New agreement expands professional police services at transit centers

CHARLOTTE — Changes to help keep riders safe on trains and buses just got unanimous approval at Monday night’s city council meeting.

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It means CATS security guards can now patrol further than the platform.

Only on Channel 9, the interim CEO said you will see an immediate difference.

The agreement expands Professional Police Services’ (also known as Professional Security Services) jurisdiction. They can now take enforcement action at the Charlotte Transportation Center in Uptown, Rosa Parks Transit Center, Eastland Mall Transit, as well as all sidewalks adjacent to those properties.

They can now also patrol the entire light rail.

Channel 9’s Johnathan Lowe spoke exclusively to CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle after he was questioned about keeping our transit system safe.

“Will riders and passengers see an immediate difference because of what was done here tonight? Yeah, absolutely,” said Cagle. “Not only what was done here tonight, but what we have been doing. 800 hours a week of additional CMPD officers, continuous hiring from PPS, deployment of the bike unit, deployment of urban terrain vehicles, all of those come together, and then into the future the use of technology.”

Cagle also said that CATS doesn’t own all of the rail trail.

“But clearly the rail trail is a key transit asset, and we need PPS to be able to feel comfortable that they can do their job along the rail trail, adjacent to the transit center, those kinds of things, ‘cause that’s their goal. To keep all of the communities safe.”

City councilmembers grilled city staff overseeing CATS about this new agreement, as well as crime throughout the system. It’s something Channel 9 has been requesting from the city for weeks.

“Those numbers still are not available. City councilmembers brought that up tonight, when might we see those numbers and what crime really looks like in and around CATS,” said Cagle. “Yeah, so we are working on those numbers, and again, completely reasonable request, and we are working through those, we are preparing to release those numbers, working with the manager’s office.”

Multiple city councilmembers made it clear to Cagle and his staff tonight: They would prefer that CMPD officers be the agency protecting CATS, and that private security be used as a supplement. But PPS said their officers are sworn, and receive the same training as CMPD officers.

Tomorrow the North Carolina House will consider Iryna’s Law. The Senate passed it tonight in a 28-8 vote.

It includes changes to bail policies. Rules for magistrates allow people with violent criminal histories deemed mentally unfit to stand trial to be held in psychiatric hospitals longer, and reinstates the death penalty.

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