Cap Metro to increase security guard presence at transit centers, Republic Square

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors’ operations, planning and safety committee at its Wednesday meeting heard an update on the system’s Public Safety Program. The program, approved by the board in 2021, is based on a three-prong approach that includes public safety ambassadors, intervention specialists and transit police.

Darryl Jamail, senior director of public safety and emergency management at Capital Metro, said the Public Safety Ambassador program is now fully operational. The ambassadors, which started in February 2022, focus on customer and employee support, as well as system public safety.

“They’re trained by the TSA on system security for surface transit security issues, as well as de-escalation training, mental health first aid, customer service, first aid and other trainings as well,” Jamail said.

The program currently consists of three shifts of eight ambassadors and one supervisor. On average, the team receives 80 calls for service, 540 security sweeps, 5,300 customer contacts and 2,500 employee contacts.

“Those contacts are basically just out on the system, meeting customers, having conversations, helping people with wayfinding, navigating the system, talking to employees about public safety concerns that they see on the system and addressing those,” Jamail said.

The second prong is the Community Intervention Specialist Program, which is also fully operational. Its team conducts outreach with vulnerable populations using the transit system and connects people with resources in the region and coordinates with city and regional partners.

“These are primarily people that are experiencing homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues,” Jamail said.

The program, which launched in spring 2023, averages 94 engagements per month and makes 25 referrals per month. That results in eight so-called coordinated assessments, which are used to connect individuals to supportive services, per month. On average, two people refuse those services per month, Jamail said.

From 2022 to 2023, the program helped more than 10 people connect to permanent housing and more than 10 people with employment.

The third prong of the Public Safety Program is the Transit Police Department, which the board authorized in 2021. Currently, Capital Metro hires off-duty Austin Police Department officers to work as transit police. Transit police respond to escalated incidents, patrol Capital Metro facilities and support special event operations.

“Our ambassadors and intervention specialists are able to deal with a lot of things, at least initially, before they escalate,” Jamail said. “Sometimes they do escalate to the point that you need law enforcement, and that’s when we have our transit police officers respond.”

Jamail said the current officers from APD have limited functions due to the nature of off-duty work. For instance, the officers cannot enforce the Capital Metro code of conduct.

The agency must secure certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement before its new sworn officers can begin service. Certification includes verification of department policies, facilities, dispatch, board authorization and resource allocation. Eric Robins, the agency’s chief administrator of transit police, told the committee that TCOLE certification is expected in the coming months.

Department operations would begin sometime in Fiscal Year 2024-25 with approximately 12 officers on staff. The authority also created a Public Safety Advisory Committee, which will meet bimonthly and provide regular updates on the Public Safety Ambassador and Community Intervention programs.

In addition to the ambassador program, intervention specialists and transit police, Capital Metro is also expanding its current contract of security guards. Currently, security guards patrol Capital Metro headquarters and maintenance facilities. This will be the first time security guards are sent to patrol the agency’s transit centers and its operations at Republic Square.

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