For those on Twitter, each of Metras 11 rail lines has a unique Twitter handle for line-specific service information. Metrorail provides safe, clean, reliable transit service for more than 600,000 customers a day throughout the Washington, DC area. Metra launches app to allow passengers to report safety, security The Metrorail system has six color-coded rail lines: Red, Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow . Metra instituted an open, fair and transparent police recruitment, testing and interview process that was used for the first time to hire 23 new officers. Ashburn, VA crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates Many variables can disrupt normal operations, making it very difficult to completely avoid delays of some kind. It is common for some problems to be reported throughout the day. Safety is an important part of this function, and preventing accidents and injuries are a focus of the department. Metra outages reported in the last 24 hours. CHICAGO Metra has introduced a smartphone app to allow customers to quickly report crimes, suspicious activity, and other safety or security concerns. Guided by his police experience and the consultant report, Perez brought in police veterans from outside Metra and promoted some from within to create a command team with wide and diverse experience. Applying to the Metra Police Department involves an Officer Entrance Exam, police officer wellness test (PFIT) as mandated by the State of Illinois, personal interviews, background screening, medical evaluation, and psychological screening. The Metra . www.masstransitmag.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The main focus of department is the six-county transit operation, however due to the great distances between rail lines, off-property arrests occur on a regular basis. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. According to the agency, the Chicago Police Department requested trains be stopped around 91st Street due to police activity, but did not elaborate on the scale or subject of the investigation. That simple sentence, which begins the Metra Police Department's new mission statement, represents a significant transformation within the 115-person department, which is made up of fully sworn police officers, just like any municipal police department. Delays and Disruptions | Metra Weve all been there: being stuck in the middle of a service disruption can feel like the whole world is working against you. Metras GPS Center is our central alerts communications hub responsible for sending out emails, website updates, Twitter alerts and platform and onboard announcements to our riders. RTA Travel Information Center Box 7200, Leesburg, VA 20177 Upon graduation, the new officers must complete a rigorous Field Training Program and an eighteen-month probationary period. Similarly, if a freight train is blocking tracks or a crossing, it is the freight companys responsibility to get its equipment back on the move. Upon graduation, the new officers must complete a rigorous Field Training Program and an eighteen-month probationary period. Metra Electric on Twitter: "Metra Alert ME - Train #826, scheduled to Email us at, Moving Tickets from One Device to Another, Using Pre-Tax Transit Benefits in the App, System Map for Customers with Disabilities, Emergency Preparedness and Public Awareness, Chicago Union Station Service Disruption Plan, Create or Log in to My Metra for Business Account, Office of Diversity & Business Enterprise, Performance, Budget & Planning Information. Current Illinois certified officers enter field training immediately upon hire. Metra current status and delays | Downdetector To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The offender was sentenced to life in prison on March 31, 2016, for Officer Cook's murder. The system is the second busiest in the United States, serving 97 stations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. We offer the officer entrance exam on an as-needed basis. Downdetector only reports an incident when the number of problem reports is significantly higher than . From the home screen, users have two easy options for contacting the . The Metra Police Department actively liaisons with the city and state fusion centers, local, state, and federal law enforcement, and has officers embedded in the Chicago FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. Metra. Applying to the Metra Police Department involves an Officer Entrance Exam, police officer wellness test (PFIT) as mandated by the State of Illinois, personal interviews, background screening, medical evaluation, and psychological screening. The Metra Police Department was created at that time. The train, which departed Chicago on the Milwaukee District North Line at 9:45 p.m., was originally "operating 115 minutes behind schedule due to police activity" according to a notice on the Metra website. Even the Metra police patch was redesigned: it now has six stars to represent the six counties Metra serves. Missing Teen's Body Found Near Railroad Tracks In Wheeling On September 27, 2006, Metra Officer Thomas A. Cook was killed in the line of duty[6] while working a robbery prevention detail near the 147th Street (Sibley Boulevard) station in Harvey, Illinois. This is a developing story. The new south region headquarters was moved to a stand-alone facility, a rehabbed 102-year-old building in Blue Island named after Thomas Cook, a Metra officer who died in the line of duty. In-service training for all officers includes firearm and Taser recertification, defensive tactics, rapid deployment and use of force decision making training using an interactive simulator outfitted with laser enhanced training weapons. Officers have been assigned to the Chicago Police Fusion Center (CPIC), and the Illinois State Police Statewide Terrorism Information Center (STIC). They have been issued laptops for field reporting and are using new software to write police reports all in an effort to adopt the best police practices in the country. They have been equipped with Tasers (which have reduced injuries to police and arrestees) and body cameras. The Metra Rail System is an approximately 500-mile system which moves more than 90 million Chicagoland passengers annually thru 242 stations and 11 lines and operates as part of the single most important railroad hub in North America. www.masstransitmag.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Metra trains headed into and out of Chicago were stopped and thousands of passengers delayed as police investigated reports of a suspicious man with a gun who may or may not have gotten on one. Police said the suspect originally boarded the train at the 147th Street station in Harvey. For other public safety concerns, contact Metra Safety at (312) 322.7233 or email safetyreporting@metrarr.com. All Rights Reserved. Regular training on criminal and traffic law, accident reconstruction, firearms and even a 12-week field training program on all things Metra, including its train operations, procedures, geography and customer service were instituted. Officers now wear new uniforms and drive new police cars with a different paint scheme that reflects a reformed force. In May 2014, Joseph Perez was appointed Chief of the Metra Police Department. When the RTA reorganized in 1983, Metra was created. Trains were moving again by around 9:15 a.m. with 15-30 minute delays. Officer Cook was 43.[6]. To reserve the room, please call 571-258-3000. Metra conductor robbed at gunpoint at Van Buren Street Station in In the second, the Cook County Sheriff agreed to provide 24-hour dispatching service to Metra for 911 calls, which put trained telephone communicators on the other end of the line and allowed nine police officers to return to police duties in the field. Metra Police work in cooperation with local authorities to reduce or attempt to prevent hazardous conditions or blatant violations of the law which result in an unsafe condition. Metra Police Department serves and protects | Metra As a result, it has become a much more professionally run, modern, efficient and effective police force. Metra also bought an interactive simulator almost like a giant video game to conduct scenario-based training on use of force, de-escalation and other decision-making areas. The department has also been trying to foster even better relationships with all the municipal departments in the six-county area. To listen using other methods such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, or Winamp, choose your player selection and click the play icon to start listening. Police News | The City of Naperville Metras efforts to reform and modernize the department began in October 2012, when it hired a consultant to perform an assessment of the departments operations and capabilities and provide assistance in adopting best practices in railroad public safety. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. Chicago police seek man seen with rifle in the Loop near Metra station The Northeast Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (D/B/A Metra) is now accepting applications for the position of police officer with the Metra Police Department. The unit has ridden more than 7,000 trains this year already, twice as many as the year before. Metra Police regularly participate in Chicago Office of Emergency Communications (OEMC) planning meetings for large events. In the first agreement, Cook County agreed to adjudicate tickets issued by Metra Police. Around 8:45 a.m., Metra's website said trains were stopped in both directions near Oak Park Avenue because of police activity in the area. For urgent Safety or security concerns, contact the Metra Police Department at (312) 322.2800 or via the Metra Cops mobile phone app. Most frequently, though, train crews must deal with delays in the spur of the moment. Sworn Police Officers: 110. Metra Police Department Metra Police keep you safe | Metra All involved in restoring service work as quickly as possible to get trains moving again safely. All Metra police officers are fully certified police officers. Were confident that the improvements weve made have left our Police Department much better prepared and equipped for the challenges of modern-day policing., 2023 Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, Metra Police Department serves and protects, Moving Tickets from One Device to Another, Using Pre-Tax Transit Benefits in the App, System Map for Customers with Disabilities, Emergency Preparedness and Public Awareness, Chicago Union Station Service Disruption Plan, Create or Log in to My Metra for Business Account, Office of Diversity & Business Enterprise, Performance, Budget & Planning Information. Ashburn Crime & Safety News | Ashburn, VA Patch CBS 2 Investigators Community Journalism The Metra Police Department, located in Chicago, Illinois is a law enforcement agency that has been granted specific police powers in Cook County. We offer the officer entrance exam on an as-needed basis. The primary mission of the Metra Police Department shall be to safeguard the lives of Metra commuters, its employees and those who use the Metra rail system. That simple sentence, which begins the Metra Police Departments new mission statement, represents a significant transformation within the 115-person department, which is made up of fully sworn police officers, just like any municipal police department.