County seeks new private security company for Seattle bus tunnel after beating

New security co. for WA tunnel following beating

SEATTLE — King County will find a new company to handle security in Seattle’s downtown transit tunnel, after surveillance video captured three guards standing by and watching as a 15-year-old girl was badly beaten and robbed.

Metro Transit general manager Kevin Desmond says replacing Olympic Security Services of Tukwila is the best way to restore transit riders’ confidence. He says it’s unclear how long it will take to hire a new contractor.

Surveillance video showed three guards standing by as a 15-year-old girl was badly beaten by another girl Jan. 28. The guards were following company orders to call police but not intervene to stop criminal activity.

Police have since boosted their presence in and around the tunnel, and Olympic has retrained its guards to allow them to get involved in some situations.

Olympic will continue providing some other security services for the county, such as at park-and-ride lots.