Special police officers wearing vests have started patrolling Metro trains and buses during trips as part of the transit agency’s push to increase security.
During the agency’s board meeting last month, WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said the use of special police officers enables the transit system to increase patrols.
The special police officers walk around trains and buses “to provide a sense of security and address illegal activity in real time,” Metro said in a news release.
“The idea is you have someone in a high-visibility vest that is now able to deal with security situations,” Clarke said.
Customers will hear announcements over train intercom systems, WMATA said, informing them special officers on board will be actively patrolling.
The special officers, Clarke said, add another layer to WMATA’s safety and security strategy.
“We always have officers on trains, on buses, in stations,” Clarke said. “The reality is, we don’t have thousands of police officers every day. We have 14,000-plus bus trips a day, probably 1,250-1,300 rail trips on an average weekday. It’s impossible to have a police officer everywhere. And by the way, we don’t need a police officer everywhere. We are an incredibly safe system overall. What we want to do is more presence.”
A special police officer, Clarke said, was the first person to spot an issue with a train as it was approaching Eastern Market last month. The station’s platform became filled with smoke, but “we had everyone out of the station in two minutes because we had other security personnel there,” Clarke said.
Metro is also using more than 30,000 cameras on buses, trains and in stations, which make it possible for the Metro Transit Police Department to respond to emergencies faster, the agency said. Law enforcement uses the cameras to identify suspects.
Last year, Metro said it increased patrols by 70% because of partnerships with special police officers and local law enforcement.
Crime is down 14%, Metro said, a trend that Clarke anticipates is “going to continue to go in the right direction.”
Metro has installed new fare gates that it said have resulted in a decrease in fare evasion. The agency said it’s working to improve safety as ridership is increasing.
“We hope customers will interact with the special police officers during their patrols and develop a rapport that promotes positive community connections,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo in a statement.
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