ST. LOUIS – During a recent virtual meeting of the Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners, Metro sought approval on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and an additional approval to not attend meetings seeking simply to seek a vote on non-financial impact agreements.
The MOU is between Metro and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) to build out a real-time camera center at Metro Central Facility.
“The more eyes we have on these video feeds – we’re hovering around 1,200 cameras system-wide. Once we complete the secured platform plan, we’re going to around 2,000 cameras system-wide,” said Kevin Scott, Metro General Manager of Security.
“We feel this is hugely beneficial to the region, to the customer that uses Metro, it makes it more safe.”
Metro also provided an update to their $52 million Secured Platform Plan (SPP). The SPP adds more cameras to the closed circuit television feeds that give security eyes on the platforms from a centralized hub.
This plan replaces the current gates to the platforms with more secure turn-style gates that are “harder to crawl under,” and eight-foot welded wire fences with narrow bars, making it more difficult for miscreants to climb over.
Construction concluded on package one, the Illinois side, in September with the Emerson Metro station. SPP’s second package focuses on seven stops in the heart of St. Louis. These include the stops for Civic Center, Union Station, Grand, Cortex, Central West End, Forest Park, and Delmar.
Package two is planned to be completed by the end of 2025. The SPP has six packages in total.