Atlanta

MARTA says it has safety procedures in place following string of shootings at stations

By Audrey Washington, WSB-TV
By Audrey Washington, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — MARTA police explained the security measures in place to help prevent further violence at rail stations, following several shootings over the past few months.

In October, someone shot and killed a man at the Georgia State University MARTA station.

In November, police responded to gunfire at the Westend MARTA station.

In January, there was a stabbing reported at the MARTA station near the Underground.

On February 5th, police responded to two separate shootings. One shooting at the Arts Center MARTA station and the other at the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA station.

On February 12th, police responded to a shooting at the Westend MARTA station.

On Wednesday, police said someone shot a man at the College Park MARTA station.

It happened at the entrance of the station with plenty of people nearby. The man survived.

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Police arrested the suspect a few hours later, telling Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that security cameras throughout the station helped them respond to the scene so quickly and make an arrest.

“Just bad people doing bad things to people,” MARTA rider Joycelyn Glover said. “I think it’s awful.”

In a statement, a MARTA Police spokesperson wrote:

“MARTA and MPD have several mechanisms in place to deter crime on the system. MPD has over 300 Officers and Protective Specialists patrolling the stations, buses, and trains. In cases where you do not see an officer or Protective Specialist, there are blue and white customer assistance phones in the stations that connect you directly to our Dispatchers. If you want to anonymously report crimes, you can download MARTA’s See & Say app that lets you chat directly with our Communications employees.

“MPD has a Train Patrol detail where officers ride the train from the start of service until the end of service. Each train car is equipped with a red emergency button that can connect patrons directly to the train operator, who can then make an announcement to notify the officer on the train of the issue occurring and the location.”

“Protect the environment. How else can you prevent that from happening again,” rider Gabriel Gonzales said.

MARTA said it remains unclear what led up to Wednesday’s shooting.

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1 shot at College Park MARTA station; police searching for suspect

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