At the direction of Metro general manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld, most Metro Transit Police Officers will soon be wearing brighter, more visible uniforms.
The neon yellow color block design with reflective trim will help Metro customers to more easily find MTPD officers on station platforms and trains. MTPD officers currently wear a dark navy blue uniform that can be hard to see in a crowd or in low-light conditions.
The uniforms are being procured now and are expected to be on the system starting this summer. The measure is one of several steps MTPD has taken in response to customer concerns and to reassure riders the system is safe. Those include:
- Increasing patrols on buses, trains and in stations through reallocation of resources by transferring revenue security to an outside firm.
- Using limited-duty officers to provide additional “eyes and ears” at key locations
- Implementation of “power hour” deployments that increase the number of officers on duty by overlapping the day and evening shifts on select days.
"Customers told me they wanted to see more uniformed officers on buses and in the rail system,” said Wiedefeld. “The fact is, in some cases, riders sometimes couldn't see MTPD officers even though they were there. These new uniforms will go a long way toward making our officers stand out and give customers some more piece of mind when riding Metro.”
The increase in the number of Metro Transit Police officers on rail and bus system and enhanced uniforms to increase visibility of law enforcement personnel in stations and on buses are outlined in GM/CEO Wiedefeld’s Customer Accountability Report (CARe) as it relates to improving safety, security and restoring public trust.
