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Honoring and celebrating Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) for its leadership and advancement of public transportation and recognizing its numerous initiatives to improve public safety for SEPTA passengers and all Philadelphians.
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WHEREAS, The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) which has more than 1,500 member organizations annually honors transportation agencies that demonstrate leadership and help advance public transportation and recently awarded SEPTA with the "Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award" for efforts to enhance service, efficiencies and overall effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, SEPTA Police Transit Officers are commissioned by the State Governor under the Street Railroad-Railway Act and exercise full police powers in the area served by SEPTA making it the fifth largest police department in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 260 sworn SEPTA Transit Police Officers serve and protect within the 2,200 square-mile SEPTA service area in the five county service region. There are seven patrol zones, allowing officers to easily respond to emergencies while empowering them to quickly make decisions and address local public safety issues; and
WHEREAS, The SEPTA Transit Police Department includes units of specially trained officers that receive an additional level of training in overall public safety and providing specialized support in policing a public transit system; and
WHEREAS, In November 2012, SEPTA Transit Police Officers initiated a special detail at Somerset Station - well known for drug trafficking, prostitution, loitering and the sale of drug paraphernalia - to improve public safety at the Station by staffing at least five officers on duty at all times; and
WHEREAS, Since the implementation of the special detail, SEPTA Transit Police Officers have made more than 185 arrests at Somerset Station and the surrounding area for criminal offenses such a...
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