Everyone who travels and works on our system deserves to have an experience that is consistently safe, clean, and welcoming.
This is why we developed the Safety & Security Action Plan, which includes more than 40 actions we’re taking to improve conditions on the system, train and support employees, and engage customers and partners.
Updates on this plan are shared at the end of each quarter so everyone can track the progress we’re making. Highlights from the August 2025 update include:
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Ongoing station improvements: A number of improvements have been made at the Snelling Avenue Station, 46th Street Station and other locations in recent months, including refurbished benches, the installation of clear glass that’s easier to see through and replace, and additional lighting. Future plans to renovate the METRO Blue Line’s Lake Street/Midtown and Franklin Avenue stations will make these busy boarding areas feel safer and more welcoming by making it easier to see what’s going on around you on the platform (at Lake Street/Midtown, for example, a large canopy and windscreens on each side of the tracks will provide protection from the elements and existing platform waiting areas will be removed).
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De-escalation training: In consultation with the ATU and informed by other transit agencies around the country, staff developed de-escalation training to help operators and other frontline transit workers know how to calm tense situations. To date, more than 1,100 employees have completed this training.
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Supplemental security: Supplemental security officers provide another layer of official presence on the system. An upcoming proposed contract aims to bring security officers to 16 locations (up from nine today) and allow for nightly visits to other transit facilities. The contract will also allow contracted staff to continue serving as Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP) Agents, supplementing the growing number of Metro Transit TRIP Agents who ride light rail and bus rapid transit lines to inspect fares and assist riders. The two-year contract (with a third-year option) will go to the Met Council for its approval later this year.
To review all the updates from this quarter, see the latest progress report. And, as always, if you have ideas about other steps we can take, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or attending an upcoming outreach event.
Enforcement is up, serious crime remains low
Alongside updates on actions identified in our Safety & Security Action Plan, the Metro Transit Police Department shares crime data on a quarterly basis.
In short, the story for the second quarter is that a sustained focus on having a more visible and active official presence on the system is having an impact. Of note:
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60% of all second quarter reported crimes were initiated by police, meaning they were on the system, saw something, and acted on it (as opposed to being dispatched after a call for police service).
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Top offenses include smoking, trespass, and vandalism that most-often are a result of proactive patrols. Serious crimes like assault declined 13% comparing the second quarter of this year to the same time last year and remain a very small percentage of total offenses.
The marked increase in calls for service in part reflects a focus put on the METRO Green Line corridor through the Safe & Strong University Avenue initiative led this summer by the Metro Transit Police Department with support from multiple partners.
The initiative combined increased police presence, outreach efforts led by the Metro Transit Police Department’s Homeless Action Team, Ramsey County Social Services, and prosecutors who ensured arrests stemming from this collaboration received extra attention.
Since the start of the initiative, more than 700 people received basic supplies and resources to help access housing, treatment, low-cost state IDs, and more.
To sustain this momentum, transit police recently introduced a Hamline-Midway beat that will allow the same officers to spend time getting to know riders and business owners along University Avenue. Beats for downtown Minneapolis and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport have also been established.
“We continue to take a whole community approach to public safety, working alongside our partners and the communities we serve to make things better for everyone,” Interim Chief Joe Dotseth said. “We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made and are committed to building on this foundation as we move forward.”
Join the team that's making a difference
The Metro Transit Police Department recently surpassed 20 Community Service Officers – students working part-time with the department while earning degrees – for the first time ever. Many former CSOs have gone on to become Metro Transit police officers. The department is continuously hiring police officers and CSOs. To learn more about joining the Metro Transit Police Department, visit: metrotransit.org/transit-police-careers.
To learn more about becoming a TRIP Agent, joining our maintenance team, or becoming an operator, metrotransit.org/careers.