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9/13/2022
Metro Transit-St. Louis last week reported a total 177 public safety incidents in second-quarter 2022, according to a report on its initiative to create a safer, more secure transit system.
The number of incidents is up from 160 in Q1, while the transit agency also logged a 26% increase in ridership in Q2. About 71% of incidents were "self-initiated and generated by proactive policing," Bi-State Development officials said in a press release. BSD operates the transit system.
The majority of reported incidents — 62% — addressed standard of conduct; 34% addressed violent crime and 4% addressed property crime. Of the violent offense incidents, weapon violations accounted for 44%.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's public transit unit has pursued crime-fighting initiatives targeting known "hot spots" where incidents occur more often, BSD officials said. Over the past two years, Metro Transit has worked to increase the number of secondary officers available to assist full-time officers, transit security specialists and contracted security officers assigned to the transit system. Metro Transit has agreements with five police and sheriff’s departments in the region.
"The effectiveness of the security measures and collaboration we have put into place over the last two-plus years is evident throughout our latest incident report," said BSD General Manager of Security Kevin Scott. "Incidents are up, but that is 100% attributable to the proactive work of our law enforcement partners."
Metro Transit plans to install gated entrances to all 38 of its stations as part of the $52 million Secure Platform Plan to bolster security. More than $10 million in private funding has been committed to the project. HNTB Corp. is the design contractor for the new access gates, which are anticipated to be fully installed by mid-2026.
To read the full Q2 report, click here.