Cut RTA Police Budget, Cleveland Transit Advocacy Group Says

CLEVELAND — The Clevelanders for Public Transit (CPT) group held a rally outside RTA headquarters on Tuesday morning. Demonstrators demanded RTA reallocate 50-percent of its police budget toward reducing fares and restoring services.

"Criminalization of fare evasion, combined with armed transit police fare inspections, often results in inequitable outcomes, including unnecessary interactions with armed law enforcement officers and the possibility of a criminal record over a forgotten monthly pass, student ID or the value of a $2.50 fare," the CPT group said in a statement.

According to RTA's 2020 budget, transit police received more than $14 million in funding. CPT said RTA should consider the national calls to "defund" police and how that funding could be better used.

However, transit police rarely perform fare inspections, according to Linda Krecic, a spokesperson for RTA. They spend much of their time coordinating with other law enforcement groups, strategizing for large events, training K9 units and carrying out long-term investigations involving RTA, she said.

Krecic also said surveys of riders, conducted by RTA, show a majority of RTA customers prefer having a visible police presence.

The public transit group is asking RTA to reallocate 50 percent of its transit police budget and replace armed far inspectors with a Civilian Transit Ambassador program to aid riders, check fares and serve as RTA's public face at stations.

"In its current strategic plan, RTA says that “RTA’s fares are now among the highest in the country.” Reallocating funds from transit police would provide fare relief to riders, many of whom are overpaying, and would allow previously cut service to be restored," the CPT group said.