BELLEVUE, Wash. — The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) is taking matters into its own hands to protect the city's newest light rail stations from crime.
Before Sound Transit's 2 Line begins service this weekend, the BPD will roll out a new police unit.
The department announced Wednesday the creation of the Bellevue Light Rail Unit (BLU), which will be a unit designed to "foster a safe and positive riding experience for individuals and families wishing to use the new Link Light Rail Service through Bellevue."
The new light rail route will begin operating between Redmond and Bellevue on Saturday. he There will be eight stations along Sound Transit's 2 Line. The route spans from south Bellevue up to the Redmond Technology Center. Trains will run every 10 minutes from 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
"We've been waiting on this day for quite some time, much like everybody else," said Landon Barnwell, Bellevue Police Department captain.
Police said each of Bellevue’s six Link stops is within the patrol duties of the BLU team. The department has partnered with Sound Transit and King County representatives to determine the best strategy to deploy the officers throughout the City of Bellevue.
"That will be really helpful,” Renate Aquaro said. “We're excited to have the Light Rail but there are obviously concerns with it as well."
Aquaro lives right across from the new Bellevue Downtown Station. It's one of the eight stations that will be operating through Bellevue and Redmond. She's glad there's another way to get around the east side. But she hopes the new line won't attract the same issues that other light rail stations have experienced.
"The drug use, the needles like how we see over in Seattle,” Aquaro said. “Possible violence, just being bothered, harassed, safety. We're confident the police department will help with a lot of those concerns."
It's these types of concerns police wants to stop in its tracks.
"We hear about regional issues that surround Light Rail and other transit related areas, stations,” Barnwell said. “Our goal with this Bellevue Light Rail Unit is again to combat that."
The new unit will be comprised of four officers and one sergeant overlooking the unit. It will patrol each of Bellevue’s six link stops daily. These uniformed officers will be in pairs and monitor the Bellevue stations at most hours of operation from 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
"Patrolling the platforms,” Barnwell said. “We want high visibility and again we want to ensure that everybody utilizing transit and utilizing the Light Rail that they feel safe."
Sound Transit estimates 6,000 riders will use the line daily, hopefully reducing traffic woes.
Sound Transit officials said the Mercer Island and Judkins Park lines are expected to open sometime late next year.