WHAT IS A PERFORMANCE CONTROL SPECIALIST?

 Performance Control Specialists (PCS) are the "Eyes and Ears" of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and conduct in-house covert investigations of operating personnel, particularly those who receive cash from riders.  In July of 1983, the CTA created the position of Performance Control Specialist.  Their duties are to observe and report infractions/violations by operating employees.  Assignments are often generated by various managerial and supervisory personnel, citizen complaints, and complaints from other employees.

The primary functions of the Performance Control Specialist is to conduct covert observations and inspections of all operating employees and record occurrences which deviate from established policies and procedures of CTA.  The infractions/violations a Performance Control Specialist enforces include:

1. Relative to fare evasion--collecting of fares by hand (operators are not allowed to handle money);

2. Hazardous/unsafe conditions such as obeying traffic signals and driving a bus in an improper manner, wearing seatbelts, and deploying a handicapped lift and ensuring wheelchair safety before departing the area

3. Vandalism--willful or ignorant destruction of public or private property;

4. Graffiti--etching and tagging on various CTA properties, including the bus system, rail system, and route signs (this is not normally gang related); and

5. Illegal sale of transfer cards--a "transfer seller" obtains transfer cards from exiting riders that may still have existing rides on them and sell these cards for market value.

CTA Performance Control Specialists are trained by bus and rail instructors.  This training, which takes four weeks, includes all the duties and responsibilities of operating personnel.  Reading and comprehending a transit map in order to pinpoint the designated bus or rail assignments for an observation is imperative.  Every Performance Control Specialist is given daily assignments and is required to fill out a detailed summary of their activities for the day.  Assignments are given in various parts of the city and its suburbs.  The Performance Control Specialist is required to ride buses or the rail system to assigned locations each day.  If a violation is observed, the Performance Control Specialist takes notes in coded shorthand.  If the Performance Control Specialist has any doubt that a violation has occurred, no report is submitted.  Performance Control Specialists are made aware that their reports may very well impact the livelihood of an employee and great care is taken to give employees the benefit of the doubt.

Personnel assigned this duty are dedicated to enhancing and improving passenger service.  Management personnel have a number of checks and balances which are used to determine the validity of reports.  These checks and balances serve to enhance the credibility and integrity of the Performance Control Specialists. 

For further information, contact Phynillia Woodward at 312, 664-7200, extension 6110.

MARTA Honors Its Own

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid transit Authority (MARTA) held its annual Awards Luncheon on May 2, 2000.  The speaker at this event was Lieutenant Governor of the State of Georgia Mark Taylor.  Detective Sergeant Sam Dilworth was selected Police Officer of the Year..  He was cited for his professional skill, his willingness to assist other Department members, and his success in investigations.  Twenty-five awards were presented to officers, civilian employees, and others who had performed well under difficult circumstances or who had provided valuable support to the Department's activities, as follows:

• Officer Shelly Webb received the Purple Heart as a result of serious injuries sustained while making an arrest.

• Officer Eric Brown was awarded the Medal of Valor for confronting a person who had just killed a neighbor--shots were fired and the assailant was wounded and apprehended.

• Officer Torey Mosely received a Citation for Bravery as a result of his actions while off duty in rescuing a woman who was being attacked and apprehending the suspect.

• While continuing to control a suspect he had arrested, Officer Miguel Albarron assisted another officer who was under attack and was awarded a Citation for Bravery.

• Lieutenant Phillip Hardy received a Lifesaving Award for warning a person who was on the tracks while a train was approaching, thereby saving her life.

• Officer Michael Thurmond was given a Lifesaving Award for struggling with a person who was attempting suicide, holding the person by his legs after he had jumped from a platform until help arrived.

• Meritorious awards were given to Officers Derrick M. Johnson, Kevin Gotell, and Randell Crawford.

• Chief's Awards went to Lieutenants Carol Johnson, James Franker, and Phillip Findley, and also to Sergeant Tanya Young, Jerome Beasley, Monte Howard, and Sherry Ponder.

• Chief's Award/Unit Citations were given to the Crime Suppression Team and the Central Precinct's Special Enforcement Team.

• An Office Citation was awarded to MARTA's Department of Human Resources, Office of Compensation and Benefits.

• Derrick Neal, a Communications Operator, was selected as Civilian Employee of the Year.

• Civilian Awards for Outstanding Service were given to Phyllis Fox, Ruth Murkey, Renee Perdue, James McClain, and Wali A. E. Amin.

This annual event was well attended by members and friends of the MARTA police Department as well as by family members.  For further information, contact John Dankel at 404, 848-4916.

Land Transportation Antiterrorism Training Program.  The Land Transportation Antiterrorism Training Program (LTATP) was developed by the U. S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).  LTATP is unique in its design, recognizing that security at most land transportation systems is accomplished by a cooperative effort of Federal, State, local, and contract personnel.  This program was designed to protect the land transportation infrastructure, which includes rail, mass transit, and bus operations.  It is aimed at addressing the needs of all personnel charged with security responsibilities.  LTATP is usually conducted in an agency-specific training program.  At least once a year, however, FLETC offers this program on an open basis, allowing enrollment from a variety of law enforcement and security agencies.  For additional information, contact either Susan Davis at 912, 267-3186 (sdavis@fletc.treas.gov), or Michael Brooks at 912, 261-4183 (mbrooks@fletc.treas.gov).

Protective Operations.  Protective Operations, the journal of security services, risk mitigation, investigations, and consulting, was published for the first time in the Spring of this year.  It is aimed at mitigating risk and liability and is available free simply by writing to Protective Operations Magazine, 434 West Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506-5035, or registering on line at www.protectiveoperations.com.

National Domestic Preparedness Office Newsletter.   The Beacon, published by the National Domestic Preparedness Office (NPDO), contains information on such things as WMD and Emergency Management Internet Resources and a variety of other issues dealing with domestic preparedness.  It can be found on the NPDO website at www.npdo.gov along with other useful information.

Meetings

7/18-21/00      America's 6^th Annual Security Expo Miami 2000, Miami Beach, FL (630, 271-8223; Fax:  271-8239)

8/14/16/00      American Public Transit Association Year 2000 Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop, Portland, OR (202, 898-4038)

8/27-29/00      1^st  Sub-Saharan Africa Executive Policing Conference, Durban, South Africa, hosted by the Durban City Police Department

7/28-31/00      International Security Conference and Expo, New York, New York (203, 840-5602; Fax:  840-9602)

9/24-28/00      American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (202, 898-4038/4039)

11/11-15/00    107^th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference:  Law Enforcement Education and Technology Exposition, San Diego, CA (800, THE IACP)

9/30-10/4/01      American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA (202, 848-4040)

Training

7/7-9/00        People's Action Training, Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Direct Action Group and the Ruckus Society, (267, 253-5074, or 215, 888-8833)

7/10/00      Administering and Managing Campus Law Enforcement, St. Louis, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/10/00      Investigation of Computer Crime, Toledo, OH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/10/00           New Chiefs’ Development Seminar, Seattle, WA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/10/00      Less-Lethal Force Options:  Concepts and Considerations, Trenton, NJ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/10/00      Police/Medical Investigation of Death, Miami, FL, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/10-14/00      Fundamentals of Bus Collision Investigation Des Moines, IA, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

7/12/00      Tactical Science and the Decision-Making Process, Baltimore, MD, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/13/00      Investigating Computer Component Theft, Knoxville, TN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/13/00      Search, Seizure and Evidence Preservation, Tucson, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/17/00      Mental Preparation for Armed Encounters, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/17/00      Internal Affairs:  Legal and Operational Issues, Maple Grove, MN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/17/00      SWAT II:  Advanced Tactical and Hostage Rescue Operations, Concord, NH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/18/00      Investigation of Incidents of Excessive/Deadly Force, Poughkeepsie, NY International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/19/00      Gang Investigation, Suppression and Techniques, Chesterfield, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/19-20/00      Fatigue Awareness Seminar, Austin, TX, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

7/20/00      Performance Appraisal, Clarkstown, NY, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/21/00      Grant Writing for Law Enforcement Agencies, Freehold, NJ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/24/00      Organizing and Managing Small Agency and Area SWAT, Lincoln, NH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/24/00      Leadership and Quality Policing, Hudson, NH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/24/00      Executive and Dignitary Protection, Colorado Springs, CO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

7/24-28/00      Fundamentals of Bus Collision Investigation New York, NY, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

7/31-8/2/00     Bus Collision Analysis, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

8/2/00      Advanced Tactical Management for Commanders and Supervisors, Hillsboro, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/2/00      Effective Media Practices for Law Enforcement, Hillsboro, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/7/00      Less-Lethal Weapons Instructor Certification Course, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/7-18/00      National Security Policy, Denver, CO, Office of Personnel Management (888, 676-9632 or 304, 870-8008; Fax:  870-8009)

8/9/00      Critical Incident Management, Gaithersburg, MD, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/9/00      Cultural Awareness:  Train-the-Trainer, Leaven-worth, KS, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/10/00      Ethical Standards in Police Service, Herndon, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/11-14/00      Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies, Baltimore, MD, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

8/14/00      Preventing and Reducing Elderly Victimization, Colorado Springs, CO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/14/00      Planning, Designing and Constructing Police Facilities, Toledo, OH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/14/00      Rapid Deployment to High Risk Incidents, Edgewater, CO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/14-17/00      Transit System Security, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

8/21/00      Grant Writing for Law Enforcement Agencies, St. Louis, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/21/00      Determining Patrol Staffing, Deployment, and Scheduling, Bartlett, TN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/21/00      Advanced Crime Analysis, Toledo, OH, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/21/00      Conducting Effective Employment Interviews, Kent, WA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/24/00      Staffing and Scheduling for Communications/Dispatch, Bartlett, TN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/24/00      Police Leadership:  Managing the Future, Muscatine, IA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

8/28-9/1/00      Intermediate Problems in Bus Collision Investigation, White Plains, NY, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

9/6/00      Interview and Interrogation Techniques, Worcester, MA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/7/00      Reducing School Violence, Lakewood, NJ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/11/00      Investigation of Incidents of Excessive Deadly Force, Colorado Springs, CO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/11/00           Civil Disorder Resolution II:  Command Strategies, San Antonio, TX, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/11/00      Value-Centered Leadership:  A Workshop on Ethics, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/11/00      Operations and High-Risk…., Chesterfield, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/11-22/00      Collision Investigation for Transit Police and Law Enforcement, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

913-14/00      Response to Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Transit Incidents, Seattle, WA (closed to outside participants), Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405,  954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

9/14/00      Highway Interdiction, Baton Rouge, LA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/14/00      Less-Lethal Force Options:  Concepts and Considerations, Tigard, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/14-18/00      Bus Collision Analysis, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:  954-0367)

9/18/00      Administering a Small Law Enforcement Agency, Spokane, WA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/18/00      Managing the Training Unit, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/18/00      SWAT II:  Advanced Tactical and Hostage Rescue Operations, Chesterfield, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/18/00      Managing the Property and Evidence Function, Alexandria, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/25/00      Contemporary Patrol Administration, Sherwood, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/25/00      Excellence in the FTO Program, White Plains, NY, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/25/00      SWAT Supervisors’ Tactics and Management, Aurora, CO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/25/00      Surveillance and Undercover Officer Techniques, Baton Rouge, LA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

9/25-28/00      Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies, Las Vegas, NV, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:   954-0367)

9/27/00      Investigation of Computer Crime, Worcester, MA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/2/00      Rapid Deployment to High Risk Incidents, Calgary, Alberta, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/2/00      Criminal Investigative Techniques, Tigard, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/2/00      Advanced Internal Affairs:  Proactive Affairs, Knoxville, TN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/5/00      Managing the New Breed:  Generation X in Law Enforcement, Chandler, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/16/00         Civil Remedies for Nuisance Abatement, Alexandria, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/16/00      Effective Recruitment Tecniques, Buffalo Grove, IL, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/16/00      Less-Lethal Instructor Certification Course, Ithaca, NY, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/16/00      Ethical Standards in Police Service, Waukegan, IL, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/23/00      Planning, Designing and Constructing Police Facilities, Alexandria, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/23/00         Risk Management for Law Enforcement Agencies, Cape May, NJ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/23/00         First Line Supervision, Glendale, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/23/00      Multi-Agency Incident Management for Law Enforcement, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/25/00      Police Law and Legal Issues:  What Every Police…., Washington Township, NJ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

10/25-26/00    The High Security Conference and Expo:  Corporate Security and Risk Mitigation Seminars, Atlanta, GA, Security Technology and Design and Protective Operations Magazines (800, 245-9774)

10/30/00      Advanced Tactical Management for Commanders and Supervisors, Roanoke, VA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/1/00      Tactical Entry Operations, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/2/00      Advanced Grant Writing and Management, Henderson, NV, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/2/00      Developing a Legally Defensible Curriculum, Huntington Beach, CA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/8/00      Administering and Managing Campus Law Enforcement, Seattle, WA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/9/00      Managing the Training Unit, Huntington Beach, CA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/13/00      Cultural Awareness:  Train-the-Trainer, Sherwood, OR, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/13/00      Managing Criminal Investigations, Sparks, NV, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

11/13/00      Implementing a Yougt Intervention Program, Phoenix, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/4/00      Managing the Internal Affairs Unit, Maple Grove, MN, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/4/00      Effective Recruitment Techniques, Sunnyvale, CA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/4/00      SWAT Supervisors’ Tactics and Management, Worcester, MA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/4/00           New Chiefs’ Development Seminar, Buffalo Grove, IL, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/4/00      Police/Medical Investigation of Death, Miami, FL, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/6/00      Crisis Negotiations, Tucson, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/7/00      Excellence in the FTO Program, St. Charles, MO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/11/00      Value-Centered Leadership:  A Workshop on Ethics…., Phoenix, AZ, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

12/11/00      Critical Incident Management, Seattle, WA, International Association of Chiefs of Police (800, THE IACP)

5/10-13/01      Congress and the Intelligence Community, Washington, DC, Governmental Affairs Institute at Georgetown University (202, 333-4834; Fax:  333-8165)