Metro’s board is delaying a vote on a policy to temporarily ban people who commit sex and weapons offenses on the transit system.

The board was set for a final vote on the issue Thursday but pushed it to its next meeting on Sept. 9th. Metro spokesperson Ian Jannetta said the board requested more information from staff and jurisdictions about the ban. Board Chair Paul Smedberg did not return a request for comment.

The proposal calls for a 14-day suspension from the system for a first offense, 30 days for a second offense, and a year for a third offense within a rolling 12-month period. If offenders are found back on the system, they would be arrested for trespassing. Metro would allow for an appeals process.

The delay comes after pushback from more than 40 groups, including the ACLU, Black Lives Matter DC, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, Sunrise DC, and others.

In a letter to the board, the groups say the policy is a “blanket expansion of police power with no oversight,” and say it is troubling because it implements punishment ahead of a conviction. They also criticize Metro Transit Police, which has had several high-profile issues in recent years.

“WMATA has provided little to no evidence that this suspension policy will have any deterrent effect, and MTPD can offer no information on how this policy would be meaningfully enforced without violating the civil rights and civil liberties of public transit users,” the letter said.

The group laid out four chief concerns:

• Banning riders before they have been convicted for the offense.
• A “wholly inadequate” appeals process that they say is not impartial and takes too long.
• The potential “collateral consequences” for people who are formerly incarcerated, immigrants, and young people.
• The increased risk of over-policing Black and brown communities, low-income residents, and young people who rely on transit.
• That the proposed rule has not been proven to reduce sex and weapons crimes elsewhere.

They say Metro should take non-police approaches to safety. You can read the letter here.

“We won’t go anywhere between now and then,” the Defund MPD group said about the delayed Sept. 9 vote on Twitter.

The suspension policy is modeled after other transit agencies like MARTA in Atlanta.

Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik previously told the board that the number of crimes like indecent exposure doubled during the pandemic. Those arrested for such charges are often released on the same day after they get a court date. He said police know of at least a dozen repeat offenders.

Repeat offenders would likely either have to be recognized by police or caught for committing another crime.

Previous coverage:

Metro Wants To Temporarily Ban Riders Who Commit Weapons And Sex Offenses On Trains And Buses

Metro Committee Backs Temporary Ban Of People Who Commit Weapons And Sex Crimes In System