Metro Transit outlines safety plan, posts new contracted security and reports declines in serious crime

Metro Transit presented a coordinated Safety and Security Action Plan and a staffing update to the Metropolitan Council on Dec. 3, detailing recent contractor deployments, hiring and crime statistics.

Assistant Director Matt Bridal summarized the initial deployment of the supplemental security contractor InterCon, reporting 948.5 contract hours on the first day, a 98.1% post-coverage rate and 229 hires during a 60-day transition. "InterCon has also provided Metro transit staff access to their real time scheduling and dispatch system to help us coordinate our layers of presence," Bridal said, describing operational integration with Metro Transit teams.

Antoinette Bresson, assistant director of field operations, provided staffing numbers: Metro Transit had 67 trip-agent employees and 40 contracted agents as of December 2025, and staff plan to hire an additional 57 agents and supervisory positions in 2026. Contracted trip agents are full-time complements to the agency's workforce while hiring continues.

Interim Chief Joe Dot Seth presented safety metrics and operational changes. He said total reported offenses for the quarter were 2,194, with the top quality-of-life categories being smoking (357), disorderly conduct (237), vandalism (227) and trespass (208) — which together account for roughly half of total offenses. "Serious crime on the system has decreased 21% from this quarter compared to last quarter," Chief Dot Seth said, adding that many of the offenses being reported are low-level quality-of-life incidents.

Chief Dot Seth described efforts to increase visible presence on the system through community service officers, supplemental security, trip agents and a real-time information center, and detailed plans for employee wellness, a chaplain program expansion and a police-accountability liaison position slated to start in early January.

Council members pressed staff on training for contracted security personnel, how deployed teams interact with trip agents, and how cameras and real-time information are used. Metro Transit staff said InterCon employees receive de-escalation training and varying levels of on-the-job training depending on assignments; trip agents perform fare inspections and receive the most extensive training.

What this means

Metro Transit is expanding both contracted and in-house staffing layers and tracking metrics to better align visible presence and response with ridership needs. The department said it will continue to refine staffing and procurement strategies as more hires and program rollouts occur in 2026.

Provenance: Topic coverage begins with the transit presentation and initial remarks by Matt Bridal (SEG 817) and continues through Q&A with council members and follow-up commentary (SEG 2214).