The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor will be investigating the overall security of the Charlotte Area Transit System, after the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian woman on a light rail train last month.
State Auditor Dave Boliek said the investigation will focus on the public safety aspects of CATS, including but not limited to private security contracts, metrics and data used for public safety purposes, and the CATS safety and security budget.
Boliek said, “The recent lawlessness and violence that have taken place on Charlotte’s public transportation raise serious questions about the security measures in place.”
In March, a 64-year-old veteran was attacked on a CATS bus, and, according to his family, he became paralyzed from the neck down as a result of the attack.
Months later, in August, a 57-year-old veteran was hospitalized after being attacked by multiple people on a CATS bus.
Just days after that, a repeat offender who had previously been in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon stabbed and killed a woman on Charlotte's light rail.
