BELLEVILLE - With the opening of the MetroLink extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport set for late summer, the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) is further strengthening its commitment to rider safety and security through a new partnership with the Mascoutah Police Department.
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At its July 17 board meeting, the SCCTD Board of Trustees approved a memorandum of agreement with the Mascoutah Police Department to provide law enforcement services at the new MidAmerica MetroLink Station, marking the fifth local police department partnership supporting MetroLink security efforts. SCCTD contracts with Bi-State Development to provide public transportation services throughout St. Clair County, Ill., via 11 MetroLink stations and 14 MetroBus routes. To help ensure a safe and secure transit experience, SCCTD invests more than $4.1 million annually in law enforcement services supporting security along the Illinois MetroLink alignment. SCCTD also contracts with Southwestern Illinois College to provide both paratransit and on-demand microtransit services.
"Safety and security are among our highest priorities, and achieving that requires strong local partnerships and a shared commitment to public safety," said Mark Kern, Chairman of the St. Clair County Board. “This agreement reflects St. Clair County Transit District's ongoing commitment to investing in proactive law enforcement partnerships that help ensure riders, employees and visitors feel safe using public transit in St. Clair County."
The new agreement adds the Mascoutah Police Department to SCCTD's existing network of law enforcement partners serving the Illinois MetroLink system, including the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, Belleville Police Department, Fairview Heights Police Department, Shiloh Police Department and Swansea Police Department. SCCTD's annual investment in transit security funds these partnerships, along with a full-time MetroLink detail through the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department and supplemental deputy coverage along the Illinois MetroLink corridor. The full-time sheriff’s deputies – which serve as a part of the Bureau of Transit Police – includes 15 deputies dedicated to transit policing and represents more than $2.2 million in annual law enforcement services.
"Our partnerships with local police departments play an important role in the overall security strategy,” stated Ken Sharkey, managing director of St. Clair County Transit District. “These officers provide a visible presence in station parking lots and MetroBus transfer centers, on platforms, and in the areas surrounding MetroLink stations, allowing our sheriff's deputies serving the MetroLink Task Force to focus their time riding and patrolling Metrolink train cars."
SCCTD's commitment to transit security builds on years of regional collaboration. In 2017, leaders from St. Louis County, St. Clair County, the City of St. Louis and Bi-State Development signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a coordinated approach to MetroLink security. The agreement created a joint law enforcement task force (Bureau of Transit Police), enhanced police communications and outlined a framework for increased collaboration among agencies responsible for protecting the transit system.
To learn more about SCCTD and its services, visit www.scctd.org.
About St. Clair County Transit District The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) was founded in 1981 and contracts with Bi-State Development to provide public transportation services in St. Clair County, Ill., by way of 11 MetroLink stations and 14 MetroBus routes and with Southwestern Illinois College to offer paratransit services as well as on-demand, micro transit via the SCCTD Flyer in seven communities. SCCTD has also established and maintains the ever-evolving MetroBikeLink System of interconnecting trails and bike paths that seamlessly connect to seven Metro Transit Centers – linking individuals to jobs, education, healthcare, entertainment, trails and other destinations throughout the bi-state region. To learn more, visit www.SCCTD.org or follow the District on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn.
