Metro Transit outlines layered safety plan, expands trip agents and supplemental security

Metro Transit officials gave the Public Health and Safety Committee an update Oct. 15 on implementation of a 43‑item Safety and Security Action Plan that the Metropolitan Council endorsed in 2022.

The presentation, led by Metro Transit General Manager Leslie Kenderas and Interim Chief Joe Dotseth, said the agency is adding layers of presence on the system — including supplemental contracted security, trip agents who issue administrative citations for fare noncompliance, community service officers, a real‑time information center and safety ambassadors — while continuing to support the Metro Transit Police Department.

The plan grew out of a Metropolitan Council review that began in 2020. Kenderas said the agency now deploys multiple types of personnel so sworn officers can focus on serious public‑safety incidents. "Safety is not just a priority at Metro Transit. It's a core component of how we do our work," Kenderas said.

Nut graf: Metro Transit said the combination of more visible staffing, targeted enforcement and social‑service connections aims to reduce both serious crime and the lower‑level "quality of life" offenses that most affect riders' perceptions. The agency presented staffing, pilot results and next…