A Lynx Blue Line ride turned into a police stop on Thursday when Charlotte rider Stanley Wallace was banned from the Charlotte Area Transit System after authorities said he had a knife on board. Wallace was arrested after getting off at the Old Concord Road station, and a judge later set his bond at $15,000 secured.
Professional Police Services, the security contractor for CATS, said officers took Wallace into custody on the Old Concord Road platform after he disembarked, following a report that he had been yelling and cursing, according to WSOC. Judge Cecilia Oseguera set Wallace’s bond at $15,000 secured, and the transit system has banned him from all CATS property while the case works its way through the courts.
Transit safety under scrutiny
The incident lands in the middle of an already tense moment for Charlotte’s transit system. CATS has been under a microscope since the fatal Blue Line stabbing in August and a recent Federal Transit Administration audit that flagged serious problems with the agency’s safety planning and training.
According to WFAE, federal officials identified 18 areas where CATS was out of compliance and ordered the agency to submit a corrective action plan. City and transit leaders say they are responding to the findings and working to shore up the system’s safety practices.
Questions about who patrols the rails
Professional Police Services handles security for CATS, but a state audit raised eyebrows over how that security is staffed, particularly when it comes to armed officers. As reported by the North State Journal, earlier contracts called for significantly more armed personnel, while the current agreement allows for up to 219 total staff but only about 39 armed officers…