Meeting_Body
AD-HOC TRANIST POLICING OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 19, 2015
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 November 2015, staff continues to be proactive in working with Operations, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Communications in addressing perception of safety, criminal activity, fare enforcement, response time, and deployment. Below are the key highlights:
Actions to Improve the Ridership Experience
• Staff has begun the deployment of placing Mobile Skywatch Observation Towers on the street level of stations and parking lots with high crime. This allows the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Deputies and Metro Transit Security Officers to observe behaviors and act as deterrence to crimes. Metro staff are also working with LASD and LAPD to address security concerns at Pershing Square and to ensure ADA compliant boarding/alighting at Westlake Station.
• High Visibility
• Transit Security Officers (TSO) and Los Angeles County Sheriffs have been engaging and interacting with patrons and operators to increase presence and increase the perception of safety on the Metro system.
o TSO Bus Boarding Activity: The total number of TSO Bus Boardings for the month of September 2015 is 2,801. The total number of fare checks is 24,334.
o LASD Bus Riding Team (BRT): The total number of BRT Bus Rides for the month of September 2015 is 975. The total number of fare checks is 33,917
Criminal Activity:
Bus Operator Assaults:
• Comparing January-September 2014 to January-September 2015, there has been a 21% increase of operator assaults. Of the 127 total operator assaults for January-September 2015, 70.6% of the Aggravated Assaults, 33.3% of the Non-Aggravated Assaults, 75% of the Robberies, and 50% of the sex crimes have had a suspect taken into custody. The majority of bus operator assaults are fare related followed by disorderly conduct.
• Attachment B contains the matrix for the suspects who have assaulted Bus Operators that LASD has been tracking.
• Of the 127 total operator assaults from January-September 2015, there were 17 Aggravated Assaults, 102 Non-Aggravated Assaults, 4 Robberies, and 4 Sex Crimes. Of the 127 assaults, 56 suspects used their hands/feet for the method of assault, followed by 35 suspects spitting, 12 throwing food or liquid, 12 using a weapon, 6 throwing other objects, 2 pepper spray and 4 sexual harassment incidents.
• From January-September 2015, there have been 397,575,139 bus boardings and 127 total operator assaults, equating to 1 bus operator assault per 3.4 million boardings.
Operator Safety:
• Metro has completed 38% of the installation of the live on-board video display monitors, and 22% of the installation of the operator barriers.
LASD Success Stories
• 09/15/2015 - On August 7th, 2015, several males brutally assaulted and robbed a Metro Blue Line patron. Detective Veatch, Sergeant Walker, and the Crime Impact Team #I (CIT) followed up with an investigation. The investigation led to a suspect of interest. Surveillance of the suspect took place, which in turn led to a peaceful detention and arrest. During the interview, the suspect admitted to the crime as well as several other crimes he and his accomplices committed on the Metro system. Over the following week, Walker and his CIT team positively identified 2 additional suspects and 3 companions involved in criminal activity on the Metro system and in the City of LA. Once all suspects were in custody, each admitted to committing over 15 separate crimes on Metro property and within the city. All suspects received either county jail or state prison time.
• 09/20/2015 - Chief Ronene Anda represented Transit Policing Division at the 9th Annual Civilian Advisory Committee Professional Staff Day, recognizing outstanding achievements by the department’s professional staff, also known as civilian personnel. Law Enforcement Technician/Photo Enforcement Officer James Weeden was recognized for his work with Metro’s rail crossing photo enforcement program. This was the first time Transit Policing Division was represented as a division within the LASD.
• 09/26/2015 - Whittier Narrows-Legg Lake Park in South El Monte was the site of the American Cancer Society’s, “Relay For Life,” event hosted by LASD Transit Policing Division. Chief Anda, a cancer survivor herself, was joined by TPD employees, Metro and Metrolink personnel, and members of the community to raise funds to further research a cure for the dreaded disease. TPD had set a goal of $15,000 in donations. Over $16,000 in donations were actually pledged.
Fare Enforcement:
• In September 2015, law enforcement performed 578,371 fare checks on the rails and Orange Line. In comparison, law enforcement performed 514,679 fare checks on the rails and Orange Line in August 2015, resulting in an increase of 63,692 fare checks from August 2015 to September 2015.
Response Time:
• In September 2015, the average response time for “Calls for Service” (Emergency, Priority and Routine) for all rail lines and buses was 18.2 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 4.9 minutes.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Transit Policing Division Report September 2015
Attachment B - Matrix of Bus Operator Assault Suspects
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Alex Wiggins, EO System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4433
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-1023
