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Amtrak has named Polly Hanson chief of police. She will lead the Amtrak Police Department's more than 500 law enforcement officers and civilians across the country who work with local, state and federal agencies to ensure riders' safety and security.

Hanson most recently was director of the Office of Law Enforcement and Security at the U.S. Department of Interior. Her law enforcement career includes 27 years at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's police department, where she rose through the ranks from police officer to chief of police. She also spent three years with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., as executive director of the Strategic Services Bureau.

Hanson will begin her new duties on Dec. 17 and report to Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman.

Meanwhile, last week the Amtrak Police Department was awarded law enforcement accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. To achieve accreditation, the department had to demonstrate compliance with several hundred professional standards.