WMATA’s Sarles testifies on transit security progress

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles said that WMATA has substantially improved its emergency preparedness by taking a layered and strategic approach to protecting customers, employees and assets with a combination of technology, training and target hardening. The update came in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and National Archives. "[WMATA] has a thorough, up-to-date, threat assessment that guides resource allocation and personnel deployment." Sarles said. "And our transit police now collaborate with more than 40 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance security in the region and coordinate anti-terrorism efforts, including the FBI and Transportation Safety Administration with whom we have active and positive partnerships." According to Sarles and WMATA Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn, WMATA uses highly visible policing techniques to deter threats to the system, including an Anti-Terrorism Team, a group of sworn officers made possible through federal Transit Security Grant funding, as well as efforts such as Blue TIDE and Operation RAILSAFE which both partner with area law-enforcement agencies to increase the show of force on the Metro system. Taborn reported that WMATA has responded to 339 calls for service in the first half of 2011 involving a suspicious person, package, bomb threat or similar condition. While Sarles did not detail all of WMATA's efforts in the interest of security, he said that the Authority has implemented multiple high tech security measures, including a chemical detection system that alerts incident commanders to the chemical's identity and provides estimates of the above and below ground spread of the chemical to protect public safety. Since FY 2006, WMATA has received commitments of $108.6 million in transit security funds, for which it has obligated 100 percent for specific projects and expended nearly $24 million to date.