A partnership between Community Transit in Snohomish County, Wash., and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office was created to provide better safety for the transit agency's customers and employees. Under the partnership, Community Transit will receive the services of one sergeant, eight officers and an administrative person all dedicated to police the agency's 1,300-square-mile service area. With the new Community Transit Sheriff's Unit in place, the agency will have internal security officers assigned to provide limited security for operation bases and to manage the security videotapes from the agency's buses, park-and-rides and facilities. "After reviewing our agency security services following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we decided that we really needed to reassess the way we secured our buses and facilities and protected our customers and employees," said Community Transit CEO Joyce Olson. Security personnel were employed at the agency in an observe and report capacity. The sheriff's deputies are commissioned, can intervene in conflicts, make arrests, transport prisoners and interact as peers in the law enforcement community. Other than contracts with cities and towns, this is the first time the Sheriff's Office has partnered with any agency. The arrangement is part of a five-year $5.9 million contract.