AUSTIN, Texas — CapMetro hosted a swearing-in ceremony to welcome the organization's first police chief on Monday.
An assistant chief and police captain were also sworn in ahead of plans to hire a force in October.
On Monday, they read the oath of office and got pins to commemorate the start of their service with the new police force.
"My primary goal here is to make sure that we create a safe environment for our ridership as well as our community, and making sure that we keep them safe," Chief Eric Robins said.
The new force is one of three parts in CapMetro's public safety program, starting with public safety ambassadors. They'll serve as CapMetro's eyes and ears on the ground and are trained to respond to immediate safety concerns. They will also help riders get to their destinations.
Community intervention specialists take over when more help is needed. They help connect transit riders with essential resources like food, housing and health care.
Lastly, transit police step in for cases when law enforcement is necessary. It's something officials say is long overdue.
In July, Robins said the hiring process will begin on Oct. 1 and the department plans to start with 12 officers and possibly work up to 45, depending on the need.
"We're super excited to create and establish this police department," Robins said at the time.
The department is expected to be up and running in early 2025.