Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 15, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the Public Safety Report.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro is committed to providing outstanding trip experiences for all transportation system users. The agency implemented a multi-faceted plan to improve both safety outcomes and safety perceptions for riders and employees. The following summarizes current initiatives to accomplish this objective and recent public safety trends.
Background
BACKGROUND
Within Metro’s Public Safety Mission statement, the agency recognizes that every individual is entitled to a safe, dignified, and humane experience. In March 2023, the Board adopted a revised Code of Conduct, a Bias-Free Policing Policy, and a Public Safety Analytics Policy to avert racial profiling and bias in the deployment of Metro security and contract law enforcement services. In 2024, Metro enhanced its public safety model further by adopting a three-pronged strategy consisting of 1) increasing the engaged and visible presence of uniformed personnel, 2) improving access control to ensure the system is being used only for its intended purpose of transit, and 3) strengthening partnerships to address societal issues impacting our transit system, including homelessness, untreated mental illness, drug addiction, and crime, with the County, cities, regional agencies, and nonprofit partners. The actions described in this report align with numerous initiatives to improve safety and the perception of safety on the system.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Metro Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for overseeing safety initiatives on the Metro system, working in coordination with other departments, including Operations, Customer Experience, Risk, Corporate Safety, and Asset Management. DPS forms the foundation of Metro’s comprehensive approach to safety and security, focused specifically on protecting customers and employees by mitigating crime and other societal issues impacting the transit system, enforcing Metro’s Code of Conduct, ensuring the safety and hard security of Metro’s facilities, directing the deployment of law enforcement and private security presence throughout the system, and proactively identifying and addressing other areas of possible concern.
The following is a snapshot of activities, performance, and outcome-related data for October and November, the most recent months for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.
OVERVIEW
As Metro strives to continually improve and more accurately measure the impact of its public safety initiatives, staff have established the following outcomes, which are strategically focused on the CEO’s three-pronged approach.
• Continue to increase monthly ridership. In October, Metro ridership was 27,693,587, down by 3.86% compared to October 2024. However, riders are increasingly turning to Metro for their weekend and leisure travel, and October weekend ridership on all five of Metro’s rail lines is up year over year. In November, Metro ridership was 23,820,571, (23,751,607), but a 7.83% decrease compared to the same month of the previous year (23,820,571 vs. 25,844,065). Many factors influence ridership patterns, including business closures due to holidays, construction, and changes in people’s daily routines. Tracking monthly ridership numbers allows staff to assess the overall effectiveness and impact of all three safety initiatives. Furthermore, ongoing safety initiatives influence riders’ overall perception of safety, which subsequently influences their decision to utilize public transit, thereby leading to changes in ridership levels.
• Ensure access to the system is used solely for transit. Law enforcement and security made 228 trespassing arrests in October, of which one took place in the ancillary areas. The ancillary arrest was initiated by Contract Security (CS) after investigating an ancillary alarm. In November, they made 283 trespassing arrests, and there were three arrests or removals from the ancillary areas. Notable improvements in cleanliness, as well as the reduction and removal of encamped areas, coupled with increased enforcement and accountability for those who trespass in the ancillary areas, are positive measures of the effectiveness of Metro’s access control safety improvement strategies and tactics.
• Connect homeless riders to housing. In October, Metro Homeless Outreach Management & Engagement (HOME) referred 192 people to interim housing and placed 20 people into permanent housing. In November, HOME referred 182 people to interim housing and placed nine people into permanent housing, thereby reducing any desire for them to shelter on the Metro system and bringing the total for FY26 to 1,060 connections to housing. Meeting 50% of the FY26 goal of 2,100 connections, HOME teams continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in addressing societal issues, specifically homelessness.
• Facilitate the reduction of violent crime. Crimes Against Persons (violent crimes) systemwide remained relatively the same in October 2025 compared to September (158 vs.159), marking the lowest total for October since 2021. There was a decrease in aggravated assaults, although batteries increased this month. When compared to October 2024, Crimes Against Persons decreased by 7.1% in October 2025 (158 vs. 170). In November, Crimes Against Persons increased by 7.0% compared to October (169 vs. 158), due to increases in aggravated assaults and robberies. When compared to November 2024, Crimes Against Persons saw a slight increase of 2.4% (169 vs. 165). An analysis of violent crime during October and November over the past five years shows that crime tends to trend higher during these months, with law enforcement indicating that there is a direct link between the holidays and the increase in robberies.
• Facilitate the reduction of property crime. Crimes Against Property slightly increased in October 2025 (70 vs. 67) compared to the previous month. When compared to October 2024, Crimes Against Property decreased by 26.3% in October 2025 (70 vs. 95). In November, Crimes Against Property decreased by 4.3% compared to October (67 vs. 70), due to a decrease in thefts. When compared to November 2024, crime is down by 19.3%. This can be attributed to LAPD’s surge in deployment on November 10, which targeted property crimes.
• Facilitate the reduction of narcotics, trespassing, and other crimes against society. Arrests for Crimes Against Society increased by 4.5% in October 2025 compared to the previous month (350 vs. 335) due to an increase in trespassing arrests. When compared to October 2024, Crimes Against Society decreased by 20.3% in October 2025 (350 vs. 439). In November, Crimes Against Society increased by 6.6% compared to the previous month (373 vs. 350), due to an increase in trespassing arrests. When compared to November 2024, Crimes Against Society increased by 60.8% (373 vs. 232). More details, including crimes per one million boardings, can be found in the Systemwide Crime Stats section below. Metro reviews crimes against society to measure the effectiveness of partnerships in addressing societal issues and access control.
Safety improvement and crime mitigation strategic responses to outcome trends are included in subsequent sections. Further analysis of the seasonality of crime is in the Crime Stats section below.
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Metro believes in continuously listening to, learning from, and responding to customer feedback. Using various sources, including Metro’s social media accounts, the Transit Watch app, and the Customer Call Center, staff assessed the public comments and sentiment of the Metro system. DPS monitors general sentiment and reports actionable security concerns in weekly calls with Metro’s security and maintenance teams. Any customer comments about criminal activity are immediately forwarded to law enforcement for investigation and reporting.
Overall Public Sentiment
In October and November, the sentiment focused on safety and security. As in previous months, the most positive comment was about the system's visible security presence, highlighting the new faregates at stations.
• October 17 - A post on Reddit titled “7th/Metro Station looking better these days” generated a positive discussion concerning the installed faregates and the presence of security nearby the emergency exit of the faregate area, which the commentators noted that they were satisfied to witness that it deterred fare evaders.
• November 3 - A post on Reddit titled “Is it safe to travel the subway to work?” received many positive responses, with one user stating that taking the Metro instead of driving in rush hour traffic has improved their quality of life. The user added that they have seen an uptick in Metro Ambassadors and Metro police at stations and that the system feels safer.
Most Common Customer Concerns
To assess the most common customer concerns from the public, Metro looked at incidents submitted through the Transit Watch app. The number of reports submitted through the Transit Watch app decreased modestly in October, from 4,679 in September to 4,632. Then in November, it decreased further to 4,117 reports.
In October, the three most reported types of incidents are property crime related to graffiti (39% of reported incidents), smoking/alcohol/drugs (25% of reported incidents), and fights or disturbances (14% of reported incidents). Below are the top three locations for each incident type for October 2025:
1. Graffiti - Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station, Harbor Transitway/Slauson Station, and North Hollywood Station, where several reports were received for graffiti inside of elevators.
2. Smoking/Alcohol/Drugs - Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and Hollywood/Western Station, where riders reported seeing people doing drugs at the stations and smoking inside the trains.
3. Fights or Disturbances - Union Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, where reports were submitted for people arguing loudly and playing loud music on the platforms and on the trains.
In November, the three most reported types of incidents are property crime related to graffiti (34% of reported incidents), smoking/alcohol/drugs (26% of reported incidents), and fights or disturbances (15% of reported incidents). Below are the top three locations for each incident type for November 2025:
1. Graffiti - Willowbrook - Rosa Parks Station, Slauson Station, and Firestone Station, where several reports were received for graffiti inside of elevators, on poles, and on platform beams.
2. Smoking/Alcohol/Drugs -7th Street/Metro Center Station, Westlake/MacArthur Station, and San Pedro Station, where riders reported people smoking drugs inside the trains and elevators.
3. Fights or Disturbances - Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and Union Station, where reports were submitted for people playing loud music and people shouting profanity in the stations.
Some stations, including the ones mentioned above, have seen increases in graffiti due to ongoing territorial disputes between rival gangs. Countermeasures by Metro now include AI resources to better map, identify, and link related graffiti incidents, building stronger cases against offenders. In addition, LAPD began a surge in its deployment across the system. Prioritizing resources at the stations flagged the most by customers not only improves our safety statistics - it can be one of the fastest ways to help riders feel safe when riding our system.
Addressing Customer Concerns
Rider reports continue to highlight recurring issues related to graffiti and Code of Conduct violations along the A, B, C, and E lines.
Metro’s graffiti abatement contractors are required to perform daily inspections throughout Metro’s system. All accessible graffiti observed by the contractor must be removed the same day. All reported accessible graffiti must be removed within 48 hours, and reported non-accessible graffiti must be removed expeditiously upon securing approved track allocation and support. Approximately 4,000 graffiti tags are removed monthly from Metro facilities, Rights-Of-Way, parking lots and parcel properties. With 3,382 and 2,016 graffiti reports in October and November, respectively, Metro has a dedicated contractor who is diligently removing them each month.
DPS, along with Customer Experience, actively work on decreasing drug use on our system. LAPD and LASD employ a variety of strategies, such as plain clothes surveillance operations, public drug use/ drug recognition surge operations to disrupt demand, and daily proactive patrols to actively disrupt narcotics distribution when it is observed or reported by an employee or rider. In October, LAPD and LASD made 96 arrests (LAPD - 89; LASD - 7) for narcotics. In November, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Department made 81 arrests (LAPD - 69; LASD - 12) for narcotics. In comparison, LAPD and LASD made 104 arrests (LAPD - 95; LASD - 9) for narcotics in September. Metro’s public safety personnel are also equipped with Narcan and administer it as needed to individuals experiencing symptoms of an overdose (refer to Attachment A for more details).
Additionally, Metro promotes the Customer Code of Conduct and the Transit Watch app to all customers through its website, social media channels, and signage within the bus and rail system. Metro continuously works to identify ways to address customer feedback and concerns. MTS and Contract Security train riding teams continue to enforce and provide education on Metro’s Code of Conduct. Observations are shared during weekly meetings among public safety partners, and security patrols are adjusted at stations with the highest numbers of observations.
ENGAGED & VISIBLE DEPLOYMENT
The following are Metro’s public safety personnel's deployment activities for October and November, which are intended to promote the safe access and usage of the transit system, as well as prevent and reduce crime or other societal issues within the system.
Law Enforcement
LAPD and LASD enforce the penal and municipal code on the system, including conducting trespass investigations. The table below represents law enforcement’s efforts for October and November.
In October, the two law enforcement agencies made 556 arrests and issued 603 citations. In November, the two law enforcement agencies made 606 arrests and issued 868 citations. Law enforcement citations and warnings are not related to fare evasion but are given for trespassing, loitering, and moving violations. Details on the demographics of individuals arrested are in Attachment B. Law enforcement’s separate homeless outreach teams also engage with unhoused individuals on the system and offer available services; more details can be found in Attachment C.
Transit Security
Metro Transit Security Officers support DPS priorities such as physical security, code of conduct and fare compliance enforcement. MTS enforces fare compliance utilizing rider education, technology improvements, as well as removals, warnings, and citations. Other Metro actions, such as introducing taller fare gates, implementing TAP to Exit, and hiring more transit security officers, as well as other tactics, support fare compliance. In October, Transit Security Officers issued 300 citations and 278 written warnings. 275 citations (92%) and 262 warnings (94%) were for fare evasion. Transit Security Fare Compliance teams removed 1,442 individuals from the system for fare evasion. In November, Transit Security Officers issued 317 citations and 307 written warnings. 312 citations (98%) and 307 warnings (100%) were for fare evasion. Refer to Attachment D for more details on MTS activity and deployment this month, and a demographic breakdown of those cited.
TAP-to-Exit remains in place at Downtown Santa Monica Station, and on November 17, it resumed at Union Station and North Hollywood Station and also expanded to Pomona North Station. In October and November, most of the violations were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. Metro will continue these efforts as the results show strong safety metrics and responsiveness to stated customer concerns about what makes them feel safe.
Bus Safety Teams
MTS Bus Safety Teams (BSTs) rotate across the top ten bus lines with reported incidents of operator assaults and bus lines with newly reported incidents of operator assaults and other significant security incidents to enforce Metro’s Code of Conduct. These deployments are both preventative to keep our riders safe from crime and reassuring to make our riders feel safe. The BSTs are augmented with law enforcement support. In October, there were 1,516 and 6,621 bus boardings by LAPD officers and LASD deputies, respectively.* In November, there were 1,394 and 5,861 bus boardings by LAPD officers and LASD deputies, respectively.* For more details on MTS activities, refer to Attachment D.
*Law enforcement Bus Teams conduct bus boardings, when an officer momentarily boards a bus during its stop, asks the operator if everything is okay, and ensures there are no safety issues on board.
In addition, MTS BSTs conducted EOL operations during Owl Service on Line 2 in Exposition Park and Line 4 in Downtown Los Angeles to address bus operators' concerns about individuals refusing to alight buses at the end of the line. These two bus lines have consistently ranked in the top five list of bus lines with reported crimes and bus operator assaults for most of 2025. In October, these operations resulted in 271 removals on Line 2 and 254 removals on Line 4 for non-compliance. In November, these operations resulted in 247 and 219 removals on Lines 2 and 4, respectively. MTS officers use a care-based, human-centered approach to first connect individuals sheltering on the system to homeless outreach services before escalating to issuing citations and warnings. Appropriate de-escalation techniques are deployed when people are uncooperative and/or aggressive. Warnings and citations are issued as necessary and appropriate to address egregious and intractable conduct and behavior and to provide accountability.
Metro Ambassadors
Metro Ambassadors support riders by providing assistance, connecting them to resources, and reporting safety incidents or maintenance needs. Their presence helps enhance the perception and feeling of customer safety and the overall customer experience. In October 2025, Ambassadors continued their presence across all rail lines as well as the G Line and the J Line. See Attachment E for additional details on Ambassador deployments this month.
In October 2025, Ambassadors conducted 59,027 customer engagements and reported:
• 6,046 cleanliness issues (12% decrease from September 2025)
• 2,560 graffiti incidents (12% decrease from September 2025)
• 911 elevator and escalator problems (2% decrease from September 2025)
In November 2025, Ambassadors conducted 50,956 customer engagements and reported:
• 4,144 cleanliness issues (31% decrease from October 2025)
• 2,448 graffiti incidents (4% decrease from October 2025)
• 811 elevator and escalator problems (11% decrease from October 2025)
Contract Security
Contract Security (CS) officers offload trains at 11 end-of-line (EOL) rail stations. This operation deters patrons from riding the system without a valid fare while allowing train cleaning to maintain a clean and safe environment. Staff are seeing a substantial year-over-year decline in refusal rates. October 2025 recorded a 93% decrease in offloading refusals compared to October 2024. November 2025 recorded a 78% decrease in offloading refusals compared to November 2024. This significant decline underscores the effectiveness of Metro’s ongoing strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing customer engagement and compliance with Metro’s Customer Code of Conduct. Compliance includes offloading the train at the EOL stations and re-tapping to adhere to fare payment rules.
Homeless outreach workers are deployed at end-of-line stations to support offloading strategies by offering resources and services to mitigate unfavorable impacts in EOL station communities. Deployment of homeless outreach workers at EOL stations varies based on system wide needs and public safety priorities.
ACCESS CONTROL & STATION EXPERIENCE
Metro continues to focus on improving the transit experience for riders while removing individuals who commit crimes or are found to be trespassing. Metro’s proactive strategy, which includes fixed security posts of uniformed personnel, roving patrols, frequent station cleanings, physical security, and environmental improvements, has led to significant improvements in access control and safety, as well as noticeable positive changes in cleanliness across the Metro system's ancillary areas.
Ancillary Areas Motion 30 Response - Quarterly Update
The following is a quarterly update outlining progress on securing and cleaning ancillary areas as required by Motion 30 (Attachment F) by Directors Bass, Horvath, Krekorian, Najarian, Solis, and Hahn. This Motion increased Contract Security at all subway stations and mandated more inspections of ancillary areas. During this time, response efforts shifted to prioritize arresting trespassers over removals. Two years after the initiative started in August 2023, significant improvements are evident in the continued trend of reduced trespassing removals and arrests.
The chart below illustrates the stark difference in trespasser removal and arrests between 2023, 2024, and the 11 months of 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of Metro’s efforts to clean and secure ancillary areas in its underground rail stations.
Before August 2023, the primary action towards ancillary trespassers was removing them from the area. As the policy shifted from August to September 2023, the numbers also shifted, with a reduction in removals and an increase in arrests.
• In 2024, the average number of trespasser removals per month decreased by 95%, from 36.4 in 2023 to 1.8 in 2024. Now, for the eleven months of 2025, there has been an average of 1.2 trespasser removals per month.
• Conversely, the average number of monthly arrests for trespassing increased by 186% in 2024 compared to 2023 (15 vs. 5.2). The average number has since dropped to 2 incidents for the eleven months of 2025.
Following the dual success of increased Contract Security presence and arrest actions, together with regular monitoring and cleanups, the number of trespassers encountered in the ancillary areas has been seriously reduced.
• The average number of trespassers encountered on a monthly basis declined from 42 in 2023 to 17 in 2024 to 4 during the period between January and November of 2025.
• Focusing on eleven months (January to November), there were 463 trespassers in the ancillary areas in 2023. This number decreased by 85% to 186 in 2024 and decreased by another 73% in 2025 (186 in 2024 vs. 50 in 2025).
Due to the continued effectiveness of this policy change, the ancillary areas are now much cleaner, and the updated protocols effectively deter unauthorized access, addressing previous concerns and disruptions to critical infrastructure in these areas.
Maintenance
• Custodial Services continue to maintain the cleanliness of all ancillary areas along the B, D, E, and K lines by performing a weekly cleanup in each corridor.
• The maintenance team has increased the time for the audible alarm to activate when emergency exit doors at the B and D Line stations are entered by trespassers.
• The maintenance team is progressing with the installation of the upgraded Intrusion Detection System (IDS) with cameras, strobe lights, and announcements at the B and D Line ancillary areas. Installations are complete at Westlake/MacArthur Park, Vermont/Sunset, Pershing Square, and Vermont/Beverly stations Universal City Station is 85% complete and Union Station is 25% complete. The next station on schedule is Hollywood/Western.
o Before these targeted efforts began, special cleanup requests were received daily from at least 12 of the 16 underground stations on the B and D Lines.
o These requests decreased to once a week at two of the 16 stations, which was a direct result of the increased frequency of corridor inspections by Contract Security officers, maintaining an increased frequency of station corridor cleaning, and new cleaning products.
o The number of special cleanup requests has remained low for at least nine consecutive months.
• As part of these targeted efforts, Metro also updated standard operating procedures for chemical and staff safety and equipment to protect staff from potential exposure to untreated corridors.
Security
• 87 Contract Security officers continue to be deployed 24/7 at 24 subway stations on the B, D, E, and K lines.
• Contract Security inspects every ancillary area nine times daily and arrests any trespasser that they encounter. Contract Security efforts resulted in two and one trespassing arrests in ancillary areas in October and November, respectively.
• Contract Security continues to support ancillary cleaning efforts by providing security escorts for the Metro custodian staff during cleaning operations.
• Contract Security reports property damage and submits repair and clean-up requests via the Metro Transit Watch app that occur outside the regularly scheduled clean-up times.
Station Experience Updates
Metro is committed to safety and partners with city officials and community groups, including local councils and businesses, to address challenges at various stations. Attachment G describes recent initiatives by the Station Experience team, including:
• To address inappropriate activity, particularly in the station parking lots, at Sherman Way Station, staff implemented fence repairs, completed cleaning efforts, and installed environmental improvements to encourage appropriate use of the area.
• To facilitate a safe and clean environment, staff expanded successful environmental improvements at several Metro stations, including four on the G Line.
• To address urine odors inside older elevators at certain Metro stations, staff are piloting a commercial-grade odor neutralizer that disperses on a timer.
• To address repeated tampering with real-time displays at Slauson Station, staff relocated and upgraded the bus seating area, which had given easy access to vandalizing the displays. This improvement will continue along the J Line along the entire I-110 Harbor Transitway corridor.
Looking ahead, staff continue to identify hotspot stations with similar challenges to expand these best-practice interventions. This includes the following:
• There were reports of security concerns in and around Patsaouras Bus Plaza at Union Station East, so staff conducted multiple walkthroughs with DPS, Building Services, and ITS to discuss potential improvements to the area's safety and cleanliness. A security deployment was added to conduct a regular foot patrol of the affected area.
PARTNERSHIPS TO MITIGATE SOCIETAL ISSUES
Like any other large metropolitan area, greater Los Angeles faces societal issues, including homelessness and behavioral health concerns. Metro utilizes a care-based approach, collaborating with the Department of Health Services (DHS) and homeless service agencies to deploy multidisciplinary outreach teams (MDTs) across the rail and bus system. These teams focus on connecting individuals to housing but also support with access to mental health and substance abuse resources. Metro also works with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) annually on the Point-in-Time count, where the entire rail and busway system is counted in a single night. LAHSA produces a report for Metro, which helps gauge the impact of the public safety ecosystem on the number of unhoused individuals who use the system for shelter. Addressing societal issues requires collaboration across Metro departments, so Ambassadors, homeless outreach, contract security, and law enforcement communicate and coordinate weekly, sharing data and any notable trends with each other to address end-of-line and hotspot stations where societal factors are regularly present. This multi-layer deployment best positions Metro to mitigate and respond to the issues of society that occur in cities across the country, including the greater LA area.
Helping Riders Experiencing Homelessness
By connecting people to housing resources, Metro’s multidisciplinary outreach teams are helping improve the safety of unhoused riders sheltering on our system. In October, MDTs enrolled 652 people into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), referred 192 people to interim housing, and placed 20 people into permanent housing. In November, MDTs enrolled 563 people into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), referred 182 people to interim housing, and placed 9 people into permanent housing. For FY26, 3,088 people have been enrolled into HMIS, and 1,060 have been connected to interim or permanent housing thus far; see the table below for a breakdown of the placements for this fiscal year.
*PATH’s -8 loss is due to a data loss during processing HMIS data. County partners are working on updating.
Responding to Mental Health & Emotional Distress
In addition to having MDTs on the system, DPS’s law enforcement partners also have their respective outreach units deployed to respond to and assist individuals experiencing mental health crises. LAPD’s Homeless Outreach and Proactive Engagement (HOPE) teams and LASD’s Mental Evaluation Team (MET) both involve officers working alongside a licensed mental health clinician. In October, LAPD’s HOPE team engaged 148 individuals, referring 10 of them to services. LASD’s MET had 256 engagements and referred seven of them to social services. In November, LAPD’s HOPE team engaged 48 individuals, referring 5 of them to services. LASD’s MET had 358 engagements and referred 19 of them to social services. Metro also collaborates with the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH), as Metro staff have been trained to identify individuals appropriate for referrals, and select DMH staff can access the system when mental health crises occur. See the following table for details from LAPD and LASD:
Systemwide Crime Stats - November 2025 vs. October 2025 vs. September 2025
Metro coordinates with its law enforcement partners to provide a visible, engaged presence on the bus and rail system, enforcing the penal code to deter criminal activity, such as assaults, thefts, and trespassing. Comparing the statistics with the previous month and normalizing for ridership allows DPS and its public safety partners to better observe trends and determine and update deployments as necessary.
Overall, Crimes Against Persons (violent crimes) remained roughly the same in October (158 vs. 159 in September) due to increases in batteries and decreases in aggravated assaults. In November, Crimes Against Persons increased by 7.0% when compared to the prior month (169 vs. 158) due to increases in aggravated assaults and robberies. LAPD and LASD did not identify any trends or patterns. An analysis of violent crime during October and November over the past five years shows that crime tends to trend higher during these months and into the holidays.
Crimes Against Property saw a slight increase in October compared to September (70 vs. 67), due to an increase in thefts (55 vs. 48 in September). However, compared to one year ago, Crimes Against Property have decreased by 26% (70 vs. 95). Historically, Crimes Against Property have trended down from September to October, as shown in the per one million boardings graph below. In November, Crimes Against Property decreased by 4.3% compared to October (67 vs. 70), due to fewer thefts. The observed decrease can be attributed to LAPD’s surge in deployments for the holiday season, which began on November 10 to target property crimes.
Crimes Against Society increased in October due to an increase in arrests for weapons and trespassing. On October 8, LASD conducted an operation at Lake Station targeting narcotics-related crimes and made five arrests for crimes, including furnishing a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance. Crimes Against Society increased by 6.6% in November compared to October (373 vs. 350) due to increases in trespassing arrests. On November 24, LASD conducted another operation targeting narcotics-related crimes, making 10 arrests at Fillmore Station. Crimes in this category fluctuate in relation to enforcement levels, impacting arrest data, but staff also assess safety using other indicators, including customer feedback, reported incidents, and overall rider perception.
Per One Million Boardings
Refer to Attachment H for more details on crime data normalized by ridership.
Mitigating Assaults Against Frontline Employees
Bus Operators
Metro’s law enforcement partners reported three operator assaults in October, a decrease from September (3 vs. 11) and a decrease from October 2024 (3 vs. 5). Using physical force, using a weapon or object, and brandishing a weapon were the methods of assaults on operators. Of the three assaults reported, two occurred inside the vehicle, and one had a barrier in use.
In the case of the assault that involved a barrier in use, one involved a suspect who entered the bus and threatened the operator as he partially brandished a firearm, and then immediately sat behind the operator. The suspect fled the scene. LAPD met with the operator to file a police report and MTS was notified. A physical description of the suspect was issued to all buses, instructing them to be on the lookout for the suspect. As of the date of this report, the suspect has not yet been identified and arrested. For another incident, the suspect used the barrier itself to strike the operator and then punched the operator numerous times in the torso area after the operator walked toward the back of the bus to inform the suspect that he needed to exit the bus at the end of the route. This suspect also fled the scene. LAPD responded to the scene, met with the operator to file a police report, and obtained a description of the suspect. As of the date of this report, the suspect has not yet been identified and arrested. The third assault occurred when the operator exited the bus to notify the Bus Operations Control Center of an onboard altercation, when the suspect suddenly began chasing the operator with a metal pole outside the bus. The operator was not injured, and the suspect was arrested.
In November, there were 14 reported operator assaults, an increase compared to October (14 vs. 3) and an increase from November 2024 (14 vs. 10). Using physical force, throwing a projectile, and spitting were the top methods of assaults on operators. Of the 14 assaults reported, seven occurred inside the vehicle, five occurred while the suspect was outside of the vehicle and the operator was inside of the vehicle, and two occurred while both the suspect and operator were outside of the vehicle. Three of the seven assaults that occurred inside the vehicle had a barrier in use.
Six involved using hands/fists, resulting in one operator requiring medical transport after sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, which consisted of back pain, after he was pushed against the barrier door several times. Three incidents involved the use of a projectile, including two where the suspects threw objects at the windshield from outside of the bus, causing the windshield to shatter and land onto the operator, and one incident where the suspect reached underneath the barrier and pepper-sprayed the operator. Two incidents involved spitting: one outside the barrier area and one when the suspect went around the barrier to spit at the operator. The remaining three incidents involved brandishing a gun after the suspect was refused entry, pouring a liquid onto the operator, and setting things on fire while outside of the bus and throwing those objects at the bus. Fortunately, the fire did not cause any injuries. Of the five assaults in November reported by LASD, one suspect was arrested for attempting to light the bus on fire, and the other four have open investigations. LAPD did not provide any details regarding the suspects for the reported assaults. More details on assault methods and reasons can be found in Attachment I.
Despite the uptick in operator assaults in November, the rate at which physical assaults occur continues to remain lower than it was prior to the installation of retrofit enclosed barriers. Furthermore, when instances of assaults do take place on Metro transit vehicles, they are frequently less severe than they had been previously. Of the assaults that did take place in October, none of them required medical transport. Analysis of the full impact of these enclosures remains ongoing. In addition to the protection provided by physical barriers, all operators have received de-escalation training. Other safety measures in place include surveillance cameras, penalty signage, and video monitors to deter assaults on operators when they are outside the operator compartment area. Assault events are reviewed by Metro to identify root issues, possible preventive measures, and to provide lessons learned.
Other Frontline Staff
Assaults on frontline staff (excluding operators) decreased from 14 in September to 10 in October and further decreased to six in November. The methods of assault on these frontline staff vary from suspects using their hands to shoving or punching staff, throwing an object, spitting on an employee, throwing liquid, and using verbal threats. See the graph below on the assault location.
All frontline staff undergo de-escalation training to better manage uncooperative or aggressive individuals. More details on assault methods and reasons can be found in Attachment I.
LASD has provided data from July 1, 2025, to October 15, 2025, as follows: 25 assaults on Metro employees were investigated by LASD. Of the 25 investigations, 17 (68%) were solved. Ten of the 17 solved cases either were filed by prosecutors or are pending a prosecutor’s decision. The other 7 cases are either pending additional information, like lab reports or other information; one was declined for criminal prosecution due to the suspect’s mental capacity. LAPD data was not available at the time of this report.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Metro transit system spans many diverse communities across Los Angeles County. The diversity of Metro’s service area includes economically and ethnically diverse areas, as well as diversity in regard to crime and public safety needs. Metro continues to take a cross-disciplinary approach to sustain and grow ridership, improve customer experience, and, most importantly, ensure the safety of Metro’s system is equitable across Los Angeles County.
Contract Security and MTS Bus Safety Teams regularly conduct EOL offloading operations at rail and bus stations, respectively, setting a consistent, compassionate, and equitable standard on what riders should do upon reaching the last station. In October, MTS BSTs continued to focus on Lines 2 and 4 in Exposition Park and Downtown Los Angeles, respectively, improving staff safety as operators had concerns about individuals refusing to alight at the last stop. Homeless outreach teams are also available at EOL stations to offer services to any individuals experiencing homelessness. Additionally, TAP-to-Exit resumed at Union Station and North Hollywood in November. TAP Blue Shirts, Metro Ambassadors, and the LIFE Program staff were present to provide valuable resources and assistance to riders so that their transit experience is not negatively impacted.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through operational activities that will improve public safety and customer experience on Metro’s bus and rail system and further encourage transit ridership. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendation supports Strategic Plan Goals #2.1: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system; Metro is committed to improving security and #5.6: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization; Metro will foster and maintain a strong safety culture.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
DPS will continue to monitor the performance of its law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security Officers, as well as the agency’s crime statistics. It also considers information from system operations, surveys, customer complaints, and physical security assessments, amongst other sources, to analyze safety-related issues, adjust deployment strategies, and formulate new interventions.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Narcan Data October & November 2025
Attachment B - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity October & November 2025
Attachment C - Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach October & November 2025
Attachment D - Metro Transit Security Activities October & November 2025
Attachment E - Metro Ambassador Activities October & November 2025
Attachment F - Board Motion 30
Attachment G - Station Experience Updates
Attachment H - Law Enforcement Crime Summary October & November 2025
Attachment I - Frontline Safety Additional Data October & November 2025
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Robert Gummer, Deputy Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement
Officer, (213) 922-4513
Stephen Tu, Deputy Executive Officer, Operations, (213) 418-3005
Karen Parks, Senior Director, Special Projects, (213) 922-4612
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: William Scott, Chief of Police and Emergency Management, (213) 922-
5448
Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Officer, (213) 940-4060
Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
