CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council approved new third-party contracts for private security on Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) vehicles and at CATS facilities during its Monday meeting. The goal is to increase safety and security in the city's transit system.
As the proposed contracts were awarded, security will change from Allied Universal Security to Strategic Security Corporation and Professional Security Services.
Over the next few years, CATS plans to double what it spends on security from $7 million annually to $14 million to staff more guards. The new contracts will cover armed and unarmed security guards.
CATS said it has used private armed guards for more than 10 years. However, some council members are skeptical about using hired private security over local law enforcement.
The conversation comes amid staffing shortages in many law enforcement agencies, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Private guards still elevate calls to CMPD when necessary.
"I don’t trust that spending more money on a service that hasn’t been shown to work is the answer to providing a greater sense of safety and security on our transit system," Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston said Monday.
Winston said he's heard from riders that are unhappy with private security and would instead like to see the resources put into CMPD.
CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle noted the agency needs about 100 security guards or officers and he doesn't believe CMPD has the bandwidth to help it.
"I appreciate that we are stepping up our investment in security," Councilman Ed Driggs said. "I think the public is concerned after reports about safety on public transportation."
Cagle believes upping security and the new ambassador program, aimed at deescalating situations with riders and taking pressure off of drivers, will make a difference.
"Together these three programs we think will change what passengers -- what their belief is about how we secure the system and provide excellent customer service," Cagle said.
City Council has asked the city attorney to look into the possibility of drafting a policy to put body cameras on the armed guards and whether state body camera laws would apply to them if an incident were to happen.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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