Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Metro Transit Police Department added 19 new full-time officers to its ranks. Officers were recently sworn in by Chief John Harrington at a ceremony in Minneapolis.

“This well-qualified group of full-time officers will fill a key role for our region’s growing transit system — particularly as we prepare for Metro Green Line light rail service next year,” Harrington said. “Metro Transit customers represent many different cultural backgrounds and this diverse group of officers is reflective of the many communities that make up the Twin Cities.”

The 19 officers come from various law enforcement backgrounds. Five of the officers have previous sworn law enforcement experience totaling nearly 24 years of service. The new officers represent diverse community backgrounds including African-American, Somali and Latino and several are bilingual, speaking Arabic, Somali or Spanish.

The new officers join 64 licensed and sworn full-time and 60 existing part-time Metro Transit Police officers. This addition will result in a net increase of 15 more full-time Metro Transit Police officer positions — for a total of 83. The growing department added 22 additional part-time officers in April of this year and plans to hire an additional 26 part-time officers this fall.

Metro Transit Police patrol routes, rail stations, and other transit facilities by riding buses and trains, in squads and on foot. The department was created in 1993 and has jurisdiction wherever Metro Transit buses and trains operate — currently in eight metro counties.

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