Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JULY 17, 2025
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. In furtherance of the Vision 2028 Plan, Metro 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, 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
System Security & Law Enforcement (SSLE) is responsible for overseeing safety initiatives on the Metro system, working in coordination with other departments, including Operations and Customer Experience. SSLE forms the foundation of Metro’s comprehensive approach to safety and security, focused specifically on protecting customers and employees by mitigating against crime and other societal issues on the 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 May, the most recent month for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.
OVERVIEW
The following bullets are an overview of some outcomes for Metro’s public safety and security priorities. As Metro strives to continually improve and more accurately measure the impact of its initiatives, staff have established the following outcomes, which are strategically focused on the three-pronged approach.
• Continue to increase monthly ridership. Metro ridership increased by 1.04% in May compared to the same month of the previous year (27,453,541 boardings vs. 27,170,160 boardings). This marked the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth. This metric measures the overall effectiveness of all three safety initiatives.
• Ensure access to the system is only for transit riders. Law enforcement made 220 trespassing arrests in May, one of which was initiated by Contract Security (CS) during a routine inspection of an ancillary area. Last month, law enforcement made 153 trespassing arrests, with six of them initiated by CS after ancillary alarms were triggered. With regular patrols by Contract Security and cleanings by custodians, this measures the effectiveness of Metro’s access control improvements.
• Connect homeless riders to housing. Metro Homeless Outreach Management & Engagement (HOME) referred 146 people to interim housing and placed 17 people into permanent housing in May, bringing the total to 2,541 connections to housing for this fiscal year. Having reached 141% of the FY25 goal of 1,800 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 decreased by 4.5% in May 2025 compared to April (148 vs. 155), marking the lowest total for May systemwide since 2021. This was mainly due to decreases in aggravated assaults and robberies, which could be attributed to LAPD’s enhanced deployment operation to mitigate robberies that started mid-April and concluded in May.
• Facilitate the reduction of thefts and vandalism. Crimes Against Property increased by 6.8% (78 vs. 73) compared to last month, with a decrease in vandalism on the rail system (5 vs. 10) offset by an increase in thefts on buses (26 vs. 15).
• Facilitate the reduction of narcotics, trespassing, and other crimes against society. Arrests for Crimes Against Society increased by 46.3% in May 2025 compared to the previous month (376 vs. 257) due to increases in narcotics, trespassing, and weapons arrests. These arrests may have increased due to LAPD’s enhanced deployment mentioned above and their three-day narcotics operation at the end of the month. More details 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.
The aforementioned data was verified with law enforcement and internal departments, respectively. Safety improvement and crime mitigation strategic responses to outcome trends are included in subsequent sections.
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Metro believes in continuously listening to and learning from 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. SSLE monitors general sentiment, while actionable security concerns are reported in weekly calls with security and maintenance teams. Any customer comments about criminal activity are forwarded to law enforcement for investigation and reporting.
The number of security-related reports submitted increased month-over-month between April and May, from 4,626 to 6,334, primarily due to a higher number of graffiti reports. The Security Operations Center’s Security Control Specialists continue to meet the FY25 SSLE target response time of 120 seconds, with a response time of 40 seconds in May. This target response time ensures a faster process for determining the proper response and dispatch of resources, improving calls for service response times.
Overall Sentiment and Engagement
Public sentiment on safety and security is assessed by analyzing social media (e.g., Instagram, Reddit) and Transit Watch app reports from the public, as well as Ambassadors, Contract Security, and Law Enforcement. Most reports from the Transit Watch app come from Ambassadors and Contract Security; therefore, the monthly sentiment data may be biased.
In May, the overall sentiment about safety and security was slightly less negative than the previous month. The Facilities/Infrastructure topic remained the most discussed, driven by a high volume of Transit Watch reports by Ambassadors and the public.
In terms of mitigating against drug use, SSLE continuously reviews various sources of data to adjust deployments of uniformed personnel. Law Enforcement, MTS, and Contract Security enforce the penal code and Code of Conduct, respectively. LAPD and LASD actively disrupt narcotics distribution when it is observed or reported by an employee or rider. From May 23 to May 25, LAPD Transit Services Division (TSD) conducted a three-day operation with the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Task Force at Westlake/MacArthur Park station to disrupt illicit drug activity around the area that originates from a nearby alley known for narcotics use and distribution often referred to as Yoshinoya Alley. During these three days, the DRE Task Force made a total of 21 arrests for narcotics, of which nine occurred at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station. In May, LAPD and LASD made 142 arrests (LAPD - 128; LASD - 14) for narcotics, while MTS cited 19 individuals for smoking/vaping. In comparison, LAPD and LASD made 91 arrests (LAPD - 82; LASD - 9) for narcotics in April, while MTS cited five individuals for smoking/vaping. 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). More details are included in the Deployment section of this report.
Just as in the prior month, the most positive comments were about the system's visible security presence, highlighting visible security in stations.
• On Reddit, a post about how much the B Line has changed generated positive engagement. The rider stated that his ride from South Pasadena to Hollywood was a “sea of difference” from before, due to the high presence of security personnel.
• On Reddit, a post about all the various ways that Metro is trying to improve safety by trying new safety measures, such as the weapons detection program and taller faregates, generated positive engagement.
• On X, a user referenced a recent Metro Station Experience report that found that there has been an increase in paid entries at the Firestone and Lake stations, where tall faregates have been installed, which garnered positive engagement.
Like previous months, Metro’s Facilities/Infrastructure garnered the most mentions, at 20,511 mentions, a 75% increase compared to April (11,692 mentions). This significant jump in May is largely driven by comments on Metro’s Instagram post about the opening of the Rail-to-Rail path, as it includes the phrase “security cameras,” a keyword associated with the Facilities/Infrastructure topic, likely contributing to the spike. Most engagements mention graffiti at stations or malfunctioning fare gates, displays, or elevators, which tend to carry a negative sentiment.
When discussing safety and security at specific Metro stations:
• Union Station generated the most mentions this month.
• Pico Station generated the second-most overall engagement, followed by the Expo/Crenshaw Station.
Most Common Customer Concerns
To assess the most common customer concerns from the public, Metro looked at incidents submitted through the Transit Watch app by the public. The three most reported types of incidents are property crime related to graffiti, smoking/alcohol/drugs, and fights or disturbances. In May, property crime reports related to graffiti accounted for the most incidents at 33%. Below are the top three locations for each incident type:
1. Graffiti - Sierra Madre Villa Station, Universal/Studio City Station, and Hollywood/Vine Station
2. Smoking/Alcohol/Drugs - Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and LATTC/Ortho Institute Station
3. Fights or Disturbances - Expo/Western Station, Grand/LATTC Station, and Union Station
While the majority of ridership occurs on buses, most reports on the Transit Watch app focused on rail stations. Rider reports continue to highlight recurring issues related to graffiti and Code of Conduct violations (e.g., smoking, alcohol, and drug use) along the A, B, C, and E lines. This variance in reporting could be partially attributed to there being more factors to report about rail stations as compared to buses, such as elevator/escalator issues, the mezzanine areas, and activities leading into a station. Even so, Metro promotes the Transit Watch app to all customers online, on YouTube, and through signage within the bus 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. In response to the feedback, these observations are shared during weekly meetings between public safety partners, and security patrols are adjusted at stations with the highest observations. More details on deployment are provided in the section below.
ENGAGED & VISIBLE DEPLOYMENT
The following are Metro’s public safety personnel's deployment activities for May, 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 May.
In May, the two law enforcement agencies made 589 arrests and issued 875 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 can be found 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
A primary role of MTS is Code of Conduct enforcement. In May, MTS officers issued 426 citations and 279 written warnings for Code of Conduct violations. Refer to Attachment D for more details on MTS activity and deployment this month and a demographic breakdown of those cited.
Most of the violations, 665 (94%), were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. Approximately 74% of all 665 violations in May were issued at TAP-to-Exit locations: Downtown Santa Monica (33%), Downtown Long Beach (22%), Union Station (10%), North Hollywood (7%), and APU/Citrus (2%). Although the TAP-to-Exit program has been paused at Union Station and North Hollywood Station since April 10, MTS continues its efforts to deter those attempting to access the system for non-transit purposes in violation of the Code of Conduct. This is shown by the citations still being issued at those stations. Metro will continue these efforts as the results show strong safety metrics and responsiveness to stated customer concerns about what makes them feel safe.
Metro Ambassadors
Ambassadors provide support to riders, connect them to resources, and report safety incidents or maintenance needs, thereby helping to improve the perception of safety and the overall customer experience. In May, Ambassadors were deployed on all rail lines, the G Line, the J Line, and bus lines 40 and 210. See Attachment E for more details on Ambassador deployments this month.
In May 2025, Ambassadors conducted 44,516 customer engagements and reported:
• 5,528 Cleanliness Issues (28% increase from April 2025)
• 3,995 Graffiti Incidents (39% increase from April 2025)
• 600 Elevator and Escalator Problems (3% increase from April 2025)
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. The BSTs are augmented with law enforcement support. In May, there were 1,539 and 1,849 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.
End of Line Operations
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. May 2025 recorded a 98% decrease in offloading refusals compared to May 2024. This significant decline underscores the effectiveness of Metro’s ongoing strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing compliance and engagement.
In addition, MTS Bus Safety Teams conducted EOL operations during Owl Service at J Line El Monte Station to address bus operators' concerns about individuals refusing to alight buses at the end of the line. These operations resulted in 272 removals for non-compliance at El Monte Station between April 28 and May 30. Enforcing the Customer Code of Conduct deters repeat offenders from staying on trains at the EOL. Homeless outreach workers are also at end-of-line stations to offer resources and services.
ACCESS CONTROL
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 F describes recent initiatives by the Station Experience team, including:
• To address a vulnerable point of access to the A Line tracks during the civil unrest in June, staff worked with their contractor to install a mesh partition to deter trespassing across active tracks and to clean graffiti on the Metro structure.
• To address vandalism on Throne bathrooms during the civil unrest, staff worked with Throne in real time to secure and reopen units after station closures and clean up any vandalism on the outside, ensuring uninterrupted bathroom access when stations were reopened for service.
• To address fare evasion, the newly opened LAX/Metro Transit Center Station already has the new taller faregates, and preliminary TAP data shows significantly higher paid entries compared to other Metro stations with older faregates.
• To address reports of broken streetlights surrounding Vermont/Athens Station, staff collaborated with the LA County Public Works, Caltrans, and the City of LA Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) to investigate who held the jurisdictional responsibility, and BSL repaired all the streetlights, resulting in significantly safer conditions for the community to walk to the Metro station.
• To improve wayfinding and address first/last mile concerns for riders using the Dodger Stadium Express, staff partnered with LADOT, StreetsLA, and Caltrans to upgrade signage, repair sidewalk lighting, remove graffiti, and trim overgrown brush.
• To address issues with riders getting lost, staff implemented upgraded wayfinding at Sierra Madre Villa Station with new signage to intuitively guide riders between the entrance, exit, local bus connections, and Throne Bathroom.
Looking ahead, staff continue to identify hotspot stations with similar challenges to expand these best practice interventions. This includes the following:
• Since temporarily pausing the TAP-to-Exit pilot program for North Hollywood Station and Union Station at the request of LA City Fire Department (LAFD) on April 10, there has been an increase in reports on the Transit Watch app and a decrease in fare revenue. Staff continues to work to submit a “Request for Modification” for LAFD to review and authorize the restoration of the program to the stations within their jurisdiction.
• Staff is working with the City of Santa Monica to address the misuse of the emergency exit to trespass at Downtown Santa Monica Station.
• There are ongoing challenges with vandalism and illicit activity returning to Reseda Station. Staff is having Throne review their data to better understand the disproportionate pattern of vandalism and working to repair and restore station amenities that helped improve safety and cleanliness.
• Staff implemented tactical interventions at Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, but there are several additional opportunities to create a more welcoming space. The team is coordinating with internal departments and awaiting the Markets at Metro concept for a restructured plaza vending program.
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 G) 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. Since the initiative began in August 2023, significant improvements are evident in reduced trespassing removals and arrests through 2024, a trend that continues into 2025.
The charts below illustrate the stark difference in trespasser removal and arrests between 2023, 2024, and the first five 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, those numbers shifted as well, 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 first five months of 2025, there has been an average of one trespasser removal 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 remained steady at 5.2 for the first five months of 2025.
• Only 12.6% of trespassers were reported as arrests in 2023, but after the agency’s policy changed, from removing trespassers from the area to arresting them, and implementation began in August 2023, this number increased to 89% in 2024 and 84% for the first five months of 2025. See graph in Attachment H.
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 6.2 during the first portion of 2025.
• Focusing on a five-month period (January to May), there were 308 trespassers in the ancillary areas in 2023. This number decreased by 55% in 2024 and decreased by another 78% in 2025 (139 in 2024 vs. 31 in 2025).
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.
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 three 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 six 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. As of May 17, 2025, Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Normandie are temporarily closed due to ongoing construction, decreasing coverage from 24 to 22 subway stations on the B, D, E, and K lines.
• They inspect every ancillary area nine times daily and arrest any trespasser that they encounter. Contract Security efforts resulted in one trespassing arrest in ancillary areas in May.
• 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 received via the Metro Transit Watch app that occur outside the regularly scheduled clean-up times.
PARTNERSHIPS TO MITIGATE SOCIETAL ISSUES
Greater Los Angeles faces societal issues like any other metropolitan area, 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. Metro has also worked closely with other County departments to help identify programs and improve access to mental health and substance abuse resources. Addressing societal issues requires collaboration across Metro departments, so Ambassadors, homeless outreach, contract security, and law enforcement coordinate regularly 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 May, MDTs enrolled 518 people into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), referred 146 people to interim housing, and placed 17 people into permanent housing. So far in FY25, HOME has enrolled 6,156 people into HMIS and connected 2,541 to interim or permanent housing.
Responding to Mental Health & Emotional Distress
In addition to having MDTs on the system, SSLE’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. These units can help de-escalate situations involving individuals suffering from mental illness and provide resources to appropriate mental health services. In May, LAPD’s HOPE team engaged 128 individuals, referring six of them to services. LASD’s MET had 515 engagements and referred seven of them to social services. More details can be found in Attachment C. 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.
Systemwide Crime Stats - May 2025 vs. April 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 SSLE and its public safety partners to better observe trends and determine and update deployments as necessary.
Overall, Crimes Against Persons decreased in May (148 vs. 155 in April). This could be attributed to the enhanced deployment by LAPD, MTS, and Contract Security that began on April 21 and continued through May 26.
Crimes Against Property had a slight increase, with a decrease in vandalism on the rail system (5 vs. 10) offset by an increase in thefts on buses (26 vs. 15). Law enforcement did not observe any notable patterns in these increased thefts and continues to monitor for any suspicious activity.
Crimes Against Society increased in May across all three major categories: trespassing, narcotics, and weapons. Crimes in these categories fluctuate with enforcement levels. When law enforcement engages in enhanced deployment, arrests for these categories will often increase due to the increased presence of law enforcement. Furthermore, the increase in narcotics crimes can be attributed to a three-day operation conducted by LAPD’s DRE Task Force at the end of May at Westlake/MacArthur Park station to disrupt illicit narcotics activity around the area.
• Crimes Against Persons decreased by 4.5% in May compared to April (148 vs. 155). This marks the lowest total seen for May systemwide since 2021.
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Persons decreased by 19.8% (77 vs. 96) due to decreases in aggravated assaults (15 vs. 25) and robberies (11 vs. 29). This represents the lowest number seen for May on the rail system since 2021.
o On the bus system, Crimes Against Persons increased by 20.3% (71 vs. 59), due to increases in aggravated assaults (13 vs. 11), batteries (45 vs. 35), and robberies (9 vs. 8).
• Crimes Against Property increased by 6.8% in May compared to April (78 vs. 73).
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Property decreased by 6.8% due to a decrease in vandalism (5 vs. 10).
o Crimes Against Property increased by 27.6% on buses as a result of more incidents of thefts (26 vs. 15).
• Crimes Against Society increased by 46.3% in May compared to April (376 vs. 257).
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Society increased by 44.5% (341 vs. 236) due to increases in narcotics (113 vs. 78), trespassing (214 vs. 148), and weapons (14 vs. 10).
o On the bus system, Crimes Against Society increased by 66.7% (35 vs. 21), due to increases in narcotics (29 vs. 13) and trespassing (6 vs. 5).
Per One Million Boardings
• Crimes Against Persons decreased by 7.1% compared to April 2025 (5.39 vs. 5.80) and 28.9% compared to May 2024 (5.39 vs. 7.58). 5.39 incidents per one million boardings is the second lowest rate in 12 months, surpassed only by January’s rate of 5.09 per one million boardings. It is also the lowest rate of incidents per one million boardings seen for the month of May since 2019. Compared to pre-pandemic years, the current rate of 5.39 is higher (3.49 and 3.85 for May 2018 and May 2019, respectively).
• Crimes Against Property increased by 4.0% compared to April 2025 (2.84 vs. 2.73) and increased by 5.7% compared to May 2024 (2.84 vs. 2.69). Compared to pre-pandemic years, the current rate of 2.84 is higher (2.77 and 2.34 for May 2018 and May 2019, respectively).
• Crimes Against Society increased by 42.4% compared to April 2025 (13.70 vs. 9.62) and decreased by 11.2% compared to May 2024 (13.70 vs. 15.42). Compared to pre-pandemic years, the current rate of 13.70 is higher (1.44 and 1.17 for May 2018 and May 2019, respectively).
As LAPD’s special deployment targeting cell phone thefts and robberies continued nearly the entire month of May, violent crimes and thefts were lower compared to the previous month. The LAPD DRE Task Force’s operation to mitigate ongoing illicit narcotics activity also had an impact on narcotics arrests and trespassing violations. Refer to Attachment I for more details on the data normalized by ridership. Based on internal metrics and discussions with staff, law enforcement partners adjust their deployments weekly and as conditions require.
Mitigating Assaults Against Operators
Metro’s law enforcement partners reported five operator assaults in May, a decrease from April (5 vs. 7). Using a weapon or object, projectile, and brandishing a weapon were the methods of assaults on operators. Of the five assaults reported, three occurred outside the vehicle, and the remaining two occurred inside the vehicle and reported a barrier in use.
Both assaults with a barrier involved physical contact, although no injuries were reported. One incident involved four juveniles who threw water at the bus operator, striking the barrier. Another suspect urinated on the bus operator’s pants and boots, despite the barrier.
The assaults that occurred outside the vehicle included a suspect using their vehicle to intentionally hit the bus during a road rage incident and then brandishing a weapon. Another incident also involved the brandishing of a weapon from outside the operator’s window. The third incident involved a suspect who threw a large box at the bus's windshield, causing it to shatter. No injuries were reported; however, the operator was transported for medical treatment due to a medical condition. See Attachment J for more details on the assaults.
Staff continues to see a decrease in assault severity, as retrofit enclosed bus barriers help prevent serious injuries. Staff will continue to analyze assaults as more months of data are collected. When trends show gap exploitation, they will offer mitigation recommendations to help develop best safety practices that can be shared with operators by their supervisors.
In addition to the protection that physical barriers give, 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.
Mitigating Assaults Against Other Frontline Staff
Assaults on frontline staff (excluding operators) increased from 14 in April to 18 in May. The methods of assault on these frontline staff vary from suspects using their hands to shove or punch staff to throwing an object to spitting on an employee. Of these 18 assaults, eight occurred on the B Line and four occurred on the E Line. Three assaults occurred at Union Station (not line-specific), one occurred on the A Line, one occurred at the El Monte bus terminal, and one occurred along the K Line near the Brynhurst Ave portal.
Assaults on security officers involve physical altercations as they approach individuals to enforce the Code of Conduct, often provoking confrontational reactions. LASD provides enhanced training focused on officer safety, de-escalation, arrest laws, and customer service. Similarly, Contract Security has expanded its training to reduce officer assaults. For frontline staff like Ambassadors, Blue Shirts, and Custodians, assaults are unpredictable and can include spitting, verbal threats, or throwing objects. They also may face physical assaults. All frontline staff undergo de-escalation training to better manage uncooperative or aggressive individuals. More details on assault methods, reasons, and mitigations can be found in Attachment J.
Equity Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
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. The safety of Metro’s riders and employees remains a top priority, as Contract Security and MTS Bus Safety Teams continue to conduct end-of-line offloading operations at rail and bus stations, respectively. Homeless outreach teams are available at end-of-line stations to offer services to any individuals experiencing homelessness. Additionally, SSLE and Operations continue to maintain their efforts in keeping the ancillary areas secure and clean. In 2023, there were 308 trespassers in the ancillary area, decreasing to 139 (55%) in 2024 and further to 31 (78%) in 2025. As a result, it has been safer for employees who access those areas as well as for customers who transit through the B and D Line stations, which have the majority of trespassers. Through these safety operations and comprehensive deployment, Metro is creating a safer environment for employees to perform their duties and for riders to enjoy their trip experience.
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.
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
SSLE will continue to monitor the performance of its law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security Officers, and the agency’s crime stats. 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 May 2025
Attachment B - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity May 2025
Attachment C - Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach May 2025
Attachment D - Metro Transit Security Activities May 2025
Attachment E - Metro Ambassador Activities May 2025
Attachment F - Station Experience Updates
Attachment G - Board Motion 30
Attachment H - Ancillary Areas Trespassing Arrest Graph
Attachment I - Law Enforcement Crime Summary May 2025
Attachment J - Frontline Safety Additional Data May 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
Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848
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
