NO. 1 2010 - Securitas

Commuting in Seattle
Securitas USA officers patrol
parking lots and commuter
train stations along Seattle's
new light rail system.
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securitas solutions
in the 15 years since voters approved plans for
a mass transit system in western Washington
state, commuting in the Seattle, Bellevue,
Everett and Tacoma areas has become notably
faster and more convenient. Sound Transit express
buses crisscross the area 20 hours every day, and
two Sounder commuter train lines connect the
region’s urban centers each weekday. A light rail
line operates in downtown Tacoma, and a separate
16-mile light rail system that began serving the
Seattle area in July soon will extend to the Sea-Tac
International Airport.
“Ridership has consistently exceeded expectations,”
says Ken Cummins, Sound Transit’s chief security
officer. “More than 16.2 million people used Sound
Transit in 2008, and we expect that to increase
about 27 percent this year. One reason for that
growth is our commitment to providing riders with
a safe and comfortable environment.”
Securitas USA has worked closely with Sound
Transit and area law enforcement since 2005 to
maintain a visible security presence and the ability
to quickly respond to incidents. A total of 91
uniformed Securitas USA officers patrol train and
bus facilities on foot and in vehicles, monitor
transit station activity, and perform a range of
customer service and administrative services.
At the main security control room in downtown
Seattle’s Union Station, two Securitas USA
operators are on duty around-the-clock, constantly
monitoring more than 150 CCTV cameras at various
Sound Transit locations, and dispatching patrol
officers or local emergency services as needed.
Duties also include maintaining regular contact
with Securitas USA officers who are on patrol and
riding trains, operating the message boards at
commuter train stations, and compiling ridership
numbers reported on each train route.