Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 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 multifaceted plan to improve safety outcomes and safety perceptions for riders and employees. The following summarizes current initiatives to accomplish this objective and recent public safety trends. This report summarizes August 2026 activities unless otherwise noted.
Background
BACKGROUND
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) focuses on a human-centered approach, compassion, and a culture of care, recognizing diversity and respecting the wide range of people and communities it serves. DPS seeks a reparative public safety model to address the root causes of crime and disorder that can occur within the system, minimize harm, and promote inclusion. By sharing public safety-related statistics, DPS builds trust in the public safety model, fosters transparency, improves public perception of safety in the system, and encourages community engagement. The Metro Safety Hub <https://www.metro.net/safety-support/by-the-numbers/> and data dashboard, which provide additional data, are accessible online. This hub demonstrates the department’s commitment to openness, accountability, and the safety and well-being of employees and the transit community.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
THE SAFETY ENVIRONMENT IN AUGUST
Overall, most incidents were non-violent (related to trespassing, vandalism, and narcotics) and occurred while security enforced Metro’s Code of Conduct. There were no major incidents, with 166 reported violent or property crimes, or approximately 6.25 violent or property crimes per million boardings in August, marking the lowest rate for an August since 2019. Compared to July, violent crimes per million boardings decreased by 11.7%. Property crimes decreased 27% from 90 in July to 68 in August, or approximately 2.56 crimes per million boardings.
Crime typically spikes during summer months; however, this summer’s violent crimes declined significantly from their peak in 2023. This was especially true for aggravated assaults, which fell 37% from 172 in the summer of 2023 to 109 in 2026. These decreases in violent and property crimes can be attributed to multiple coordinated efforts by DPS public safety personnel, including law enforcement's crime-suppression efforts during the previous month and ongoing targeted operations by Metro Transit Security (MTS) on the G Line and a joint train-riding operation with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on the A Line North. Reported cleanliness issues and Code of Conduct violations at 7th Street/Metro Center Station, Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, and Lynwood Station were reviewed and factored into deployment decisions to address them.
METRO’S THREE-PART SAFETY STRATEGY
1. Engaged and Visible Presence
Visible presence contributes directly to order, predictability, and rider confidence across the system. Law enforcement conducted 8,624 bus boardings in August, as part of visible engagement and deterrence efforts.
Weekly operational meetings identified no abnormal fluctuations in crime on the system, with property crimes declining compared to the previous month. Public safety personnel - uniformed and care-based - continued their regular deployments across the system.
2. Enhancing Access Control & Station Experience
Access control and station improvements improve system integrity and the perception of safety for riders and employees. Consistent security patrols and upgraded alarm systems in ancillary areas continued to deter unauthorized access. These enhanced security measures helped maintain a cleaner, safer, and more secure environment for employees, contractors, and the public (see Attachment A).
After Metro received complaints about loitering, alleged drug activity, and unregulated vending at Wilshire/Vermont and Wilshire/Western in Koreatown, Station Experience, DPS, and LAPD conducted a site visit and identified several near-term opportunities to improve safety and security at both locations. Staff is coordinating with relevant departments and property owners to further evaluate and advance these changes. See Attachment B for more details.
These access control and station experience efforts will continue to ensure riders are there solely for transit purposes.
3. Building Partnerships to Address Societal Impacts
To ensure Metro has the right response to every situation, the agency invests in and implements care-based interventions. In August, Ambassadors and Community Intervention Specialists engaged with approximately 71,600 individuals, helping riders navigate the system more effectively, connect to essential Metro resources such as reduced fare programs, bike lockers, Metro Micro, TAP assistance, and be informed of service alerts.
Outreach teams engaged 443 individuals experiencing homelessness in August, resulting in 222 interim and 46 permanent housing placements through coordination with regional service providers. For FY27, 1,288 people have been enrolled in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and 558 have been connected to interim or permanent housing, with the goal of 2,400 housing placements for the new fiscal year. See Attachment C for a detailed breakdown by service provider.
Observations and experience have shown that individuals who attempt to shelter on the system will ride trains and/or buses until the end of the line. In an effort to have the most impact, outreach teams are deployed in fixed locations at end-of-line stations to provide support and offer services as needed.
FRONTLINE PROTECTION
Any assault on a Metro employee or contractor is unacceptable and is addressed with investigative priority. There were 14 assaults on Metro employees and contractors in August.
Operator assaults totaled nine in August, up from six in July and five in August 2025. Four of these incidents occurred while the operator was behind the retrofit safety barrier, and one occurred as the operator returned to the driver’s seat but had not yet closed the barrier door. The remaining four incidents occurred outside of the safety barrier when the operator was either outside the driver’s seat/area or outside the vehicle, including one incident where the operator was shoved into the barrier door while assisting a patron and suffered an injury to his right arm, resulting in medical transport. Assaults on other frontline staff totaled five in August, unchanged from five in July and down from 13 in August 2025.
Metro takes assaults on any employees or contractors very seriously, and staff works with local law enforcement to ensure that they receive justice if an assault occurs and that the individuals committing assaults on employees are held accountable. Between May 16 and August 25, 2026, LASD detectives investigated 15 assaults on MTS officers, contract security, bus operators, and Ambassadors. Five of them were solved, resulting in an arrest. Of the 10 open cases, eight are active investigations, and two have no workable leads. Staff are awaiting updated investigation outcomes from LAPD.
Assaults often escalate into physical altercations when enforcing the Code of Conduct or when requesting that a patron get off a bus or train. MTS Bus Safety Teams patrol the top 10 bus lines with the highest rates of operator assaults, and security personnel are stationed at end-of-line stations when service concludes.
ENFORCEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Maintaining a visible presence is crucial to enhancing both system safety and perceptions of safety. Enforcement activity during August included 646 arrests, 609 citations, and 7,922 Code of Conduct removals. 42% of removals were for attempted fare evasion, and the remaining removals were for loitering by the turnstiles, platform, and mezzanine areas of the station.
Law enforcement focuses on deterring and stopping crime, while MTS and contract security officers enforce the Code of Conduct and cite and remove individuals who violate Metro’s policies. MTS continues its ongoing targeted fare compliance campaign on the G Line and joint train-riding operation with LAPD and LASD on the A Line North (Union Station to Pomona). As the joint operation continued, removals by MTS train-riding teams on the A Line North increased significantly, averaging seven removals per sweep compared to one removal during the same period last year (July 27-August 31). Similarly, at these targeted stations, citations have increased 4,200% so far, compared to the same period last year, most for no proof of fare, and law enforcement made 117 arrests, mostly for trespassing and narcotics. This demonstrates the impact this joint operation has had in enforcing the Code of Conduct.
MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
Staff trained in first aid have proven critical for medical emergencies on the system. DPS responded to 156 medical emergencies experienced by riders or staff in August. Narcan reversals totaled eight in August, compared to six in July. Ambassadors reported three, CIS and law enforcement reported two each, and contract security reported one. Overdose incidents fluctuate monthly and reflect broader regional public health conditions. Each reversal reflects trained intervention and rapid-response capability.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND SYSTEM READINESS
Table-top discussions and regular training exercises enhance Metro’s preparedness for any emergency. Throughout August, DPS continued bi-weekly training with LAPD’s Bomb K-9 Unit on Metro railcars and participated in a discussion-based tabletop exercise to prepare for a total power failure during a major sporting event.
Additionally, from August 4 to 6, Emergency Management took part in the LA28 Integrated Preparedness Workshop. This workshop brought together federal, state, and local partners to review and improve the draft schedule of essential training and exercise milestones for the 2028 Games, align calendars with key stakeholders, and discuss available training programs and resources to assist partners in planning and executing their 2028 Games preparedness activities.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Metro system spans many diverse communities across Los Angeles County. Because Metro serves economically and socially diverse communities and riders, public safety needs across the system are equally varied and require tailored approaches. Metro continues to take a cross-disciplinary approach to sustain and grow ridership, improve customer experience, and, most importantly, ensure Metro’s system is safe and equitable across Los Angeles County. The Care-Based Services Division demonstrates the agency’s holistic approach to improving public safety by bringing together all of Metro’s care-centered programs. Metro Ambassadors provide a highly visible, uniformed presence across the system, focusing on customer support, wayfinding, and helping riders feel safe. Homeless outreach teams complement this work by engaging vulnerable individuals and connecting them to appropriate services. Care-based program workers coordinate closely with sworn officers when needed to ensure situations are handled safely and effectively.
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 in-house public safety team, 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 - Ancillary Areas Quarterly Update
Attachment B - Station Experience Updates
Attachment C - HOME FY27 Interim & Permanent Housing Placements Breakdown
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Robert Gummer, Deputy Chief, Emergency Management and Security
Division, (213) 922-4513
Craig Joyce, Senior Executive Officer, Special Programs, (213) 418-3008
Stephen Tu, Deputy Executive Officer, Operations, (213) 418-3005
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: William Scott, Chief of Police and Emergency Management, (213) 922-
5448
Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
