King County tackling safety issues through Operation Safe Transit initiative

The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) made four arrests on Aug. 16 as part of a larger public safety initiative to make transit safer, combat crime and provide behavioral health supports and resources, particularly along 3rd Ave. in downtown Seattle, Wash.

The larger initiative, known as Operation Safe Transit, was launched by the KCSO on May 1 as a pilot program focused on targeted work on transit and at transit locations such as bus stops and station platforms. 

Out of the arrests made, three were known drug dealers. The fourth suspect had a warrant for assault. Deputies also recovered drugs and two handguns, one of which was stolen. 

The Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, Sound Transit and other partners are collaborating with KCSO on the initiative. At the request of KCSO, the King County jail has made exceptions to bookings for misdemeanor crimes committed in the transit system since the operation began in May. 

“Public safety requires a multi-faceted approach, with agencies, branches of government and jurisdictions working in concert and that is the approach we are taking to challenges at or near transit facilities in downtown Seattle,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Seattle streets host [King County] Metro bus stops and Sound Transit rail stations and we are building seamless collaboration across local governments, departments and agencies to ensure those stations, stops and streets are clean and safe.” 

“We recognize how the situation in this part of downtown is affecting the public, as well as employees and we are taking every step possible to help improve safety in this area,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindal. “The ultimate goal here is to abate crime and fear of crime on our transit system. We are doing whatever we can to remove potentially threatening and harmful situations and take the most dangerous people off the streets, the trains and the buses. We want our message to be clear – if people don’t behave lawfully, there will be consequences.” 

Transit riders will see increased police and security presence around Third Avenue, the King County Courthouse, King County Metro bus stops and the downtown transit tunnel. Bike teams from King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit will also play a significant role, as their visibility often serves as a crime deterrent. 

“We remain committed to collaboratively work with our partner agencies to ensure our transit system is safe and used as intended while simultaneously drawing upon internal and external resources to respond appropriately to a variety of circumstances,” said Sound Transit Acting Chief Safety Officer Branden Porter. 

During the past year, King County Metro has successfully implemented several key strategies to improve safety on transit. The agency engaged with thousands of people through the Safety, Security and Fare Enforcement Reform Initiative and heard a clear desire for an increased safety presence and appropriate support for community members in need. 

Its Care and Presence approach includes more than doubling the number of transit security officers to 170, establishing a group of 17 Metro Safety Ambassadors to assist riders and coordinating with King County’s Department of Community & Human Services to deploy a team of 14 behavioral health specialists. Since its launch, the behavioral health team has made over 7,621 contacts and responded to 396 crisis or de-escalation events. 

“Communities have made it clear to us that there is a need for both security and compassionate support for those who need it,” said King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison. “Based on what we heard from you, we developed an approach to keep riders safe that focuses on ‘Care and Presence.’ We have more than doubled the number of Transit Security Officers and added Metro Safety Ambassadors to engage with riders. We also deployed Behavioral Health Specialists, who provide de-escalation, resources and support.” 

In total, Operation Safe Transit has resulted in 82 arrests, with half of those arrests coming from deputies who viewed criminal activity directly and made arrests in real-time.