Metro signed a memorandum of understanding with D.C. police allowing the transit agency to hire off-duty D.C. police officers to patrol Metro stations in uniform during peak hours.
Beginning Monday, Metro plans to deploy two D.C. police officers in five stations – Metro Center, Gallery Place, Union Station, Georgia Avenue-Petworth and Congress Heights – freeing up Metro Transit Police for other patrols.
“Those stations are where we have the most crime and complaints at, and disorder problems,” Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo said.
The agreement is not unusual. Many police departments, including D.C. police, allow their officers to earn extra money working off-duty details.
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The arrangement follows a series of deadly shootings at Metro stations, including the deadly rampage at the Potomac Avenue station and the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man by an off-duty FBI agent at Metro Center in December.
There also have been fights and millions of dollars lost due to fare evasion.
“The real purpose of this is, How do we get our officers even closer to our customers and our riders so they can be on buses, be on trains,” Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said. “We just do not have enough uniform presence, and a lot of this, as the mayor said, is to bring visibility and show we are together one big partnership working together for a safer commute.”
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The arrangement is funded through the middle of June.
Metro's general manager and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser encouraged other jurisdictions in Virginia and Maryland to reach similar arrangements with the transit system.
