MTS Board Inks Deal With Inter-Con For Transit Security Services

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors Thursday approved a 5-year, $66 million contract with Inter-Con Security to provide security services on trolleys, buses and on MTS properties.

The contract is for three base years with an option to extend for an additional two years and will go into effect on Jan. 1. At the same meeting, the MTS Board also extended its Fare Evasion Diversion program for another year.

"This is an important day for the future of MTS passenger safety and security," said Monica Montgomery Steppe, MTS boardmember and chair of the agency's Public Security Committee. "We look forward to Inter-Con joining our efforts to reshape the way MTS manages passenger security."

At MTS, Inter-Con will provide support by employing 190 public safety officers to patrol the system. The MTS service area covers 570 square miles, 62 stations, 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Officers are responsible for conducting fare inspections, acting as system ambassadors, supporting bus and rail operations and other employees in need and helping with lost and found items, among other tasks.

"MTS engaged in a national search to find the right firm to continue our mission to improve our approach to security and enforcement," said Sharon Cooney, CEO of MTS. "Inter-Con has 48 years in the business, working with both federal and state governments and presented an impressive work plan backed by the use of technology to track training and certifications. We look forward to bringing them on board."

In January, MTS named Al Stiehler -- who most recently served as chief of field operations for New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the nation's largest -- as director of transit security and passenger safety.

Since July of last year, in the wake of the national protests over the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MTS has been changing its security policies and procedures, including:

-- adopting many of the principles in the "8 Can't Wait" campaign as a guideline for its use-of-force policy;
-- banning carotid restraints and choke holds, including the prohibition of applying knee pressure on the neck, throat or head;
-- adopting a "duty to intervene" if MTS security officers witness excessive force by another employee;
-- implementing a fare citation diversion pilot program to help riders caught without a fare avoid court fees and criminal citation; and
-- conducting a third-party peer review of its security policies and procedures, which includes a community-based steering committee to assist with recommendations.

"We are thrilled to partner with MTS and its excellent management team in their ongoing efforts to improve the MTS security program," said Inter- Con CEO Henry Hernandez. "At Inter-Con, we bring decades of experience providing high-quality security programs that emphasize best-in-class training and customer service.

"We are committed to do our part to ensure the best possible experience for the passengers who rely on MTS on a daily basis," Hernandez concluded.

In addition to hiring a new security contractor, the MTS Board also extended the Fare Evasion Diversion Program to Aug. 31, 2022. This pilot program reduces fines, offers a community service option in lieu of payment and a new appeal window for fare violators. The purpose is to provide more flexibility for passengers who receive citations for not having a valid fare while riding buses and trolleys.

MTS is extending the pilot to get a better understanding about success factors, a board statement read. The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to fully analyze the program thus far, but an extension is intended to allow additional time to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program and identify if any changes are necessary.

— City News Service