Undercover officers will patrol buses

THE NEXT TIME YOU RE ON BOARD AN ALBUQUERQUE CITY BUS — YOU MAY BE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO AN UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICER IT S PART OF THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT S LATEST PLAN TO STOP CRIME FROM HAPPENING ON BUSES AND AT SOME OF THE CITY S MOST DANGEROUS BUS STOPS JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR CENTRAL AND SAN MATEO WITH THE STORY JEFF CENTRAL AND SAN MATEO IS ONE OF TWO BUS STOPS IN TOWN WHERE TRANSIT EMPLOYEES SEE A LOT OF PROBLEMS — EVERYTHING FROM DRUNK PASSENGERS TO DRUG ACTIVITY AND JAYWALKERS OUR CAMERAS ONLY HAD TO BE HERE FOR THIRTY MINUTES FOR US TO SEE WHY UNDERCOVER OFFICERS NEED TO BE HERE FIVE MINUTES AFTER WE SHOWED UP TO INTERVIEW TRANSIT DIRECTOR GREG PAYNE AT CENTRAL AND SAN MATEO — A GIRL WHO CHOSE NOT TO USE THE CROSSWALK — GETS HIT BY A CAR ON HER BIKE AS SHE TRIES TO CROSS CENTRAL THE GIRL IS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A HEAD INJURY JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER THAT — THIS MAN GETS KICKED OFF THE RAPID RIDE THE DRIVER SAYS HE S INTOXICATED AND WAS HARASSING PASSENGERS THE MAN THREATENS TO BREAK OUR CAMERA — SO PAYNE CALLS IN TRANSIT OFFICERS - when the next rapid ride come up I have no doubt he s going to try and get on — THEY GIVE THE GUY THE BOOT BUT HE JUST WANDERS OVER TO ANOTHER BUS STOP — ALBUQUERQUE POLICE ARE CALLED IN TO HELP PAYNE SAYS JAYWALKERS AND DRUNK PASSENGERS ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE PROBLEMS AT CENTRAL AND SAN MATEO — AND CENTRAL AND COORS — ANOTHER NOTORIOUS BUS STOP THAT S WHY UNDERCOVER TRANSIT AND ALBUQUERQUE POLICE OFFICERS WILL SOON BE RIDING ALONG we know that we have increased rider-ship during the summer months and we want to make sure the bus stops and buses are secure and safe fore everyone who wants to be one them WHEN THE CITY USED THE UNDERCOVER TACTIC LAST SUMMER — POLICE ISSUED 20 CITATIONS — SOME EVEN FOR JAYWALKING THEY ALSO MADE SEVERAL ARRESTS INCLUDING A PERSON WHO WAS DEALING DRUGS AT A BUS STOP — AND ANOTHER WHO HAD A FELONY WARRANT we re not just going to keep it on Central Avenue it s going to be citywide but we know some of the problem areas and we re going to focus in on them UNDERCOVER OFFICERS WILL BEGIN RIDING THE BUSES AND PATROLLING THE BUS STOPS AT THE END OF THIS WEEK — AT THE SAME TIME THE RAPID RIDE BEGINS ITS LATE NIGHT SUMMER SERVICE LIVE NEAR CENTRAL AND SAN MATEO JEFF MAHER