Sound Transit police gear up with new bike patrol

SEATTLE — Sound Transit Police are getting some new wheels.

The King County Sheriff’s Office just formed a seven-officer bike team to help with safety at light rail stations.

The team will work all over the place, including all Sound Transit stations on the 1 Line and 2 Line, Sound Transit garages and transit centers, and Sounder stations.

According to Sound Transit, “The goal of the team is to increase law enforcement visibility throughout the system with extra presence in problem areas.”

The primary intent of the bike unit is to deter crime and promote safe use of the transit system. The team will reportedly use patrol deputies and crime analysts to look for trends to inform them on where to ‘deploy effectively and proactively’ - engaging with people and staying highly visible when on duty.

“We engage with hundreds of people every day,” said Sgt. Anatoliy Nazariya, who leads the bike unit. “We’re out there and not tied to a district, and people notice.”

The Sound Transit Police bike unit will also collaborate with Sound Transit Police resource officers, the Therapeutic Response Unit, the Salvation Army, the King County Prosecutor’s Office, and King County diversion programs to respond to diverse situations.

“We want commuters to feel our transit system is safe. That can be because they see a transit officer, or it can be when they don’t see a transit officer because misuse of the system is not occurring,” said Sgt. Nazariya.

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