AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION OSP 2011 BUS SAFETY & =APTA-=== SECURITY EXCELLENCE AWARDS Nomination Form Category (check one) 0 Providing fewer than 4 million annual passenger trips IX. Providing more than 4 million and less than 20 million annual passenger trips 0 Providing more than 20 million annual passenger trips LI Private service providers Award Nomination (check one) 0 Safety Program 0 Safety Project X Security Program or Project Agency Information (please print or type) Agency Name Pierce. Trranc;t4 1Th epar+rnen+ (.4 Public Sa-e-1-1.3 Agency Address Pcaiox '19010 City 1...akPAA0ork State/Zip vip, Q4C\.0 Main Phone 2s-3. ctb3. 3401 Agency Contact Chie-P Rod 5aker Contact Phone 2.53. '3t. Esouytv Contact Email rbole,e r vierce.-k-rctrirt-. or-3 Please submit safety/security program element descriptions, including any data that document their effectiveness. Carefully review the Bus Safety & Security Excellence Program evaluation criteria and provide information reflecting these criteria. Attach additional pages as necessary. If you have any questions, please call Bill Grizard at (202) 496-4878 or email wgrizard@apta.com. Complete nomination form and support documentation and RETURN TO APTA NO LATER THAN MARCH 31, 2011. By email: msmith@apta.com By fax: 202-496-4331 Certification of Accuracy The Information g-cm-ra-ined rate And Verifiable. Nominator's Signatur Job Title.C3E (12-1110t7T RUe ale_ Date 6A.T-61-1
Security Program/Project Innovation In order to provide a greater level of safety and security for the transit system, significant efforts have been put in place for Pierce. The most significant program development started in 2006 when Pierce determined it was in the Agency s best interest to develop its own Police Department. On February 13, 2006, the Board of Commissioners approved the creation of the new department. The Board determined that the Department of Public Safety would be responsible for all safety, security, and emergency management needs for the organization. Once established, one of the first steps of the new department was to create the department s mission, vision, and goals. Pierce s Department of Public Safety (DPS) is broken down into three vital divisions: Police, Uniform Security, and Physical Security. Having this broad scope of obligations is what determined the title of Public Safety instead of transit police. After reviewing the increasing crime trends, it was determined that the best course of action was to gain support from the primary local law enforcement jurisdictions. To kick-start a full time police department, Pierce chose to have a contract established with the Pierce County Sheriff s Department to help minimize start up costs and to provide countywide law enforcement authority. This initiative is supplemented by part time law enforcement officers from the Tacoma Police Department and the Lakewood Police Department. Initial staffing plans indicated a full time Police force of 36 officers was necessary to provide effective services system wide for the Agency. Since this was cost prohibitive, having the established relationships with the Lakewood PD and Tacoma PD part time policing program supplemented the initial eight full time deputies that were hired from the Pierce County Sheriff s Department. In 2009, as a partnership with Pierce, Pierce County received a $28k grant from the State Homeland Security program for a bomb dog, equipment, and training. The Deputy and K-9 passed their Washington State certification exam on July 21, 2009, and began service as a team for Pierce on July 27, 2009. As the only bomb dog in Pierce County, Pierce s Police K-9 is a regional asset and has been called upon to assist nearly every regional law enforcement partner in Pierce County. After the first year of hiring and coordinating efforts, the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) philosophy was established and became the focal point of Police and Security. Given the fact that the Police Department was understaffed, strategies were developed to help augment the work force to meet Agency needs. This gave birth to the Uniformed Security Division. Pierce had been funding private security efforts for parking garages, park & rides, and closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance. Due to the increased cost of private security, it was determined that, based on our general law enforcement authority, we could bring security efforts in house. This would consist of hiring our own security staff and granting them special commissions under state law. In turn, we would increase our efficiencies and effectiveness in reducing criminal activity within the transit system. We also were able to establish certain legal requirements: misdemeanor presence rule and the fellow officer rule (which allowed security officer with special commission status to function as a force multiplier for our understaffed Police Department). 1 P a g e
It was determined that if Uniformed s were certified in the use of their bicycles as their primary patrol platform, that they could use buses for transportation from facility to facility and provide a uniform presence on the buses while in transport. The s then would take their bikes off the bus and patrol the various facilities (parking garages, park & rides, etc.). If Police is necessary, s have direct contact with them. This model allows for constant rotation through the transit system and allows for more coverage with minimal staffing. This effort is then supplemented by the Physical Security Division, which is responsible for technological advances such as CCTV (which is also monitored by Uniformed Security Officers). The theory of having an eye in the sky with s on the ground, all with direct communication with Police, would provide the greatest means of security for the transit system. The applied practice of using trained personnel matched with sophisticated technology has allowed more to be done with less. By taking the available assets and focusing on POP with a community policing spirit, Pierce s DPS has been able to maximize our effectiveness by involving available assets from both transit funded and local jurisdiction funded programs. In 2009, during an Agency reorganizational process, the DPS added two positions. An Agency Safety Officer was added to oversee all Agency safety rules and regulations. In addition, an Emergency Planning Coordinator became part of the team to provide leadership and propel the development and completion of all Agency security, safety, and emergency plans. Most transit agencies that do not have their own in-house transit police typically contract law enforcement services from local jurisdictions. Even fewer transit agencies support their own in-house security and very few have established legal authority to empower their security staff with special commission status. In a recent base assessment, conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Pierce DPS received two best practices for the innovative program mentioned above. Project Effectiveness 2008 was the development year of the Department s formation. During that year, although impressive statistics were obtained, much work was left to be done. While POP was being developed and local jurisdictional relationships were being established, tremendous efforts were spent on refocusing current assets. The combination of adding Police, Uniform Security, and Physical Security technological assets were the primary objective. Due to supplemental funding from the Department of Homeland Security for physical security attributes, a region wide focus was required. This region wide transit security focus allowed for new opportunities and a more solidified relationship with the Puget Sound transit partners from a regional perspective. Being in the law enforcement network allows us to communicate unilaterally with all law enforcement agencies. 2 P a g e
To achieve the desired results of the POP concepts, an additional five full time Police Officers were necessary. The focus of POP is for long-term solutions to everyday problems. During 2010, several initiatives were determined to be focal points and became POP initiatives. Below are a few examples: Not on Our Bus campaign Fare evasion program Route & facilities targeted emphasis 56 th St. & Orchard mission Proactive enforcement team (street crimes unit) Compstat approach for problem area identification A re-centered proactive enforcement team was also developed. In the past 10 years, Pierce County has had the highest violent crime rate in Washington State. Pierce provides service in this area and, because of its geographical territory, it is dramatically impacted by an overflow of crime in the existing communities. Having knowledge of these facts, coupled with the shortage of local law enforcement, it was very apparent that the force multiplier concept focusing on Problem Oriented Policing initiatives would benefit not only Pierce but the local communities as well. The 2010 statistics demonstrate the proactive approach to address problems. Significant Statistics for 2010 (All Police and Security Combined): Over 567 arrests (194 felony arrests) 12,430 Warnings issued 303 Investigative follow-up cases 436 Employee assists 36,784 Positive citizen contacts 988 Notice of Infractions issued 181 Agency assists 3 Bomb threats 8 Civil disturbances 7,005 Unlawful Conducts incidents 12,403 Self Initiated contacts 8,126 Proactive bus sweeps/walkthroughs 600 400 200 Total Number of Arrests 0 248 315 2008 2009 2010 3 Problem Oriented Policing major initiates with outside agency partnerships 1,935 traffic stops 425 tickets written 170 criminal citations written (Please see Supporting Documentation 1) Over the past three years, the DPS has identified the top ten routes and transit centers that have the most signification level of criminal activity. Initiatives have been created to lower 3 P a g e 567
# of Incidents # of Incidents crime rate on those routes and those transit centers by applying problem oriented policing tactics. The concept with this initiative was to identify and contact potential problems before they had a chance to enter the bus. The data would suggest that our efforts have been successful, with a decrease in the number of incidents on the routes and an increase of self-initiated contact on the locations. Hot Spots by Route: 2008-2010 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 10 48 53 55 202 206 594 2008 396 198 76 49 72 65 31 59 54 34 2009 329 117 77 40 56 25 26 53 64 66 2010 250 73 54 13 35 10 18 22 16 63 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 COM M TDS Hot Spots by Location: 2008-2010 512 P&R LMTC PKLD TMTC 72nd TC TCCTC SHTC PURD Y 2008 486 204 65 75 43 53 12 42 22 10 2009 189 222 65 90 79 66 22 49 24 9 2010 252 340 71 131 135 74 26 60 28 3 The Not On Our Bus campaign is a good example of how augmenting manpower requirements with Police, Uniformed Security, local law enforcement, and school officials can deter juveniles from committing crimes. Now in its second year, juvenile complaints are down 80% compared to the previous year. 4 P a g e
One of our most historical successful initiatives is the passenger exclusion program. The passenger exclusion program is a behavior modification program in which passengers that are contacted for unruly or illegal behavior are removed from the transit system for a period of no less than 90 days. The program has a complete appeals process and provides for due process oversight. Since its inception in November 2000, there have been 4,140 exclusion orders served. The program s recidivism rate is less than 3%. Every initiative that has been implemented has resulted in a reduction in crime and disruptive behavior in the system. This program and approach have proven to be extremely effective. Security Program Benefit Level Most municipalities spend upwards of 60% of their budget for public safety. The Pierce DPS s entire program costs less than 3% of the overall transit budget. As a law enforcement agency, we were able to apply for and receive grant funding to participate in the state auto theft and gang reduction programs. Both of these programs provide overtime funding for officers to focus on these issues. As a result, there is no cost to the transit agency. By applying the force multiplier philosophy with the Uniformed Security Division, we are able to double our manpower, effectiveness and efficiency, simply because a total cost is ½ the cost of a Police Officer. Security Program Transferability This model program can be developed by any transit agency that is a government entity and where state statutes allow the transit organization to have its own police. Pierce s initiative serves as the first program and agency of its kind in Washington State s history. This program is a blueprint that covers nearly every aspect impacting transit agencies today in the area of security and emergency response. The Mission of the Pierce Department of Public Safety is to coordinate and lead Public Safety efforts within and around the transit system. We will preserve public peace and protect the rights of our clients, customers, and constituents. We will remain focused on the overall mission of the Agency, safeguard people and property, prevent crime, and provide quality safety and security services. The Vision: The Pierce Department of Public Safety is committed to total excellence in all tasks we have before us. Our Department is a leader in the transit industry, providing Problem Oriented Solutions in the areas of transit policing, security, safety, and emergency planning. Our Department is committed to utilizing partnerships and innovative technology to ensure a safe transit environment and experience. We Value Honesty and respect Cooperative community partnerships Diversity in workplace and community Integrity and accountability Adaptability and creativity Professional growth and commitment to excellence. 5 P a g e
# of Incidents Rate Per 100,000 Supporting Documentation 1 Annual Crime Rate per 100K Passengers 2008-2010 Monthly Crime Rate 21.0 19.0 17.0 15.0 13.0 11.0 9.0 7.0 5.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average 2008 11.4 15.8 17.9 18.5 19.4 18.3 19.7 21 18.8 14.8 19.6 18.6 17.8 2009 17.0 19.5 15.8 12.56 15.6 14.4 14.9 14.9 15.3 14.7 19.6 13.8 15.7 2010 14.6 10.1 13.6 12.2 12.5 13.3 14.5 14.8 13.2 14.4 14.5 11.6 13.3 Annual Reported Security Incidents: 2008-2010 3600 3100 2600 2100 1600 1100 600 100 2008 2009 2010 Total 3343 2831 2397 2100 Annual Reported Vandalism Incidents (Facilities) 2008-2010 1100 100 2008 2009 2010 Total 1649 1431 646 Annual Vandalism Costs (Facilities) 2008-2010 $210,000.00 $160,000.00 $110,000.00 $60,000.00 $10,000.00 2008 2009 2010 Total $174,933.65 $45,693.33 $18,478.04 6 P a g e
Supporting Documentation 2 Pierce Office of Public Safety Chief of Public Safety & Police Emergency Planning Coordinator Assistant to the Chief Safety Officer Security Admin. Sergeant Security Sergeant (Night Shift) Security Sergeant (Day Shift) Physical Security & Records Manager Day Deputy Chief Police Night TPD Sergeant LPD Sergeant Security Specialist Security Specialist / Investigator K-9 Police Sergeant / Investigator Off-Duty Police Off-Duty Police Uniformed Security (Positions outlined in Red are vacant) Physical Security & Records Admin Police Last Modified 09/21/2010 7 P a g e