The overview
With over 30 years in law enforcement, RenEarl Bowie has been selected to lead the 14-member transit police department.
“[Bowie] is highly respected in our community for his leadership and commitment to policing the right way—through service, accountability and strong community relationships,” CapMetro President and CEO Dottie Watkins said in a statement.
The appointment comes several months after the agency swore in its first candidate, Eric Robins, who accepted a different position overseeing a Houston-area school district soon after the CapMetro police force began initial patrols this summer.
Some context
Addressing safety is not new for the agency.
CapMetro adopted a three-pronged public safety strategy back in 2021, leading to the creation of the specialized transit police department, public safety ambassadors and community intervention specialists.
The Transit Police Department works alongside the agency’s public safety ambassadors and community intervention specialists to respond quickly to transit safety needs across the metro.
The new transit-dedicated police department remains on call for when law enforcement is needed. Officers are trained in crisis intervention, as well as people-centric and impartial policing, according to CapMetro documents.
Public safety ambassadors are the “eyes and ears on the ground,” CapMetro documents state. These trained individuals are intended to handle the disruptive, nonviolent safety concerns and currently consist of 24 ambassadors, one manager and three supervisors.
Often, these team members help patrol hot spots within the transit system, or areas that have high levels of quality-of-life issues and suspicious activity, according to a review of the team’s first year. Ambassadors often handle things such as:
- Individual welfare checks
- Lost children
- Trespassing
- Loitering
- Vandalism
- Suspicious activity or packages
Quote of note
“Earlier this year, I joined the department as the Police Captain because I deeply believe in our mission. I am truly honored to now lead this dedicated team as we continue building relationships with our community and ensuring the safety and security of our system,” Bowie said in a statement.
