Crime increased on light rail from 2022 to 2023, Metro Transit police chief says, but signs of improvement showing
MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales in a news conference Monday said that crime on the light rail was up 25% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, but that the number of incidents was trending in the right direction by the end of last year.
Morales shared the data during an update with other transit officials tracking the progress of a plan to improve safety across the Metro Transit system, including the light rail and bus lines.
"The Metro Transit police department has a lot to be happy about, especially in the year 2023," he told reporters, citing data showing crime was its highest in the first part of last year but declined its end.
One of the key goals of the proposal is to increase law enforcement's and other transit officials' presence on the light rail. It's a challenge because Metro Transit is still down police officers — they need about 60 more to reach proper staffing levels — but the agency is bringing on other security personnel that are not sworn officers to help.
That includes new "agents," according to Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras, who are mandated by the state legislature's new Transit Rider Investment Program to enforce fare payment and issue citations.
They'll begin training later this month and will learn crisis intervention and conflict de-escalation and how to identify people who need social services.
"That gives [riders] the sense that this is a well-regulated system and that rules do apply," she told WCCO Monday morning.
The effort to crack down on crime comes as open drug use and other crime has defined the light rail in recent years, pushing riders away and making them feel unsafe. Just days ago on Saturday, a man was shot during a robbery on a train in St. Paul. He is expected to recover.
Kandaras also noted that ridership jumped 15% from 2022 to 2023 — another positive development—but still was only 60% of pre-pandemic levels. Metro Transit Police is also actively recruiting officers to join their ranks, offering $8,000 signing bonuses and other incentives.
Still, even as Metro Transit touts its progress in fixing persistent problems, Morales and Kandaras both acknowledge there is still significant work ahead to make the light rail safer.
"We don't want to give the impression that we have it all fixed," said Kandaras. "These are complex problems that don't have simple answers, but we're committed to continuing to improve the system."