PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In the wake of a deadly stabbing on a MAX train, some people are concerned about their safety while riding public transportation.
On Wednesday, 2 men got into a fight on a MAX Green Line train heading to Portland State University.
Cellphone video captured the scuffle, which left one man bloodied, and ended with the other running away from the scene.
Warning: Video contains explicit language
At first glance, some may think violent incidents on public transit are on the rise.
“It’s natural that everyone is hypersensitive,” Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson said. “We certainly are. People are noticing things maybe more than they were before.”
But whether there actually has been an uptick in violent incidents remains to be seen.
KOIN 6 News reached out to TriMet for statistics on violence on trains and buses, but officials said the latest numbers they have are from a couple years ago.
Still, riders can be assured that TriMet has taken the necessary steps to ramp up police and security at stations in the wake of the deadly MAX stabbing.
“Our transit police division has grown over the period of years they’ve existed, and that goes with the system getting bigger and… ridership going up,” Simpson said.
That noticeable increase in security has given some riders peace of mind.
“For the most part, when I’m on TriMet, I feel safe,” commuter Brayden Anderson said. “There’s usually TriMet security, stuff like that when you’re on the train.”
But if violence erupts while you’re on public transit, you should know what to do.
“Call 911 right away,” Simpson said. “Try to back away, maybe help someone else out of the way or just give it space, and provide information to police.”
TriMet said its latest crime statistics will be released next week.