FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: MTA Media Relations
Sandy Arnette: 410-767-8367
Paul Shepard: 410-767-3935
MDTA Police Media Relations
First Sgt. Jonathan Green: 410-977-5772
MDOT Media Relations
Erin Henson, Teri Moss: 410-865-1025
Maryland Department of Transportation Congratulates
Police Academy Graduates
New Police Officers to Protect Port, Airport, Transit, Tunnels, Bridges
and Tolled Highways
BALTIMORE, MD (JUNE 9, 2016) - The Maryland Department of Transportation and Secretary Pete K. Rahn congratulate this year's police academy recruit officers as they graduate tonight after finishing seven months of rigorous training and certification. Joint training was conducted by certified Maryland Department of Transportation' s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) police academy training instructors. Police officers will protect Maryland's citizens and visitors, serving at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore and the Thurgood Marshall Baltimore/Washington International Airport, and transit facilities, and at the state's tolled tunnels, bridges and highways.
During the graduation ceremony at Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium, police recruits were addressed, took the Oath of Office and received their badges designating them as police officers. Awards were presented to class members for exceptional performance during the training program.
The academy class of 19 MTA police recruits and four MDTA police recruits illustrates the strong working relationship between both agencies.
"As one MDOT, we're keeping Maryland's citizens and visitors safe and secure as they use vital transportation assets throughout the state from the port and the airport to transit and our tunnels and bridges," said Deputy Transportation Secretary R. Earl Lewis, Jr. "I know with each call and every person our officers help, their training, professionalism and integrity will be front and center."
"We are pleased this new class of MTA police officers will help build on our record of being the safest transit system in America with the lowest number of serious crimes for any major transit system in 2014 and 2015," said MTA Administrator/CEO Paul Comfort. "The state's police academy transit policing program highlights our commitment to achieving our goal of offering safe, efficient and reliable transit with world-class customer service."
"Partnering is critical to law enforcement," said MDTA Police Chief Colonel Jerry Jones. "The MDTA and MTA police forces serve side-by-side to protect Marylanders as they use our transportation system. I'm proud of our new officers and of our academy staff who worked diligently these last seven months to instill the core values and character these officers will rely on throughout their law enforcement careers."
Dignitaries who attended today's ceremony are Deputy Secretary Lewis, Deputy Secretary James
F. Ports, MTA Administrator/CEO Comfort, MDTA Executive Director Milt Chaffee, MDTA Police Col. Jones and MTA Police Col. John Gavrilis.
The MTA Police are among the top 12 transit police agencies in the nation with more than 200 sworn and civilian professionals. The MTA recently captured both the prestigious Gold Award for Safety and the Gold Award for Security from the American Public Transportation Association - awards given to agencies with the best overall bus safety or bus security programs.
The MDTA Police, a nationally accredited force, is the seventh largest law enforcement agency in Maryland with more than 600 sworn and civilian professionals. MDTA Police are responsible for law enforcement at the MDTA's highways, tunnels and bridges, the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. The force is one of
15 law enforcement agencies nationwide that is certified through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) under its Tri-Arc Award of Excellence.
About the MTA
Maryland Department of Transportation's Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States. MTA operates Local and Commuter buses, Light Rail, Metro Subway, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train service, and a comprehensive Paratransit (Mobility) system. MTA also manages the Taxi Access system, and directs funding and statewide assistance to Locally Operated Transit Systems (LOTS) in each of Maryland's 23 counties, Annapolis, Baltimore City and Ocean City. The MTA's mission is to provide safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. To learn more, visit mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland and follow us on Twitter @mtaamaryland.
About the MDTA
Since 1971, the Maryland Department of Transportation's Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has been responsible for constructing, managing, operating and improving the State's toll facilities, as well as financing new revenue producing transportation projects. The MDTA's eight toll facilities - two turnpikes, two tunnels and four bridges - help keep traffic moving in Maryland. All of the MDTA's projects and services are funded through tolls paid by the customers who use MDTA facilities. For more than four decades, the MDTA has provided Maryland's citizens and visitors safe and convenient transportation facilities.