First, Cincinnati Metro took heat for allowing police to use Metro buses to transport prisoners from the George Floyd protests Downtown.
Now, the head of Cincinnati’s police union is angry that Metro stopped letting police use its buses.
“Dear Taxpayers, You approved a $150 million a year tax increase for SORTA METRO for the next 25 years," wrote Fraternal Order of Police President Sgt. Dan Hils in a Facebook post, referencing the 0.8 sales tax voters just approved for Metro. “During some of the worst civil unrest in this nation’s and city’s history SORTA METRO are abandoning the police and the community.
“We have been using METRO buses for prisoner transport with police officers driving the buses. Now METRO is refusing us the use of those buses.
“They would not give a reasonable answer why. Time to find a way to get their funding back on the ballot!”
In statement released Friday afternoon, Metro CEO Darryl Haley and board chair Kreg Keesee confirmed that Metro is no longer letting police use its buses. However, Metro will sell to the city three buses that are no longer in service and were being prepared for auction, anyway.
The buses would have had an estimated $2,500 value each at auction, according to the statement, so that's what Metro will sell them to the city for.
Read Metro's full statement at the bottom of this article.
Cincinnati has had daily protests since Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck.
In the first few days of Cincinnati’s protests, the demonstrations turned violent after dark, with vandalization and looting. Protesters ignored a citywide curfew, and some threw debris at police. Officers responded with tear gas and arrests.
Saturday night, dozens of arrested protesters were transported on Metro buses, chanting “no justice, no peace,” as they were hauled away.
The bus drivers’ union refused to let its drivers shuttle the arrestees, so Metro supervisors, who are non-union, drove the buses instead.
The next day, Metro announced that police officers, instead of Metro employees, would be driving the buses.
Keesee and Haley's statement says that Metro works with police often and did so during the protests because the police department said it was the safest option available to transport a large number of detainees.
However, Metro also understands why some members of the bus drivers' union and the community at large were upset.
The statement is titled "We Heard You."
"We stand with all those working for positive change," it reads. "At Metro, we do not see this as a black or brown issue. We see it as a humanity issue. We all benefit from a just society.
"Thank you for keeping us accountable. We will continue to listen and work to make decisions that appropriately reflect who we are as an organization and our mission to serve our community."
Hils did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but at least for now, the point could be moot as fewer protesters are being arrested.
On Saturday night, 111 people were arrested.
On Sunday it was 307, according to police.
But there was a sharp dropoff after that. There were no arrests for curfew violations Wednesday, and Cincinnati Police Department Lt. Steve Saunders said he was not aware any arrests made during Thursday’s protests, either.
Metro statement, from CEO Darryl Haley and board chair Kreg Keesee:
We heard you.
Metro will no longer provide its buses to the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) who are working so diligently and professionally to address the recent protests. In the past two days, we have worked closely with the city administration to find a solution to this current situation that does not rely upon Metro. We will sell to the city three buses that were no longer in active service and were being prepared for public auction. The buses first went into service for Metro in 2004 and have been out of service since last year. Our estimated auction value and, therefore, purchase price for these vehicles was $7,500 ($2,500 each).
In this past week, we answered the city’s urgent call to use our buses to transport Cincinnati Police Department officers and remove detainees from the protests. An important factor was CPD’s belief that the use of buses was the safest available option to transport large numbers of detainees. We know our decision was opposed by some riders, members of the community and especially our operators represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 627 and we appreciate why. We have a long history of working with local police, fire and other agencies for the safety of our riders, operators and members of the community. We especially appreciate and value our long relationship with CPD to the benefit of our riders and operators.
We support and respect our operators’ decision to not operate buses during the protests. After they expressed that preference, we initially agreed to have non-union Metro supervisors drive our buses to help the city. We subsequently decided that our buses could continue to be used by the city only if driven by CPD officers who were trained to do so.
As a publicly funded transportation agency, we support our community’s right to peacefully protest. We support the cause for justice and equality. We also abhor the violence that has been perpetrated. It is up to each of us to stand up for what is right, challenge our own biases and work to bring about the change we want to see in our community. As an organization, we pledge to continue doing that work.
Metro has a role to play in creating a more just, equitable and inclusive society. We will take an even deeper look at all of our practices and policies – holding them up to a microscope and reviewing them regularly. We will do all that we can to ensure that we provide all citizens access to the transportation services they need to connect with jobs, health care, social services, education and more. These critical and basic human needs have the power to lift families out of the cycle of poverty and level the playing field for individuals in our communities who have been historically disenfranchised.
We stand with all those working for positive change. At Metro, we do not see this as a black or brown issue. We see it as a humanity issue. We all benefit from a just society.
Thank you for keeping us accountable. We will continue to listen and work to make decisions that appropriately reflect who we are as an organization and our mission to serve our community.
We heard you.
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Police union president accuses Cincinnati Metro of ‘abandoning’ police after bus agency says it won't transport protest prisoners - The Cincinnati Enquirer
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