really good job of making those above him believe everything is hunky dory on the Metro."

The source added that the Metro Transit Police Department is "not a comfortable place to work" and that "camaraderie is gone."

The source painted a bleak picture of the force's morale and effectiveness. It's a picture, they say, Taborn should have been conveying to the Metro Board of Directors for a long time but has not.

"There are a lot of numbers being fudged," the source said. "The manpower they say is there is not there."

The source said for such a small department, reported by Metro to number 420, the Metro Transit Police Department is extremely top heavy, with six people effectively working as deputy chiefs. The DC Metropolitan Police Department, which is many times larger, has four.

"[That structure] removes Taborn from responsibility," the source said. "There's too many chiefs and not enough Indians, literally."

Having so many highly-paid deputy chiefs takes up money that could allow more cops to walk the beat, the source said, adding that effectively, at any given time, there's only one patrolling cop per four stations inside the Metro system.

The source said because cops are spread so thinly, criminals know very well where the cops are and where they're not. Making it worse, the source added, is that Metro is too slow to analyze crime statistics (Metro stats) and fails to react with alacrity when trends are spotted.

The source also said that the force is pressured by Metro to focus too much on a customer service facade as opposed to policing. This undermines effectiveness, the source claimed.

"They look at us just like bus drivers and train operators," they said. "For example, when we stop or give a summons to a juvenile, the parent will often call and complain, and instead of letting that parent know what was going on, the officer who cited the kid will be questioned, which is like a slap on the wrist. It also eats up resources."

The source said the force is desperately in need of fresh ideas and leadership from people who have not been brought up all the way through the Metro Transit Police, adding that current leadership is "not smart, fit or experienced enough to make the Transit Police in to a real police department."

Taborn spent 28 years as a Metro transit cop, then did a 6-year stint with the Federal Transit Administration before coming back to Metro as chief.

The source was quick to point out that some of the problems facing the force are outside its control, saying "in DC, the judicial system is so messed up that [criminals are] getting slapped on the wrist for violent crime. They'll lock a kid up, but before we can finish the paperwork, the kid is back on the street."

Other items:
Metro sues its own insurance company (WaPo)

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+23 Vote up Vote down

John · 740 weeks ago

"Everything is fine, nothing to see here. If you want him replaced you believe in slavery" - Jackie Jeter

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+12 Vote up Vote down

MLC · 740 weeks ago

One small thing the Transit Police could do is to adopt a better emergency phone # instead of 240-whatever how about 811 or 999 or something?

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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F'n JD · 740 weeks ago

We riders have no confidence in Taborn. From MLC's pointing out the lack of a direct and simple number to contact Transit police, to roving packs of teenagers making our commute hell, to the spike in thefts, to the lack of any policing of people with food on the system (morning commuters and their coffee and roving teenagers being the worst offenders) we don't believe WMATA Police are doing an adequate job and we need serious reform, starting at the top.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Anon 2.0 · 740 weeks ago

I have ridden the Metro to work for over a decade. I have seen fights, drug deals, people jumping in front of a train in Metro stations. But I have yet to see Metro police doing anything at the time these events occured. On the other hand, I have seen Metro PD harrass tourists who are drinking water in a 100 plus degree station. I guess what I'm saying is...Metro Sucks all around.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Fire Hot / Sky Blue · 740 weeks ago

'.....For example, when we stop or give a summons to a juvenile, the parent will often call and complain...'

So reality is pretty much what was already plain as day. These young violent thugs are threatening and assaulting innocent people because such behavior is supported and encouraged at home by their parents and communities.

No mystery here.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

cop · 740 weeks ago

As a Metro cop, I can say that everything here is right on, but there's so much more. Where has all that homeland security money gone?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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dan · 740 weeks ago

Can anyone shed any light on what a vote of no confidence means for the Chief? Does he get fired, keep his position... if I had to guess, I'd say nothing. But I'd like to know what the vote actually means.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Just me · 740 weeks ago

Metro need to double the amount of cops and have them in most stations.

-5 Vote up Vote down

Rex Railroad · 740 weeks ago

Well, it isn't the leadership of the transit police that is the problem, it is some of the cops. They run to beats where there is no crime, or chase positions that take them off the street. More worried about benefits than crime. shut up.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

concerned mother · 740 weeks ago

my daughter works for mtpd and she said that the officers who attended the meeting are being disciplined for attending the meeting while they were on duty

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

bet · 740 weeks ago

Where's "vote of no confidence" against the operator's union? Is that next I hope!

+5 Vote up Vote down

Cop · 740 weeks ago

The department is in bad shape. And it starts from the top.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Its True · 740 weeks ago

I sympathize with the Transit Police, they have a difficult job to do. Yes there are assaults, robberies, fights and a whole lot of other misdemeanors and felonies that happen in the metro and I'm sure the Transit Police handle those situations to the best of their ability when it happens. However, what people fail to realize is that eating and drinking is against the law! It isn't a metro rule. Our congress has made it illegal to do this in the metro. It is in the criminal code books of DC, MD, and VA, I checked! So, although we may feel this is pety, and I'm sure most Transit officers feel the same, they however, have a job to do! And that is to enforce the law, no matter how pety we feel it is.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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WOW · 740 weeks ago

WHY HASNT THIS BEEN IN THE NEWS!!!

-2 Vote up Vote down

David 9?? · 740 weeks ago

I have no confidence in Detective James Duncan who is at the bottom of this vote of no confidence. He is a man of no integrity and routinely lies under oath and accuses his members of unsubstantiated violation of policy and crimes. He is an imbecile and I pity everyone who allows him to represent them. He has and will stab his own co workers in the back if it is to his advantage. What should you do with lying Detective?

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

none · 740 weeks ago

Ask nearly anyone on the force. It's as broken as the rail and buses. What worked in the 70s doesn't now.

+1 Vote up Vote down

S. Sterling · 740 weeks ago

To concerned mother: I hope the officers get disciplined if they attended a Union Meeting while on duty. Don't we want them in the station fighting crime instead of whining in a Union Hall. Off duty is one thing, but on duty.... pleazzzzzzz get out in the Metro. I want to know how many crimes occurred in the system while those cops were hanging out in the Union Hall complaining that they have to do their jobs!!!!!!!!!

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

None · 740 weeks ago

Wait a minute, are you saying they were being paid by the Metro while they complained about the Department and voting no confidence in the Chief. How many tax dollars did we spend to have them vote no confidence. I want my share back.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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S. Smith · 740 weeks ago

Let me get this straight, we have cops on DUTY at a Union Meeting??? As a citizen and regular Metro rider I have a problem with this. How many cops who were on duty at the meeting. Why were they not in the system protecting us or catching the bad guys?? Can anyone advise if this is normal.

-6 Vote up Vote down

Source · 740 weeks ago

If it was overwheliming what was the vote. How many voted "yes". Your "source " made all these unsubstantuated alligations against Chief Taborn but is unidentified. If you believe it, sign your name. Be man, or a woman, but have some courage. By the way, if your source is a police officer, everything he does is customer service.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

not confident · 740 weeks ago

Taborn was personally out in the Metro looking for those who voted against him.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

WOW · 740 weeks ago

I don't think it has anything to do with bein a "man" or "woman". If "the source" is a transit officer then he or she is probably worried about all those chiefs retalliating!

-5 Vote up Vote down

Not Confident ? · 740 weeks ago

If the union didn't publish a list of those who voted against him how would he know? That is a stupid coment.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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PD 163 · 740 weeks ago

I am a transit cop with almost ten years on. I have spent my whole time out on the street and I love it. I average almost an arrest or two every week. I stay active and that is why I joined. Unfortunately, some of my fellow officers have not had one arrest in years!!!! That is right, not one arrest in years!!! Some of my peers do everything to avoid crime out here, whether it is intentionally picking beats where there is no crime or trying desperately to get a Headquarters position of the street. Anything but police work. As for a vote of no confidence, that was a very small percentage of do nothing transit cops. I want the arrests stats of everyone who signed the petition. I am casting a vote of no confidence to all the transit cops who have not made an arrests in years. As we see from this blog the crime is out there so what is your excuse???

10 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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beatcop · 740 weeks ago

Funny thing about some of the comments against the vote is that they do not dispute ONE SINGLE FACT from the story. Nuff said.

-6 Vote up Vote down

4 Beatcop · 740 weeks ago

There were no facts in the story. That why you call it a story. Beat cop must be one of those do nothing cops. Here's a fact, there was less than ten percent of all cops present at the meeting. Would anyone call that overwhelming?

-5 Vote up Vote down

Green line cop · 740 weeks ago

Ok, just to be clear, I attended the big union meeting. With close to 20 years on the force I must say it was one of the worst non-productive union meetings I have attended. Oh, before I go any further, I was off duty. Anyway, it was not an over whelming majority that voted the no confidence. Quite the contrary. As a matter of fact, there was a general membership meeting sign in sheet and some of us made it very clear not to use that sheet as the names of those voting "no confidence". I hope our incompetent union leadership abides to that. As for the article refering to MTPD's leadership not being smart or fit etc. etc. Well, that sounds like good adjectives for my union leadership. For all the accusations the article makes I did not read not one salient example. Not one. We have a great department. I am proud to serve it. However, we need new blood in the union leadership. Besides not knowing what they are doing, they are only out for themselves. I have no confidence in them. Stay safe out there everyone.

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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POINT · 740 weeks ago

I think we are all missing the point of this blog.

FACT:
1. Chief Taborn is not a good Chief. He may have been a good Captain when he was here but that is irrelevant now! The department is in shambles! No one knows whether they are coming or going! The Officers in patrol doesn't even know what their destiny holds as far as shift changes; ie. reporting times or days off. This has never been the case.

2. The Transit Police has 5 Deputy Chiefs and 1 civilian who is like a Deputy Chief, that being Peter LaPorte. The MTPD is not even a 400 member agency, hell barely over 300 and yet there is more Deputy Chiefs than PG, Montgomery, Arlington, Fairfax, and DC. All agencies much larger than the MTPD.

WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN CHARGE, THERE WILL BE CHAOS! Plain and simple!

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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PD 163 · 740 weeks ago

As I said before, I average probably 2 arrests a week. That is without really trying. and no, they are not just juveniles. Unfortunately, so many cops on our force do so little. I am proud to be part of the small percent doing most of the work. Yes, I work B Section. Worked it my whole career by choice. Yes the radio has its issues. Once it is fixed what will your excuse be for not doing anything?? Lets allow the public to judge who is the better cop, the ones not doing anything or those activity going out taking care of business. if you scared say your scared. nuff said.

8 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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former MTPD · 740 weeks ago

and people wonder why i left that heinous department back in "04.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Jeri · 740 weeks ago

To all MTPD officers, please stop. Let's be professional, Harry and Marlon would want you to.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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simplecop · 739 weeks ago

I'm new to the force, so I don't know which side here is right, but I'm thankful to this blog for providing an outlet for some of the issues being faced by MTPD. That no such venue exists internally is a shame and a poor reflection on mgmt.

+4 Vote up Vote down

U KNOW · 739 weeks ago

To all off the Transit officers on here, please stop putting all of our business out there for the world to read. I understand that issues like the radio need light shed on them, but bashing our chiefs, or fellow officers in a public forum like this is not cool. Lets keep this in house, and not let every s-1 who reads this know that there is a serious divide within the force. Lets stay professional, and not say things that may get you punched in the mouth at roll call. S.A.R.S BABY

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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PD 163 · 739 weeks ago

Well said Jeri! Thanks.

+2 Vote up Vote down

unknown · 739 weeks ago

Obviously, the Metro police force is in disarray.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Barney Fife · 739 weeks ago

Mid-December Friday at 10PM, DuPont Circle station South
Four metro cops standing near an entrance BSing while 6-8 teens harass people and block their entrance onto the escalators. I watch this a bit, waiting for the cops to actually do their jobs, see they aren't going to do their jobs and decide I need to enter the station. I walk up and say "excuse me," some move, some don't, I walk through and onto the escalator, the teens get behind me on the escalator as well as 1 cop. teens start harassing me and threatening me, calling me cracker, white boy, etc. Cop ignores this. At the bottom the cop goes to me and tells me to just ride the train, says NOTHING to the teens. Ridiculous. Why would this be SOP for this situation? Talk about aiding the jerks! FOUR cops, just stand there and watch while these kids purposefully block the entrance, then harass people trying to enter the station? Really? This is what we pay the cops for, to stand and watch? This is a transit system where people are PAYING to ride a safe train, paying a lot in fact. This is NOT a mall, or some public area where loitering and harrasing people is ok. WE'RE PAYING THE COPS SALARIES, do your FREAKIN jobs! I understand there are a lot of great cops out there who do their jobs, but whomever the four cops were working DuPont's south entrance, standing by Panera Bread in a circle jerk drinking coffee, whomever they were that mid-December night at 10PM were utterly useless. the one guy who did get behind the teens was pathetic, some black haired cop with a poop eating grin who kept motioning to me to let it ride and go home, DO YOUR JOB!

Thanks to the good cops, no thanks at all to those four useless morons.

+3 Vote up Vote down

PO2 · 739 weeks ago

The public needs to understand that we want to keep the system as safe as possible for our patrons but when officers get in trouble for trying to be safe when doing their job and aren't provided the tools necessary to do so, the result is that we can't be proactive. Management talks about public perception when two officers are together but you don't see the public complaining about MPD riding around in 2's. Why do we have to walk alone when can't even call out at some stations?

Just fix our radio's and have management spend their time thinking of ways to deter violent crimes in our system instead of writing up officers for doing the right thing. If you make people feel good about doing their job they will put work in.

Stay alert, stay alive.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Concerned · 739 weeks ago

If the transit police worked in pairs, Harry and Marlon would not be dead!

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Transit Professional · 739 weeks ago

WOW!

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AnonCop · 739 weeks ago

What a sad state of affairs. Men that work together and should be calling each other "brother" sitting on a blog calling each other names and fighting about who is a better police officer. Please guys, this is not the place nor the fashion in which these things should be done. This kind of behavior just shows that you can be easily pushed to become reactionary. Who wants a police officer like that? We ALL should be better than that...

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous4 · 739 weeks ago

If you are healthy and able to stand, help someone out. Maybe that person is holding a box full of their belongings because they just got fired that day from their job. They probably need a seat. Logs and entitlement aside, why not give up your seat to a woman with a yound child? I would hope someone would be that kind to my wife and child. Young DC metro riders: Get out of your seats, especially the handicapped seats, when someone over 50 boards the train. In fact, don't sit in the handicapped/elderly seats at all unless you in fact fit the criteria described in the signage above the seats. Also, I will say this.. I have been called a chauvinist, in so many words or glares, when I have offered by seat to a woman. Most women are not like this but many are. Lastly, most people are born with an innate sense of right and wrong. If you are a decent person, you will use that God-given gift to do the right thing. One last thing, sometimes I am seated and reading and may not see you standing next to me in the aisle. If you need my seat, please ask!