Charlotte Light Rail Safety Probed As Trump Blames Democrats For Stabbing

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The US Department of Transportation is starting an investigation of North Carolina's light rail system after a woman was stabbed to death last month.

The DOT's Federal Transit Administration will review the Charlotte Area Transit System, or CATS, for its spending on security, safety plans, as well as the risk of assaults on operators and passengers, according to a Wednesday press release.

The Aug. 22 stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte has caught the attention of President Donald Trump. He blamed the murder on Democratic policies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also pointed the finger at“local leader's soft on crime policies,” in a statement.

CATS said in an emailed statement that it's committed to working with local, state, and federal partners.

The Trump administration has been targeting Democratic strongholds since he came to office, sending the national guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. while threatening to send troops to Chicago and Baltimore.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles' response to the stabbing is to amp up security by redeploying CATS security on Blue Line platforms, effective immediately, as well as increasing police presence from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department at“key areas across the transit system,” according to a statement.

The FTA gave CATS 15 days to submit information on how the transit system plans to reduce crime and fare evasion, along with details on how much it is spending and planning to spend on security in its fiscal year 2025 budgeted and fiscal year 2026 planned funds.

The agency also plans to review the CATS Safety Risk Reduction Program, which is related to assaults on transit workers, to evaluate its effectiveness.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

MENAFN10092025007365015876ID1110045488