Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Jim Ports, Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) Administrator Paul Comfort and other state officials gathered for a special awards ceremony to honor 40 MTA Police officers and civilians for courageous acts performed while going about their daily task of keeping MTA’s transit system safe.
The ceremony, held at 10 a.m. at MTA Police headquarters, highlighted the promotion of several officers and culminated with the announcement of the Police Officer of the Year Award. Officer Anthony Bossalina received this award. Bossalina is a three-year veteran assigned to the Northern Patrol District who proved himself worthy of the recognition through selfless acts and proactive policing efforts. In addition, Officers LaToya Russell and Sada Frederick were promoted to corporal.
“Our mission is simple – to protect our transit riders, employees and facilities with dignity, serve with respect and enhance the quality of life for Maryland’s citizens,” Ports said. “These awards are a small token of our appreciation for the ongoing dedication of our uniformed and civilian police personnel.”
Comfort noted the awards ceremony allows state leaders to spotlight the actions of officers that often go unnoticed by the general public.
“MTA has the lowest number of serious crimes of any of the top 12 transit agencies in America, due to the efforts of the dedicated men and women of the MTA Police Force,” he said. “Safety and security are the cornerstones of our system, and we couldn’t have the safest system in America without the remarkable work of our officers. They are committed to creating a safe and secure environment on board our transit modes and in the communities we serve.”
The MTA Police, led by Chief John E. Gavrilis, is among the top 12 transit police forces in the nation with more than 200 sworn and civilian professionals.
MTA is the proud recipient of the prestigious Gold Awards for safety and security on both its bus and Light Rail systems from the American Public Transportation Association.
