Transit violence enters new security contract

Remember a couple of months ago when security agents for King County Metro stood around and let a gang of youths assault a teen aged girl without doing anything to stop it.

Well, so does Intercity Transit.  At its meeting this week, IT renewed its contract with Pierce County Security to provide security for the Lacey and Olympia Transit Centers.

But, new language in the contract allows security guards to take more action but only to the extent of their training.  IT attorney Tom Bjorgen said the language in the new contract is similar to what other agencies have and is the middle ground.

“These are not commissioned officers,” Bjorgen told the transit commissioners. “They don’t have the immunity that commissioned officers have.”

His answer seemed to satisfy the commissioners and they renewed the security contract at a cost of $127,551.