D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metro General Manager Randy Clarke, along with Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee III and Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo, announced Wednesday that they will collaborate to increase law enforcement visibility within the transit system.
The collaboration comes days after a Metro mechanic was killed at the Potomac Avenue Station by a gunman. The D.C. police department is the first partner in the collaboration effort.
Specifics of the collaboration include five stations, all in the District — Metro Center, Gallery Place, Georgia Avenue-Petworth, Congress Heights, and Union Station — that were chosen based on crime data. These stations will have off-duty uniformed police officers on patrol with Metro Transit Police during rush hours in the morning and afternoon until June.
“We know that residents and visitors want to see a strong police presence in our community, and that’s what this partnership will allow us to provide,” Bowser said. “When police are in the community, people feel safer and our officers can respond faster. Hundreds of thousands of people use Metro every day to move around D.C., and now, they can expect to see more MPD officers out during their commutes.”
Contee said his department looks forward to working with Metro’s transit police.
“The safety of our community, whether on the street or in our transportation system, is a priority for MPD,” the chief said. “We know that healthy law enforcement partnerships within the District are an effective tool for public safety. This partnership between MTPD and MPD will allow us to work better together and ensure the safety of the residents and visitors in the District.”