A new partnership between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) and DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will allow for an increased police presence on WMATA’s rail system in an initiative both WMATA and the District of Columbia hope will generate additional partners to enhance transit security.
“We know residents and visitors want to see a strong police presence in our community, and that’s what this partnership will allow us to provide,” said Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. “When police are in the community, people feel safer, and our officers can respond faster. Hundreds of thousands of people use Metro every day to move around D.C., and now, they can expect to see more MPD officers out during their commutes.”
Beginning the week of Feb. 13 and continuing through the end of the fiscal year in June, MTPD officers will partner on patrols at stations and transit centers, with police officers working on assignment from MPD, beginning with five stations within Washington, D.C.
The five stations were selected based on crime data and include Metro Center, Gallery Place, Georgia Ave-Petworth, Congress Heights and Union Station. Two officers per station will conduct joint patrols during peak hours of service during the weekdays.
WMATA will fund the extra patrols and expects to finalize agreements with additional police departments in other jurisdictions served by its system. WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke explained staffing levels continue to be a challenge for all the region’s police forces and pointed to several open positions within MTPD as a reason why partnering with MPD is important to safety. WMATA estimates partnering with MTPD and other jurisdictions will increase patrols at rail stations and on bus routes throughout the system by as much as 60 percent.
“We appreciate Mayor Bowser’s leadership as our police departments work collaboratively to make our community safer,” Clarke said. “This partnership will allow transit police to ride more buses and trains.”
Clarke noted the increased officer presence at the five Metrorail stations is a supplemental action, and riders should expect the nearly 400 MTPD officers to continue to patrol the WMATA system.
Earlier this year, MTPD also equipped officers and crisis intervention specialists with Naloxone (Narcan) to aid in the prevention of opioid overdoses. Last year, MTPD implemented several initiatives to reduce crime in the system, including the WMATA fare evasion warning campaign.
“In recent months MTPD has increased patrols 30 percent at the busiest times, hired crisis intervention specialists and bolstered our camera network to better fight crime, and this new partnership will further enhance our ability to keep customers safe,” said MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo. “This collaborative approach will allow us to better protect the community and increase our visibility on trains and buses, and we look forward to working alongside MPD and other local law enforcement partners.”
The partnership comes a week after WMATA Mechanic Robert Cunningham was killed while trying to intervene an assault by a gunman on a passenger. The gunman ultimately shot and wounded three people before fatally shooting Cunningham.
“The safety of our community, whether on the street or in our transportation system, is priority for MPD,” said Chief Robert J. Contee, III of the MPD. “We know healthy law enforcement partnerships within the District are an effective tool for public safety. This partnership between MTPD and MPD will allow us to work better together and ensure the safety of the residents and visitors in the District.”
