Meeting_Body
SYSTEM SAFETY, SECURITY AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 20, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON TRANSIT POLICING PERFORMANCE
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE monthly update on Transit Policing performance.
Issue
ISSUE
On September 4, 2014, the board requested that staff provide a monthly update on transit policing performance to Systems Safety and Operations Committee. Specifically, the board requested monthly updates on criminal activity, fare enforcement, response time, deployment and perception of safety.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In August 2016, staff continues to be proactive in working with Operations, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), and Communications in addressing perception of safety, criminal activity, fare enforcement, response time, and deployment.
In the new law enforcement services contract, staff is including key performance indicators as tools to track performance.
Below are the key highlights for August 2016:
Actions to Improve the Ridership Experience
• Staff is utilizing Problem Oriented Policing strategies to develop innovative solutions at the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station.
• Staff is developing a strategic plan to address homelessness on the Metro Transit System.
• High Visibility
• Transit Security Officers (TSO) and Los Angeles County Sheriffs (LASD) have been engaging and interacting with patrons and operators to increase presence and increase the perception of safety on the Metro system. LASD has a 20 deputy train riding team (10 cover the Red and Gold Lines and 10 cover Blue, Expo and Green Lines. The goal of these operations is to combat quality of life issues on the Metro system. TSO’s conduct high visibility both on bus and rail.
§ TSO High Visibility Activity:
§ LASD High Visibility Activity: The total number of LASD train rides for the month of August 2016 is 1,865. The total number of fares checked in the month of August 2016 is 93,094.
Criminal Activity:
AUGUST 2016
Bus Operator Assaults:
• From January to August 2016, there were 80 operator assaults. Of the 80 total operator assaults, 35% of the total assaults have had a suspect taken into custody. The majority of bus operator assaults are caused by fare related followed by missed stop.
• Comparing January-August 2015 to January-August 2016, Operator Assaults have decreased 32%.
• Of the 80 total operator assaults from January to August 2016, there were 69 non-aggravated assaults, 8 aggravated assaults, and 3 sex crimes. The method of assault was as follows: 38 used hands/feet, 25 used spit, 5 threw cold liquid, 4 threw an object, 3 used a weapon, there were 3 sex crimes and there was 2 robberies.
• Attachment B contains the matrix for the suspects who have assaulted Bus Operators that LASD has been tracking.
• From January to August 2016, there were 206,369,188 bus boardings and 80 total operator assaults, equating to 1 bus operator assault per 2.5 million boardings.
Operator Safety:
• The Metro Communications team completed phase one in July 2016 for a campaign targeted at reducing Bus Operator assaults.
• The ongoing Transit Ambassador Program focuses on classes that address conflict resolution for Operators and Supervisors.
• Metro Operations is continuing to move forward with the installation of barriers and monitors in the remaining serviceable fleet.
• For the rest of Metro’s fleet (about 1300 buses), staff will be starting a program to retrofit operator barriers onto buses starting in June 2016. This program is expected to run for approximately 24 months. Staff is also developing a new program to have video monitors retrofit onto the rest of Metro’s bus fleet.
• As of September 16, 2016 the Metro New Flyer Buses that in service are as follows:
o Number of New Flyer buses in service (LA Metro & Contract Services) = 848 of 900
o Number of buses “in-service” with protective barriers = 693
o Number of buses “in-service” with live video monitors = 839
o All other New Flyer Buses are on track to be retrofitted with barriers by the end of 2016
Significant Activities
• 8/17/2016- Transit Bureau North deputies responding from the Chatsworth sub-station, found two stabbing victims aboard a Metro bus at the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Chase Street. At approximately 2:02 PM, the victims were still coherent enough to give the deputies a detailed description of the suspect. The deputies, believing that the suspect may have boarded another bus, fanned out and checked several buses in the area.They found the suspect, detained him, and transported him back to the location of the victims. They positively identified the detained suspect and he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. During the arrest, the suspect attempted to fight with deputies, but he was subdued and remained in custody with no injuries noted. The victims were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Transit Policing Division detectives responded to the scene and are handing the investigation. Based on the severity of the attack, the suspect may be subject to additional charges of attempted murder, and resisting a peace officer.
• 8/23/2016 - LASD Executive Officer (Undersheriff) Neal Tyler, Assistant Sheriff Richard Barrantes, joined Transit Division Chief Ronene Thomas, along with Transit Bureau Captains Bateman and Schow, at the 1st Annual Partnership in Safety Community Appreciation Day. The event was held at the Rosa Parks Transit Complex in Willowbrook from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Transit Policing Division units from the Threat Interdiction Unit, Explosives Detection K9 Unit, and Sheriff’s Recruitment Bureau, had displays for the public and Metro patrons. Several specialty LASD vehicles and motorcycles were also on display. Metro recruitment and community affairs were also on hand to greet patrons. The event was well attended and covered by the Long Beach Post and the Los Angeles County Channel.
• 8/26/2016 - A Transit Bureau North, early morning unit responded to 7th Street and Hill Street in regard to vandalism to a Metro bus call, at approximately 1:24 AM. The Bus Operator informed responding units that a male had shattered the front windshield of the bus with a metal pipe. Responding deputies learned the same suspect had also shattered the front windshields of two other buses at 7th Street and Olive Street, and Olive Street and Grand Avenue. Deputies canvassed the area and located the suspect who was identified by the Bus Operators as the person who shattered their windshields. The suspect was placed under arrest for felony vandalism. The investigation is continuing as this suspect may be responsible for other vandalisms.
Fare Enforcement:
• In August 2016, law enforcement performed 809,732 fare checks on the rails and Orange Line. Based on the monthly targets, in August 2016 law enforcement had a 9% saturation rate.
• Based on the chart, green checks occur when a patron has valid fare and has tapped at a turnstile or stand-alone validator. Yellow checks occur when a patron has valid fare, but failed to TAP at a transfer point. Red checks occur when a patron either has a daily/weekly/monthly pass and has not tapped at all during their trip, has stored value and failed to TAP, or has no stored value.
• At the discretion of the fare inspector, patrons are encouraged to make payment at the ticket vending machine or TAP their card on the validator in lieu of receiving a citation.
Traffic Enforcement Activity in the Bus Rapid Transit Lanes:
• In August 2016, there were 107 “Failure to Obey Signs” citations issued on Wilshire Blvd.
Response Time:
• In August 2016, the average response time for “Calls for Service” (Emergency, Priority and Routine) for all rail lines and buses was 18.6 minutes.
• LASD currently complies with Metro’s Performance Metrics requirement of average of 30 minutes for calls for service. The response time for emergency calls was 5.3 minutes for August 2016.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Transit Policing Division Report August 2016
Attachment B - Matrix of Bus Operator Assault Suspects
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Alex Wiggins, Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4433
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-1023
