Sacramento Regional Transit is about to put more uniforms on its trains and platforms, with plans to hire about 15 new transit ambassadors this month. The additions would bring the agency’s customer-facing security team to roughly 55 people as part of a renewed safety push across the system.
These ambassadors are the folks riders actually see: they check tickets, answer questions, write citations and back up operators while keeping an eye out for trouble and reporting incidents to law enforcement. The jobs are civilian and unarmed. Ambassadors are not peace officers and are not allowed to carry firearms or knives.
How SacRT is recruiting
To build up its ranks, SacRT has been hosting dedicated hiring events at its Midtown Auditorium and opened online applications in mid March, with the application window running through April 13. At those events, prospective ambassadors heard a rundown of the three month training academy, rotated through scenario stations and got hands-on help filling out applications.
According to SacRT, the agency expects to add between 10 and 20 new ambassadors from this round of hiring to reach a total team size of 55.
Pay and training
The ambassador job starts at about $25 an hour. SacRT figures reported for 2024 show average regular pay for the position at roughly $38,027, with no transit ambassador making more than about $51,300 that year.
New hires go through a three month Transit Ambassador Training Academy that leans heavily on scenario-based instruction led by former law enforcement professionals. SacRT expects the next academy to kick off on April 16, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Security strategy and partnerships
The recruitment drive is one piece of a broader, layered security strategy that included shifting $1 million in the agency’s budget and expanding support from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. SacRT says the goal is to have a safety staff member on every light rail vehicle.
The agency also runs a Security Operations Center that pulls in more than 2,000 camera feeds from buses, trains and stations. SacRT plans to add staff there so those feeds can be monitored around the clock. As reported by Mass Transit, the board signed off on the funding shift and SacRT is coordinating with sheriff’s personnel to step up patrols.
Background: a deadly confrontation
The push to bolster security follows a deadly confrontation in June 2025, when a transit ambassador fatally stabbed 16 year old Michael Berry during an altercation at a light rail station, local coverage reported. Authorities said the ambassador was not publicly identified and that the case was treated as self defense at the time.
The incident and what followed were detailed in local reporting from CBS Sacramento, and it has continued to loom over conversations about how to keep both riders and staff safe.
What officials say
Lisa Hinz, SacRT’s vice president of security, safety and customer satisfaction, said the bigger ambassador presence is meant to reassure riders and bring them back to the system.
“My goal is to make sure that everyone riding feels safe and secure and wants to come back tomorrow,” she told The Sacramento Bee.
SacRT leaders say the mix of citations, expanded training and a larger, uniformed security presence is intended to strike a balance between enforcement and customer service.
How to apply
People interested in becoming transit ambassadors can apply through SacRT’s online careers portal, with applications accepted through April 13. The agency is also holding recruitment events to guide applicants through the process step by step.
The next Transit Ambassador Academy is scheduled to begin in mid April, with new hires expected to be on trains and buses monitoring rides this summer. For event dates and detailed application instructions, visit SacRT careers page.
