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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority will look into new ways to improve safety on buses and trains along the Wasatch Front.
This year, the UTA Board of Directors commissioned a study of public safety services for the transit agency. Results showed that though UTA generally provides a safe and secure system that is relatively cost effective and operationally efficient, the agency might benefit from a few potential enhancements to improve visibility and coverage of the transit system, according to board trustee Troy Walker.
At a monthly board meeting Wednesday, Walker said a consultant hired by the agency compared UTA with other large transit systems, particularly on how those agencies implemented public safety manpower. He noted that there are three main approaches used among transit agencies across the country.
In Los Angeles, for instance, the county sheriff contracts to provide public safety for transit, while in Phoenix, local police provide law enforcement on buses and trains. However, in San Diego, there is a "hybrid" approach in which they have in-house transit officers, as well as local patrols, Walker explained.
UTA is considering a variation of the hybrid approach to enhance safety and improve efficiency throughout the system, he said. To meet those goals, UTA would hire unarmed fare enforcement officers who would be in-house, part-time or contract workers to provide heightened security presence and added fare enforcement. The fare enforcement officers would pair with transit and local police to reduce cost while expanding coverage and maintaining backup, Walker said.
(The fare enforcement officers) will be working in conjunction with police officers. It will give a bigger (public safety) force without the cost of a bigger force and better fare enforcement.
–Troy Walker, UTA board trustee
The main objectives of the plan, he said, would be to enhance customer service, increase fare inspection efforts, increase technology use and improve coordination with local law enforcement.
"(The fare enforcement officers) will be working in conjunction with police officers," Walker said. "It will give a bigger (public safety) force without the cost of a bigger force and better fare enforcement."
Walker said the agency would also use rail station and train hosts in tandem with the new fare enforcement officers to bolster customer service. They would employ “blanket, surge, fixed-post” enforcement techniques, as well as maintaining focus on issuing more citations and fewer warnings for people who fail to pay their fare.
The plan would also reduce UTA's vehicle and fuel use, while increase walking, bicycle, train and Segway patrols of transit police officers, he explained.
Other technology advances under consideration include updating software to reduce report writing time, and employing new technology that allows portable e-ticketing to fare violators. Walker also said UTA would like to increase security camera use on platforms and rail crossings, along with providing body cameras to officers.
At this point, there are no firm plans in place in terms of when the added manpower will be hired or when the plan would be implemented, but the agency will adopt the recommendations of the consultant as soon as adequate funding is made available, possibly next year, Walker said.
