GRTC is ramping up security on busses and at stops
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
One of GRTC's new Public Safety Officers. Image: Courtesy of GRTC
GRTC is launching a new public safety initiative on its buses and stops across the city.
Why it matters: The safety enhancements include armed security guards patrolling transfer stations and along the Pulse line.
The big picture: The new programs are meant to ensure riders feel safe after "an increase of behavioral disruptions on our buses," GRTC spokesperson Kate Sheldon tells Axios.
- Last year there were multiple violent incidents on GRTC buses or at stops, including when a 33-year-old man was shot and killed while waiting for the bus outside of City Hall on a Friday morning.
- Last summer, a 16-year-old was shot in the leg while riding the bus and three people were stabbed in two separate incidents at bus stops.
Zoom in: GRTC's new safety initiatives include a Public Safety Officer program, comprised of contract armed security professionals trained in "specialized safety protocols," including de-escalation techniques, Sheldon tells Axios.
- The PSOs started Monday and are contracted through Allied Universal Security Services, which works with more than 40 transit systems in the country.
- They'll work with local law enforcement when needed and primarily be stationed at "main transfer points, such as the Downtown Transfer Station and our Pulse BRT line," she added.
In addition to PSOs, GRTC is adding Public Safety Ambassadors, who are unarmed GRTC employees who will regularly ride the bus and help passengers as needed, primarily with customer service inquiries.
- Ambassadors are trained in customer service, first aid and de-escalation and the first class is wrapping up an eight-week training program now. They'll start in the coming weeks, per Sheldon.