TriMet reports drops in serious crimes, outlines expanded safety teams and new technology

TriMet Chief Safety Officer Andrew Wilson told the Washington County Coordinating Committee on April 17 that the agency has seen large declines in high‑priority police calls over the last three years and described expanded staffing, technology and station‑control measures to keep transit operators and riders safer.

The presentation outlined a multi‑layered safety strategy that TriMet has deployed since 2021, including transit police contracted from local agencies, nearly tripled numbers of transit security officers, code‑enforcement supervisors, a 69‑member Safety Response Team that provides outreach and supplies to vulnerable riders, and a 24‑hour Security Operations Center. "When you call 911 and you're on the system ... you get police dispatched to you," Wilson said, noting that calls for police service peaked in 2021 and have fallen 52% since then.

TriMet said the reductions are concentrated in serious offenses such as assault and robbery, and credited a combination of increased on‑platform presence, more than 8,000 cameras across the system, a new surveillance team and closer district‑attorney partnerships. Wilson described the surveillance room co‑located with prosecutors and investigators and said those investigators and victim advocates are helping TriMet put cases together for prosecution.

TriMet also described technology and physical‑security upgrades aimed at stations and operator safety. The agency opened a Security Operations Center in October and now offers real‑time camera monitoring and a new security phone network of blue‑light stanchions that will connect directly to the center; TriMet said the blue‑light phones will reach the Cleveland segment of the Blue Line by June and will continue rolling out to other lines. Wilson said elevators at some grade‑separated stations are moving to key‑code access pilots to restrict entry to paying riders and reduce nefarious activity that had at times left elevators out of service. He praised a Hollywood station pilot as successful in maintaining elevator availability while improving conditions.

Wilson gave counts and budget context: transit police currently number 22 on the roster, TriMet has about 69 safety response team members (a figure he said fluctuates), and the agency reported a safety and security budget of "just over $80,000,000" in the current budget cycle, up from roughly $23,000,000 in early 2022. He said additional security staff and partners are funded from that increase and described grants and federal funding used for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) improvements and cleaning contracts intended to improve riders' perceptions of safety.

On law and policy, Wilson described state legislative changes TriMet has sought. He said TriMet supported bills that make using drugs on vehicles a misdemeanor A and sought an expansion so that illicit drug use on stations and platforms would carry a similarly elevated penalty; he referenced Senate Bill 1553 and the prior HB 4002 as examples of related legislative work. "We were very thankful that the legislature gave us this additional tool last year," Wilson said, adding TriMet is using enforcement alongside strategic missions with local police.

Committee members and other elected officials pressed TriMet on bus safety, outreach, and communication. Mayor Lou said bus operators and bus safety are particularly important for communities where buses — not the MAX light rail — are the primary transit mode. Wilson said TriMet is deploying Safety Response Team members and code‑enforcement supervisors on buses and at transit centers, while acknowledging the system must cover 700 buses and service hours that exceed rail operations. Mayor Wenzel, Commissioner Fye and others asked about communicating safety improvements to overcome lingering perceptions of risk; Wilson said TriMet's public‑relations team is running "see something, say something" campaigns, visible placards with the 503‑238 security number, and website/chat/text options including a security shield on TriMet.org.

Several members asked about behavioral‑health responses and availability of services to which TriMet staff replied that the Safety Response Team works with county behavioral‑health partners to make referrals. Wilson said TriMet previously subcontracted some outreach, and that service hours in the community do not always align with the transit system's operating hours; he said that gap limits how quickly outreach can connect riders to services late at night.

Asked whether member jurisdictions could help, TriMet requested continued deployments of local police officers under agency contracts and expanded partnerships to supply officers into transit roles, noting TriMet pays for those officers. Wilson also described longer‑term options such as increased access control (gates) at selected stations and enhanced fare‑enforcement strategies as ways to reduce opportunities for gate hopping and related problems.

The committee's discussion included operational questions about park‑and‑ride classification and access control. TriMet staff said some facilities labeled informally as parking areas are not part of TriMet's official Park & Ride program, and staff noted the agency is studying access‑control and prepaid access options for lots and elevators as part of a longer‑term plan to protect facilities and restore their intended use.

The presentation concluded with an offer to share resources for constituents — including the security center phone number and web links — and a request that elected officials help TriMet amplify that information to residents. "If you're gonna commit a crime ... this is the system that you will probably get more accountability on you," Wilson said, noting camera coverage and DA partnerships.

Ending: TriMet's briefing emphasized expanded staffing, cameras and a new operations center as the agency's principal tools; officials on the WCCC urged stronger public communication about those improvements and continued coordination with county behavioral‑health and local law enforcement to close service gaps.