SEATTLE – As KING 5 News reported Monday, the contract with the security company that has been patrolling the Metro bus tunnel will not be renewed. On Tuesday, Metro detailed plans to increase safety in the tunnel.
The changes come after KING 5 uncovered the now widely seen video of a 15-year-old girl being beaten in the tunnel as security guards stood by.
On Tuesday, officials told the Metropolitan King County Council's Environment and Transportation Committee that the agency is transitioning to a new private security contract inside the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
Since the beating, Metro and Seattle police have boosted their presence in and around the tunnel, and Olympic has retrained its guards to allow them to get involved in some situations.
Olympic will continue providing some other security services for the county, such as at park-and-ride lots.
"Security throughout our transit system is imperative to a quality rider experience," said King County Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. "By adding armed Sheriff's deputies and Seattle Police officers, we are reassuring the public that the transit tunnels are safe and the actions at the Westlake Station will not be tolerated."
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