Market Frankford Guards Will Stay at El Stations, SEPTA Says

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Amid concerns about the safety of riders and employees on the Market-Frankford Line, SEPTA has extended a $1.5 million contract to keep security guards between 15th  Street station and the Frankford Transportation Center, writes Darryl C. Murphy for WHYY.org.

The contract with Allied University Security Services is for 60 unarmed Market Frankford guards.

They were deployed in April for 90 days.

“We want to make sure that we’re making the right impression on people when they come back to the system,” said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch. “We want them to feel safe because that’s very important, obviously. So we’re going to have a number of things in place to make sure that when they come back that it’s an experience they want to repeat.”

Ridership on the El increased in June to about 46 percent of pre-pandemic numbers.

SEPTA officials are working on a long-term plan for security.  Ambassadors may also be added to increase SEPTA’s presence.

Transit Workers Union President Willie Brown said the guards “made a small difference,” but more police officers would be better, possibly undercover cops.

Offenders don’t take the guards seriously, Brown said.

Read more at WHYY.org about SEPTA’s new security guard contract for the Frankford-Market line.

Get a front window view of the Market Frankford El journey from 69th Street to Frankford.

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