CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WCNC) - Nearly one year after Iryna Zarutska was killed on a train with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), many are questioning how far the agency has come on safety promises made in the wake of her death.
Zarutska was killed on a Lynx Blue Line train by DeCarlos Brown Jr., who did not have a valid ticket at the time. In the weeks after her death, then-interim CATS CEO, Brent Cagle, pledged to increase security personnel and visibility, stronger ticket verification, and expand surveillance technology.
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However, the findings from State Auditor Dave Boliek's office, released this week, shows there are apparent safety gaps visible to riders one year after these promises were made.
Charlotte's Safety Committe Chair, Dante Anderson tells WCNC that significant improvements have been made in the last 10 months including an increase in law enforcement support, and investment in new safety technology.
"Technology can help us identify if there are objects that are either on the platform or on the train that can be deemed dangerous, such as knives and guns," Anderson said.
The state auditor's report goes further than staffing concerns, recommending CATS add physical barriers to platforms to cut down on fare evasion and improve security — a change that would mark a significant shift from the current open-platform system, where riders can walk on without a ticket check.
However, multiple councilmembers told WCNC that approach wasn't realistic, while train riders suggest an increase in police presence on trains and at the station would make them feel safer.
In October, the city will introduce a new fare-evasion team. CATS said the team will include 60 embassadors who will address ticket compliance concerns.