MARTA police chief discusses public safety efforts with $1.4 million grant

MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher discusses several topics, including a recent $1.4 million grant that the department received from Gov. Brian Kemp, the current state of policing and efforts to recruit new police officers. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)

MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher says his department’s number one goal is to make sure that its riders and citizens feel safe.

By bus or train, it’s estimated that more than a half million people ride the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority each day. But while they’re working to ensure daily safety, the MARTA Police Department (MPD) is also navigating a shortage of police officers.

“We are roughly about 50 officers short of where we should be right now,” explained Chief Kreher. “That doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe. We do a lot of things to help with that, between overtime and making our shifts change around a little bit to cover our busiest peaks.”