St. Louis Metro’s new contract security firm starts in April

St. Louis Metro’s new security firm, G4S Secure Solutions, will start providing contract security guard services on the transit system on April 1.

St. Louis Metro is working with G4S to implement a mobile deployment strategy that is consistent with the mobile, on-board patrols currently performed by law enforcement and transit security specialists.

“Our transit riders are constantly moving around the region, and we want our contract security team to reflect the same mobility when they are on the Metro transit system,” said Stephen Berry, general manager of public safety at St. Louis Metro. “We want to make sure the transition to the new contracted security guard team is as professional and seamless as possible.”

When G4S security guards show up for work in April, riders will immediately notice they will be wearing new high-visibility uniforms, the same uniforms St. Louis Metro transit security specialists switched to Jan. 20. These new uniforms are easier to spot as they patrol the system and provide a more visible and accessible security presence.

The contract with G4S Secure Solutions was approved by the Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners in December 2019. It was announced initially they would begin in February, but the date was adjusted to allow a more reasonable time frame for hiring, background checks and training of the guards who will be assigned to the transit system.

The new contract with G4S and the new high-visibility uniforms are just two of the many changes to safety and security that St. Louis Metro has been working closely on with the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, WSP, regional elected officials and its three professional police departments – St. Louis County Police, St. Louis Metropolitan Police and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. The group is in the process of finalizing a regional security plan that is scheduled to be completed next month.