Source: washingtonpost.com 9/23/21
Metro’s board has dropped a proposal to ban people from the transit system who were arrested on suspicion of sex crimes or found to be carrying a dangerous weapon, the board chairman said Thursday. The proposal had been scheduled for a vote this month, prompting more than 100 letters or messages to board members, mostly against the proposal, and protests at Metro stations and in front of a board member’s house.
The proposed ban would have allowed Metro Transit Police to immediately suspend people from stations, trains and buses who had been arrested on the transit system’s property on suspicion of committing a sex offense or a crime involving a firearm. A first offense would have triggered a 14-day ban, with 30 days for a second offense, and a year for a third offense.
Supporters said the measure would combat a surge in indecent exposure incidents as more riders return to Metro and office buildings amid the pandemic. Opponents argued the policy could be abused by Metro Transit Police, which in recent years has been accused by District residents and council members of disproportionately targeting Black customers, using excessive force and arresting people to reach job performance quotas.
Some civil rights groups said the ban could take away the only form of transportation for some residents without due process. Nassim Moshiree, the policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, said the proposal was misguided and threatened the livelihoods of the people who depend on Metro. “We hope any future proposal under consideration by [Metro] will begin with a fully transparent process that includes public input from the community it serves,” she said.
Many thanks to ACLU and the Harriet’s Wildest Dreams organization for standing up for the rights of registrants! This will also make it much easier to conduct a conference and hold a vigil in Washington, D.C. in March 2023.
Nobody ever asks for input from those they wish to exclude from their service. So I’m not sure Ms. Moshiree went far enough by implicating the non transparency, while not naming individual names of those proposing the dark. On corporate boards proposals that undermine long term goals are met with great ire..and people get dumped for making them.
Whoever championed the idea has no concept of effective Administrative conservatorship, which is what boards are for. I see similar trends of subversive activity in the public sector. SOR surely meets the criteria of subversive activity despite its civil label.
This is no coincidence banning sex offenders from public transportation sounds like something California’s District Attorney, Attorney General and Senator would do. This is evidence that that the FBI is definitely watching ACSOL, the Vice President knows who Janice Bellucci is and she hasn’t forgotten about us either.
The federal government is afraid people on the registry are starting to organize and form community’s all across the nation, that’s why they came up with that lame azz 20 year off ramp for Tier 2 offenders their scared.
There’s alot of civil rights organizations out there fighting for the rights of registrants,
I hope the leaders of all civil rights groups out there are moving appropriately and safely especially the ones here in California because we all know what the FBI is capable of.
Good luck