Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 18, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: PUBLIC SAFETY MISSION AND VALUE STATEMENTS
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the Public Safety Mission and Value Statements (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
As part of the Board’s directive to develop a community-based approach to public safety on the transit system, the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), in consultation with Metro staff, has developed a mission and values statement to guide the approach to reimagining public safety.
Background
BACKGROUND
At its June 2020 meeting, the Board of Directors approved motions 37 and 37.1 for Metro staff to form an advisory committee and, in partnership, develop a community-based approach to public safety. As part of Motion 37.1, (Attachment B) PSAC was tasked with creating a mission and values statement for transit policing.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In its August general meeting, PSAC began to brainstorm the topic of a mission and values statement. To aid in this discussion, Metro staff provided PSAC with the following current mission and vision statements:
Mission Statement: “To expertly provide superior security services marked by total enterprise security awareness, regional collaboration, advance training and exercise initiatives, embracing security technologies and intelligence to prepare for tomorrow’s transit environment.”
Vision Statement: “SSLE will continuously strive to meet 21st century professional standards for system security and law enforcement, maximizing the customer experience for all passengers, and supporting an internal and external culture of accountability, performance excellence and readiness to respond to and recover from all hazards to Metro.”
In the September PSAC meetings, members continued their discussion around developing a draft mission and values statement. A Google form was created and shared during the meetings to allow the general public to provide feedback to enhance public input on this item. The form was also made available on the PSAC website, advertised through Metro’s social media accounts, and email notifications were sent to Metro’s community networks. The form was opened from August 27th through September 20th, and the feedback received was provided to PSAC to aid in formalizing the mission and values statement. An initial draft of the potential mission and values statements was presented at the September 22nd general meeting.
Public Form Feedback
The form received sixty-four (64) public responses (Attachment C) and were grouped into the following categories:
• Passenger Safety (29%) - Comments relate to how safe the passenger feels on the Metro system and improving safety overall
• Diversity & Inclusivity (10%) - Comments relate to how Metro can better embrace diversity and be inclusive of everyone in the community
• Law Enforcement & Security (10%) - Comments relate to the presence of law enforcement and security on Metro
• Accountability (10%) - Comments relate to increasing accountability between the agency and public
• Community (6%) - Comments relate to improving the relationship Metro has with the community
• Shifting Away from Law Enforcement (6%) - Comments focus on reducing law enforcement involvement in Metro's public safety, and
• Public Health (6%) - Comments relate to public health protocols.
On November 3rd, the PSAC body voted to approve a modified version of the public safety mission and values statement. The vote was 14 “yes,” 0 “no,” and 0 “abstain.” (Attachment D)
Metro Staff Response
A mission and value statements are important to provide strategic direction in setting priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring that everyone involved in public safety is working towards common goals. Staff recommends approval of the mission and value statements to provide the foundational step of advancing a reimagined approach to public safety.
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
This recommendation aligns with goal 2.1 -- Metro is committed to improving security, and goal 3.3 -- Metro is committed to genuine public and community engagement to achieve better mobility outcomes for the people of LA County.
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Google form shared during the meetings via chat and posted on the website for feedback allowed the public to weigh in on the principles that will guide the committee. Providing feedback using different methods and extending the submission deadline allowed Metro to reach more people at different times of the day and month.
The mission and values statement approved by the PSAC body is a core step in adopting a new framework for public safety on the Metro system. Using terminology such as compassion, diversity, and accountability, helps put the rider first and acknowledges that safety is not one-size-fits-all.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
The mission and values statement put forward by the PSAC serve as a blueprint for how Metro will launch new public safety initiatives and improve existing programs.
Attachment
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - PSAC Mission and Values
Attachment B - Motion 37.1
Attachment C - Public Responses to the Google Form for Mission & Values
Attachment D - PSAC November 3rd Meeting Votes
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Imelda Hernandez, Manager, Transportation Planning, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4848
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Judy Gerhardt, Chief System Security and Law Enforcement Officer, (213) 922-2711
