MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales in a news conference Monday said that crime on the light rail was up 25% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, but that the number of incidents was trending in the right direction by the end of last year.
Morales shared the data during an update with other transit officials tracking the progress of a plan to improve safety across the Metro Transit system, including the light rail and bus lines.
“The Metro Transit police department has a lot to be happy about, especially in the year 2023,” he told reporters, citing data showing crime was its highest in the first part of last year but declined its end.
One of the key goals of the proposal is to increase law enforcement’s and other transit officials’ presence on the light rail. It’s a challenge because Metro Transit is still down police officers — they need about 60 more to reach proper staffing levels — but the agency is bringing on other security personnel that are not sworn officers to help.