Sun Tran responds to safety fears amid Tucson bus attacks | News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — Sun Tran is addressing growing safety concerns after a series of violent incidents on or near its buses and stations.

In recent months, News 4 Tucson has reported on seven attacks involving public transportation in Tucson.

Sun Tran officials sent us the following statement:

“At Sun Tran, safety and security are not just priorities, they are the foundation of everything we do. We serve more than 50,000 riders daily and travel over 7.4 million miles each year. Incidents across our system, whether at bus stops, transit centers, or on board, remain extremely rare, occurring in less than 1% of all service interactions. Thanks to proactive measures, including ongoing de-escalation training and the presence of on-site security teams, those numbers continue to decline year after year.

We are deeply aware that recent events have raised concerns and challenged public trust. We take these matters seriously. Transparency and accountability are essential as we work to rebuild and strengthen that trust.

It’s important to recognize that Sun Tran has maintained a safe and reliable transit system for over 50 years. Our mission remains unchanged: to improve quality of life by providing safe, secure, efficient, and customer-focused public transportation.

We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the safety and well-being of our passengers, our operators, and the communities we serve.”

However, the riders News 4 Tucson spoke with at the bus stop say that statement doesn’t make them feel any safer.

“Honestly, it’s scary. It makes me scared riding the bus because I don’t feel safe anymore,” said Carmen Nido.”

“It makes me feel not safe because we want to go to school being safe, but we’re not anymore,” said Jocilyn Reyes.

Many riders rely on the bus as their only means of transportation despite the concerns.

“I’d rather stay home. But if I need to go to my doctor’s appointment, go get that, go to the store, I have to. That’s my only transportation right here,” said Alex Valdez.

Despite the assurances from Sun Tran regarding incident numbers decreasing, some riders remain skeptical.

“I don’t believe it,” said Reyes.

“No. It’s going up,” said Valdez. “I see, not every day, but every other day, there’s a stabbing and all that and what’s going on.”

Tucson Police provided News 4 Tucson with the following statement regarding these recent incidents:

“While overall violent crime in Tucson is currently down, TPD has responded to several recent incidents at public transit centers involving serious, though infrequent, acts of violence. Many of these incidents have involved individuals experiencing mental health crises and/or substance abuse issues. TPD is focusing its resources on reducing crime in these areas, especially where large numbers of people can increase the chances of conflict.”