Valley Metro names Ruiz security director; SEPTA adds Dorsey to police team

Valley Metro has named Adrian Ruiz, a retired lieutenant with the Phoenix Police Department, director of safety and security.

Ruiz will manage the light-rail transit security and fare enforcement programs, accident investigation and reporting, and emergency management. She also will ensure the agency's compliance with the Federal Transportation Administration, state safety oversight, Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

"Adrian has vast transportation security experience and extensive knowledge of our transit system. Providing a safe and secure environment for our passengers is our top priority," said Valley Metro Chief Executive Officer Steve Banta. "Her role will be an incredible asset for our system that serves 250,000 daily riders."

During her tenure as a Phoenix police officer, Ruiz spent seven years as a lieutenant with the department's transit enforcement unit. She retired from the violent crimes bureau as the lieutenant in assaults/gun enforcement-intelligence unit.

Meanwhile, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has hired Mark Dorsey to serve as an inspector for the agency's Transit Police Department.

Dorsey has 37 years of experience in law enforcement, most recently as the chief of police at the University of Pennsylvania. He also served 27 years with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Dorsey's "expertise and knowledge will be great assets in our efforts to bolster the transit system's safety and security," said SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III in a press release.

Transit security issues will be among the featured topics discussed at Progressive Railroading's Secure Rail Conference to be held Feb. 3-4, 2015, in Orlando, Fla. For more information about the conference, click here.