The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) swore in 22 new officers Friday, Aug. 28, at a graduation ceremony in the D.C. region.

Family members joined the graduates at the event, WMATA said on X. The transit authority thanked the new officers for joining the force and helping keep the system safe.

The graduates enter a department reporting improved safety numbers. Total violent crime across the Metro system fell 14% in fiscal year 2026, which ended in June, according to WTOP. Robberies dropped 36% to 75 cases for the year. Aggravated assaults decreased 19%.

"Violent crime is the one that's gone down the most," Interim Chief Stephen Boehm said at an Aug. 5 news conference presenting the fiscal year data.

Metro General Manager Randy Clarke credited stepped-up fare evasion enforcement and the addition of National Guard troops for the declines at that same briefing. Assaults on Metro personnel, including bus drivers and station managers, fell about 22%.

Before hitting the streets, the 22 graduates completed a rigorous training pipeline. Entry-level MTPD recruits log 1,492 hours of academic and performance-based instruction, according to WMATA's training page. That includes 800 hours at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy and 240 hours of D.C. basic officer training. Ten additional weeks of field training with veteran officers follow before a new hire is assigned to patrol.

The MTPD is the only tri-jurisdictional police agency in the country, with arrest powers across a 2,054-square-mile transit zone spanning D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The department serves a population of 3.2 million.

Entry-level officers start at $74,505 a year, and those with prior law enforcement experience can earn up to $91,906, according to WMATA's recruitment page.

WMATA has not disclosed the department's total sworn officer count or how the 22 graduates change the overall headcount. The agency is actively recruiting for future classes through its website.