Improvements now allow TriMet dispatchers to watch over the system and deploy safety and security staff 24 hours a day

Behind a pair of chrome and glass sliding doors sits the new nerve center for TriMet’s security operations: the Security Operations Center. Now, in a first for TriMet, the center pulls together the agency’s security resources under one roof–including the security hotline, first established last year. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it anchors TriMet’s ongoing safety and security efforts.

Inside the center, an array of screens cycle through more than 3,000 closed-circuit camera views, providing live broadcasts from across our system. Dispatchers are stationed in front of computers with software that helps them send TriMet’s safety and security staff and contractors to where they’re needed. Members of the public can  reach security dispatchers to report incidents or security concerns by calling or texting the Security Operations Center at 503-238-7433 (RIDE), using a blue-light security phone or by visiting trimet.org and clicking the security icon in the shape of a badge in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

More resources than ever before

Over the past two and a half years, TriMet has more than doubled the number of safety and security personnel we have on the system, improved lighting at stations and parking lots and upgraded closed-circuit security camera views. Those improvements come in addition to TriMet’s recent efforts to enhance station and vehicle cleaning, as well as boost enforcement of our rules. The Security Operations Center combines all of these investments into one centralized location. 

Two years in the making, the Security Operations Center fully opened this September. TriMet now has seven dispatchers that have received specialized training. The dispatchers monitor the system and respond to rider and employee concerns in real-time. The center aims to improve security response and address other concerns on the system. With anyone and everyone able to report incidents, acting as the eyes and ears for the system, the aim is to deter and reduce the number of incidents that occur. 

“This is really just the beginning,” TriMet’s Executive Director of Safety & Security Andrew Wilson said. “We continue to build out our emergency response capabilities at TriMet. We’ve heard it from our riders, and we’ve heard it from our employees—that we need to be able to react to the needs that are out there with the tools that we have developed.”

Have a concern? TriMet wants to know

Calls and texts to 503-238-7433 (RIDE) go directly to our Security Operations Center staff. Here are the steps for making a report:

• If you see something concerning, out of the ordinary or illegal–even vandalized or broken equipment–call 503-238-7433 (RIDE) and press option 9.
• If you are texting, provide basic details. This may be the name of a MAX station, transit center,  your vehicle number (located inside all buses and trains) and line/direction of travel or stop ID. 
• You will receive a response saying that your concern has been routed to TriMet’s security team. 
• You may be asked to provide further details, including a description. If it’s safe to do so, you can also attach a photo.
• Security dispatchers triage the calls and send personnel or contact the appropriate work group.

TriMet continues to roll out new tools to deter unsafe, illegal or inappropriate behavior around the transit system. In early October 2024, TriMet began installing the first of our blue-light security phones, which give the public a direct line of communication to dispatchers in our Security Operations Center at the touch of a button. 

A total of 14 of the security phones will be installed on platforms between the Rose Quarter and the Gateway Transit Center. The phones are distinctive and designed to stand out, some with red towers and the word “security” written down the side and topped with a blue light, visible day or night. They are similar to what college campuses have used for more than 30 years, which have been shown to help deter criminal behavior on the campuses. 

In an emergency, always call or text 911 first. 

Streamlining security responses

The Security Operations Center comes as TriMet has added more safety and security resources than ever before. Most visibly, TriMet now has around 475 field staff and contractors dedicated to the safety and well-being of riders and employees. They are spread across various teams, including Transit Security Officers, Customer Safety Supervisors, Customer Safety Officers, and Safety Response Team– all of whom can be dispatched through the Security Operations Center. They do everything from enforcing our rules for riding, including checking fares, to performing welfare checks and connecting people to social services. Their main goal is to provide a presence that reduces bad behavior. They are all trained in de-escalation techniques.

TriMet also has On-Street Customer Service. While not security, they do provide an extra presence on the system. They will also report suspicious or inappropriate behavior. But mostly they’re there to help in any way they can. Whether they’re answering rider questions or supporting special events and service disruptions, their mission is to ease barriers to riding

Our transit system is woven throughout the community. And the complex challenges that the region faces can, at times, extend onto it. That’s why we’ve been so committed to developing a diverse approach to security, using specialized teams to make the system as safe and welcoming as possible, while engaging state and regional leaders to address the challenges facing society.

Behavior on or near the transit system has improved with changes in criminal law and community initiatives as well as the addition of more TriMet safety and security resources. Our Safety Response Team, which performs welfare checks on and around our transit system, assisted more than 4,000 people and connected another 6,000 to social services in 2023 alone. The Transit Police Division, overseen by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, now has more time to conduct safety and security operations–patrols and missions– which led to a reduction in calls for police service by more than 50% between 2021 and 2023. 

More safety and security investments coming

Further investments in safety and security are coming! TriMet continues to hire security officers, with the hope of bringing them directly onboard more trains. Even more changes will kick off next year.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, a new drug law will be implemented statewide, making the use of illicit drugs on public transit vehicles the most serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail. It allows those convicted to access to state-funded treatment in many instances. TriMet advocated for the law’s passage through the Oregon Legislature, believing that it provides a framework for more enforcement with stronger repercussions, while at the same time providing opportunities for treatment and the expungement of criminal records.

Remember, if you see something, say something. We’ve made it even easier. Just call or text 503-238-7433 (RIDE), press the button on a blue-light security phone or submit a security report online at trimet.org. For more information, visit trimet.org/security.