MBTA Transit Police

MBTA Transit Police
Agency overview
Formed1968
JurisdictionMBTA district (177 municipalities)
Employees264 sworn officers
Agency executive
  • Chief Kenneth Green
WebsiteMBTA Transit Police

The MBTA Transit Police is a transit police agency which has primary jurisdiction on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) property and vehicles in the 177 municipalities within the MBTA district. The department has an authorized size of 266 officers and 10 civilians.

Jurisdiction

Headquarters in Boston

The MBTA Transit Police Department has jurisdiction and full police authority in all of the 177 cities and towns that comprise the MBTA service area. Outside the 177 cities and towns, the Transit Police exercises street railway police powers on the vehicles, properties and rights of way that comprise the Commuter Rail System. The Transit Police promotes safety and security throughout Greater Boston and eastern Massachusetts, working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.The MBTA Transit Police Department provides police services to patrons and employees of the Authority on MBTA property and vehicles.

Enforcement of transit-related laws off MBTA property, such as writing parking tickets at bus stops, is shared with municipal police departments, and the Massachusetts State Police on Massport and DCR property.


History

In October 1968, legislation was passed (Chapter 664 of the Acts of 1968, amended by Chapter 829 of the Acts of 1970 and Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1993) which created the MBTA Police Department (hereafter referred to as the MBTA Transit Police Department or the MBTA Transit Police) under the provisions of Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L.) Chapter 31. The first full-time MBTA Transit Police Officers were hired on December 9, 1968. The legislation established:

On August 5, 2006, the local media reported the MBTA Police could merge with the Massachusetts State Police due to budgetary and staffing concerns. The union which represents the MBTA Transit Police supports this plan citing the difficulty the 257-member force has providing security for a transit system that spans 177 cities and towns in the state. They also cite a rider to officer ratio of 5,058 passengers per transit officer, far greater than the national average of 1,759 passengers per transit officer. The union reasons that after a merger, the existing MBTA officers could form a new State Police troop concentrating on providing security for inner-city Boston subway and bus systems, while state police officers could concentrate on commuter rail stations, T parking and MBTA routes outside of the city. The union representing state police officers opposes the merger citing different training methods and selection processes for officers and extra competition for promotion opportunities. Because of the projected cost of the merger (estimated at $11 million), the merger was considered unlikely.


See also

References

  1. ↑ "MBTA Transit Police | MBTA". www.mbta.com.
  2. ↑ "1970 Chap. 0829. An Act Exempting The Office Of Chief Of Police And Deputy Chief Of Police Of The Police Department Of The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority From The Provisions Of The Civil Service Law". State Library of Massachusetts Digital Collections. 1970. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  3. ↑ "1970 Chap. 0829. An Act Exempting The Office Of Chief Of Police And Deputy Chief Of Police Of The Police Department Of The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority From The Provisions Of The Civil Service Law". State Library of Massachusetts Digital Collections. 1970. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  4. ↑ "1993 Chapter 0329. An Act Relative To The Positions Of Superintendent And Major Of The Police Department Of The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority". State Library of Massachusetts Digital Collections. 1993. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ Mac Daniel (2006-08-05). "T police seek merger with state force". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  6. ↑ Lindsey Parietti (2007-10-04), MBTA union rep used rumors to make merger case, Metrowest Daily News, archived from the original on 2007-10-14, retrieved 2007-10-12
  7. ↑ "No free transfer for T cops". Boston Globe. 2007-09-10. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  8. ↑ "'False sense of security': T cops say they're badly understaffed". Boston Now. 2007-10-03. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  9. ↑ Gurley, Gabrielle (2014-05-27). "T keeps expanding but police don't keep pace". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-24.

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