Sound Transit promises additional security to deal with illegal drug use on trains

A mountain of complaints from passengers about drug use on Link light rail has Sound Transit finally saying, enough.

Sound Transit said it has hired four new security companies to divvy up the work. The transit agency insists that will make it easier to get those using illegal drugs off the trains.

Ten days ago, a driver at the Angle Lake station was overcome by fentanyl smoke and sought medical treatment.

Still, some passengers are doubtful that even beefed-up security will work. That’s because they say they have seen passengers become belligerent when asked to leave the train.

But of course, they want something done to make the ride on Link light rail safer.

For most Link light rail passengers, drugs and a train ride don’t mix.

“It just makes me not really want to catch the train,” said Chrystal Edison, Tacoma. “But I have to get to work.”

Just about everybody we talked to on a train on Wednesday said they had noticed people doing drugs on Link light rail.

“It’s a lot of homelessness, and there’s a lot of drug use,” said Llarand Jackson of Puyallup. “On the trains, off the trains.”

Chrystal Edison said she has often seen security do nothing.

“I feel like some security, they’re scared because it’s either like too late at night and they’re by themselves, and they don’t want to say anything,” Edison said. “Because they do act crazy.”

But now Sound Transit said it is hiring four different security companies to make sure they have enough personnel to cover the Link light rail system and remove passengers who are doing drugs.

Llarand Jackson isn’t so sure.

“Physically? Well, that’s going to be a contest,” Jackson said. “I mean. It’s going to be a war.”

It’s a war King County Metro Bus drivers have long fought. KIRO 7 showed last year the amount of illegal fentanyl use they face on some routes.

So, this Metro driver said he knows what his Link light rail counterparts and riders are dealing with.

“If they can do it, fine,” said Fred, a six-year bus driver. “If they can get rid of the people that smoke, ‘cause it’s a fire hazard.”

But he has his doubts.

“I mean, working for King County Metro, we can’t remove, physically remove passengers off of the bus,” he said. “We can’t. We have to get the King County Sheriff.”

That is what a security guard here said, too. But Sound Transit insists they can remove passengers from trains if they are being unruly or doing drugs.

They need the police to issue a citation or arrest if necessary.

As for the beefed-up security, it is supposed to begin in April.