Pierce Transit announced today 13 Special Commissioned Peace Officers were sworn in as members of the transit agency’s Uniformed Security Division on Tuesday at a graduation ceremony celebrating their completion of public transportation and public safety coursework. The two sergeants and eleven uniformed security officers participated in 52 classes over a five week period.

Pierce Transit is Washington’s first and only public transportation agency to have a general authority commissioned police department — or Department of Public Safety. The Uniformed Security Division is one of three divisions of the Pierce Transit Department of Public Safety. It will support the Transit Police and the Physical Security Divisions. Pierce Transit’s Department of Public Safety closely collaborates with 44 different law enforcement jurisdictions across Pierce, King and Thurston Counties.

Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy gave opening remarks and Sheriff Paul Pastor was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony.

The new Special Commissioned Peace Officers will next participate in seven weeks of comprehensive field training.