Police vow more officers on patrol after 6th violent incident on or near METRORail in 2 months

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As police search for the man who shot a woman at a METRORail stop Wednesday night, chiefs with METRO and Houston police departments are addressing the ongoing violence at light rail stops.

METRO police and HPD are working together to make these changes.

One of the biggest is adding more officers in the field. They plan to increase the number of officers out and their overtime in hopes to make the public feel safe and comfortable.

The shooting Wednesday night is the latest in a string of violence happening on or near a METRORail line.

"The victim was seeking a safe space, and she was obviously hiding from the suspect. And he was able to find her as the train was on a layover," METRO Police Chief Vera Bumpers said.

The shooting at the Palm Center Station sent the victim to the hospital, where her family told ABC13 she was undergoing surgery.

METRO police said there have been six violent incidents since October on or near METRO's platform. They've made arrests in five of those cases.

The suspect from Wednesday night's shooting is still on the run.

Chief Bumpers said security and safety are a top priority and riders could see changes coming.

"We have increased our personnel as far as overtime. We utilize our technology. We have cameras on the trains as well as on the buses," Chief Bumpers said.

Some changes won't be as easy to notice.

"You will see in the future not only METRO police officers in plain clothes, but also HPD officers," HPD Chief Troy Finner said. "We want to make sure everything is safe."

METRO believes most of the recent violent incidents started elsewhere and spilled onto the platform, train, or bus.

Leaders want riders to know most of the incidents are not random.

"Every transit asset that we have, joined with the mayor of this city, is safe for everyone, for families, for students, workers and seniors," Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said, adding that she plans to ask for more federal funding that will help increase safety.

"Every aspect we can look at to ensure there is deeply embedded safety, and the comfort of our traveling public, we should do," she said.

While these changes are coming, both police departments say riders should be vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings.

The other recent METRO incidents

• A 28-year-old woman was attacked at the Palm Center Station on Oct. 29.

• On Nov. 15, a man was beaten with a baseball bat by a group of men at the light rail stop at Fulton and Cavalcade.

• Another deadly incident took place on Nov. 21 after a man was stabbed multiple times in the torso onboard a METRORail.

• A man was grazed during a fight on Dec. 7 with about 17 people on the bus at the time, according to police.

• On Dec. 17, a suspect was shot, and an officer was injured after a shooting inside a METRORail train.