Keeping an "eye" on the MetroRail

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After driving through two gates and going through several locked doors, you arrive at the "nerve center" of the MetroRail's security.

While the room may look more like a typical office, manned with one security operator who is watching one large flat-screen with shots from multiple cameras, Adam Shaivitz with Capital Metro said it is more than adequate to do the job.

"We have someone watching the platforms 24 hours a day," said Shaivitz. "And safety is our number one priority."

The cameras at the platforms primary function is to keep surveillance of "unusual" behavior.

"We see live events of what's happening on the platform of course, so if we see something abnormal we can deal with it then," said John Jones, Capital Metro's security coordinator.  "We've had several instances where we've had to dispatch officers out because people were down on the tracks or their kids were down on the tracks."

The cameras, however, will not be watching for "unusual" activity at dangerous intersections, like 51st Street and Airport Boulevard. Capital Metro is instead relying on lights and signs to inform drivers not to get too close to the tracks.

And, for the first two weeks of MetroRail operation, there may not be lenses on the lookout at the intersections, but there will be plenty of eyes.

"We're doing everything that we can do engineering wise, light wise and and we're going to throw enforcement in there to see that it is as safe as possible," said Sgt. Craig Cannon, head of APD's Highway Patrol.

Sgt. Cannon said officers will also be ticketing violators with fines up to hundreds of dollars.

"I'll have motorcycles out there and officers calling violations and stopping people and telling them, "hey you need to obey the laws," he said.