Verint Systems Inc. announced that Metro Transit Police Department, part of Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul, is extending its investment in Verint technology, standardizing key parts of its transportation technology platform with Nextiva video management software (VMS) for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) Project.

Moving from its legacy security and business systems to a unified approach, the Verint VMS solution is helping the organization’s Metro Transit Police force advance its ability to monitor and secure the Twin Cities’ current and new light rail and commuter trains and passengers, as well as enhance investigation capabilities and increase response times.

Metro Transit is one of the country’s largest transit systems, providing more than 80 million annual passenger trips throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul region. It operates the Hiawatha light rail line, Northstar commuter rail line and 123 bus routes. Metro Transit employs its own sworn police force committed to the safety of its customers and employees and serves eight counties and 85 cities in the region.

Starting in 2010, Metro Transit embarked on a four-year construction project to expand operations with an 11-mile line connecting downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis with existing lines. The initiative, known as the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (CCLRT), is adding 31 new light rail transit vehicles and 18 new stations.

Taking a proactive approach to security, the Metro Transit Police Department launched an initiative to standardize its transportation and security technology platform in conjunction with the CCLRT Project. Since 2009, Metro Transit has leveraged a wide array of Verint’s comprehensive security solutions to monitor portions of its operations—from its mobile fleet and light rail systems to its stations — and help migrate from analog to IP-based video.

Based on its experience and success using Verint solutions and the technology’s open architecture platform that integrates with third-party systems, Metro Transit selected the Nextiva Video Management Software to help achieve the objectives of the CCLRT standardization initiative. Taking a phased approach to implementation, the organization began its rollout in September 2012.