The private security company patrolling Charlotte public transportation will soon have expanded jurisdiction on where officers can make arrests and issue citations.
Charlotte City Council unanimously approved a mutual aid agreement on Monday that gives Professional Police Services authority to enforce laws beyond city-owned transit property like buses, light rails and stations. Under the agreement, PPS officers’ jurisdiction will include the entire rail trail, sidewalks surrounding transit centers and other areas adjacent to transit property.
Monday’s vote on the agreement comes exactly a month after Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an unprovoked attack while riding the light rail in South End on Aug. 22. Since the fatal stabbing on the Lynx Blue Line, Charlotte’s transit system has been under a microscope by local, state and national leaders…