CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council voted on Monday night to expand the authority of the private police agency currently patrolling Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) transit property.

Professional Police Services (PPS) — the company already providing security for the light rail, buses, and stations — will be authorized to enforce laws beyond city-owned transit property.

Their expanded jurisdiction would cover sidewalks and areas around city transit centers, including the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC), East Trade Street, and the Rail Trail.

The move comes one month after the deadly stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on the Blue Line on Aug. 22, which prompted renewed scrutiny of transit safety.

In response, Mayor Vi Lyles and CATS leadership announced a wave of new security

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