DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison boarded a Detroit Department of Transportation bus during Thursday evening rush hour to meet with riders and drivers about public transit safety, more than a year after DPD took over policing responsibilities for the city's bus system.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
The roughly hour-long ride through Detroit gave Bettison a chance to gather feedback from passengers about their experiences and safety concerns on public transportation.
"I used to ride the bus as a kid. My mother didn't drive. She was a Detroit school teacher, and the bus transit got her to work on time and she was able to put food on the table," Bettison said.
Carroll Simpson, a Detroit resident who rides the bus daily, emphasized the importance of safety measures.
"It's very important, I think it should be one of the top priorities in the city," Simpson said.
While Simpson says she mostly feels safe, she has encountered problematic situations.
"We have some very rowdy people. A couple of days ago, a man got on the bus highly inebriated," Simpson said.
Siddhesh Chaubal, who moved to the U.S. from India a year ago and takes the bus to his downtown Detroit office, initially had concerns about using public transit.
"When I got here, I was very skeptical about traveling via bus, given I had heard some bad news about traveling via bus about criminal activity, especially at bus stops," Chaubal said.
His concerns were heightened by incidents over the summer including a shooting on a DDOT bus and a separate stabbing. However, Chaubal says he's noticed improvements with increased security at transit centers and more officers on buses.
"I have seen police officers quite a few times, they were standing right next to the driver," Chaubal said.
Transit advocate Michael Cunningham, known as Brother Cunningham, organized the chief's bus ride and distributed free bus tickets and information about low-income housing during the event.
"The people feel uplifted to see the chief out here. There's been some stabbings, there's been some shootings, there's been some drama," Cunningham said.
Cunningham, who was homeless for nine to 10 years and relied on buses for transportation, said he remains committed to helping others in similar situations.
"A lot of times when people get to the level they want to be at, they forget about all the people left behind. I'm not like that," Cunningham said.
Bettison distributed business cards and collected suggestions from passengers, emphasizing DPD's ongoing commitment to transit safety.
"We're responsible for providing safety when it comes to transit, so that's what we're going to do and continue to do, and this is not my first nor will it be my last time being on the bus," Bettison said.
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