Metro - File #: 2024-0415

• File #: 2024-0415
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 6/3/2024
• In control: Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 7/18/2024
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE the Public Safety Report.
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: 7th Street/Metro Center Station, Accessibility, APU/Citrus College Station, Ara Najarian, Arcadia Station, Assembly Bill 468, Barriers (Roads), Board approved a Motion, Bus Operations Control Center, Call For Projects, City of Los Angeles, Cleaning, Cleanliness (Graffiti Abatement), Contracts, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Culver City, Culver City Station, Customer service, De-escalation, Design build, Emergency Operations Center, Expo/La Brea Station, Florence Station, Gateway Cities (Southeast LA County) Service Sector, Gateway Cities subregion, Graffiti, Hilda Solis, Hollywood/Highland Station, Homeless Outreach, Housing, Informational Report, It's Off Limits, Janice Hahn, Karen Bass, Kathryn Barger, Katy Yaroslavsky, Law enforcement, Long Beach, Long Beach Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, Los Angeles Union Station, Maintenance, Maintenance practices, Metro Busway G Line, Metro Divisions, Metro Rail A Line, Metro Rail B Line, Metro Rail C Line, Metro Rail D Line, Metro Rail E Line, Metro Rail K Line, Metro Transit Ambassadors, Motion / Motion Response, Non-destination travelers, North Hollywood, North Hollywood Station, Operation LA Metro Homeless Outreach, Outreach, Paul Krekorian, Plan, Police, Police reports, Program, Property crimes, Public Safety Advisory Committee, Rail Operations Control Center, Retrofitting, Ridership, Safety, Safety and security, Santa Monica, Security, Service disruption, Statistics, System safety, Theft, Transit buses, Transit Homeless Action Plan, Transit safety, Transit System, Uniform Crime Reporting, Vandalism, Vermont/Santa Monica Station, Vermont/Sunset Station, Vernon Station, Visibility, Westlake/Macarthur Park Station, Westside Cities subregion, Westside/Central Service Sector, Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station, Wilshire/Vermont Station, Wilshire/Western Station

Meeting_Body

OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE

JULY 18, 2024

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 security 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 each individual is entitled to a safe, dignified, and human 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 law enforcement services. Furthermore, since July 2023, Metro has been using a comprehensive deployment model to utilize all resources from the public safety ecosystem.

These actions align with numerous initiatives to improve safety and the perception of safety on the system, including the increased, strategic, and layered deployment of personnel (comprised of customer-centered ambassadors and community intervention specialists, as well as transit security, private security, and law enforcement officers) and the piloting of safety and security interventions to address specific concerns (e.g., drug use and crime) 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 our customers and employees by preventing and addressing crime on our system, enforcing Metro’s Code of Conduct, ensuring the safety of our facilities, directing the deployment of law enforcement and private security presence throughout the system, and proactively identifying and addressing areas of possible concern.

The following is a snapshot of activities and performance and outcome-related data for May, the most recent month for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.

MONTHLY TRENDS

On May 16, 2024, following a spike in crime on Metro’s buses and rail, Metro Board Chair Karen Bass held a press conference along with other members of the Board  to announce a surge of law enforcement on the system. On May 20, 2024, the Board approved a motion by Directors Bass, Barger, Hahn, Solis, Najarian, and Yaroslavsky (Attachment A) to increase the daily planned deployment of Metro public safety personnel. The motion also established a unified command system to coordinate efforts aimed at improving safety.

Metro implemented the surge of law enforcement, Metro Transit Security, contracted security, and Ambassadors. As expected, this effort had a significant impact on the crime and arrest data during this month. These trends can be clearly seen in May’s crime statistics compared to April’s. During this time period: 

•                     Systemwide reported crime numbers increased by 251, from 447 in April to 698 in May.  Ridership increased by 959,860 boardings, from 26,210,300 in April to 27,170,160 in May.

•                     Looking at our weekly crime data, the last two weeks of the May reporting period (May 19 - June 1) show as much crime reported as the first three weeks (April 28 - May 18). This further illustrates the impact of the Daily Surge initiated on May 20.  The majority of surge-related arrests were for trespassing.

•                     Crimes Against Property (any criminal act that destroys another's property, such as vandalism and larceny) increased in both rail and bus (from 49 in April to 73 in May), after four consecutive months of declines systemwide.  50 of these incidents are reported as larceny.

•                     Crimes Against Society (offenses that represent society's prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity, such as drug violations or trespassing) are up from last month in rail but down in bus (from 242 in April to 419 in May).  303 of these incidents are reported as trespassing.

•                     Crimes Against Persons (crimes that cause or threaten to harm another person, such as assault) also increased by  50 from 156 in April to 206 in May. 82 of these incidents are reported as battery.

•                     The multi-layered safety partners will continue to utilize data from various internal and external sources (i.e., Call Center, Transit Watch app, crime reports, etc.) to ensure strategies are maintained, adjusted, or newly incorporated to mitigate crime spikes or arising trends on the system.

The chart below demonstrates the crime trend over the past six months.

The following three tables compare crime data for Crimes Against Persons, Property, and Society per one million boardings for May 2024, April 2024, and May 2023.

Crimes Against Persons (which include violent crimes) per one million boardings is 7.58, an increase of 27.39% when compared to April 2024 of 5.95 and by 16.26% when compared to May 2023 of 6.52:

Crimes Against Property per one million boardings is 2.69, an increase of 43.85% compared to April 2024 of 1.87 and an increase of 4.26% compared to May 2023 of 2.58:

Crimes Against Society per one million boardings is 15.42, an increase of 67.06% compared to April 2024 of 9.23 and by 144% compared to May 2023 of 6.32:

Deployment Results

The following reflects the results of the deployment for May and the effects of preventing and reducing crime on the system.                      

Law Enforcement

LAPD, LASD, and LBPD enforce the penal code on the system, including conducting trespass investigations. The table below represents the law enforcement efforts to enforce the penal code on the system for May and April which reflects the increased enforcement (209 additional arrests and 138 additional citations) that resulted from greater law enforcement visibility on the system in May as part of the surge.

Law enforcement homeless outreach data has been omitted from this report as staff works to align how homeless outreach data is defined and reported. Currently, each law enforcement partner defines their outreach efforts differently, making it challenging to demonstrate the impact of their work across the system. Staff worked with Metro’s Homeless Outreach Management and Engagement team to define particular data sets based on LA County Department of Health Services’ measurement and reporting standards and has given law enforcement partners a standardized template to provide their data. The homeless outreach data centers on the following five metrics for People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH):

1.                     PEH Observed: Number of people experiencing homelessness on site, as observed by outreach team members.

2.                     PEH Engaged: Number of people experiencing homelessness that the outreach team members interacted with.

3.                     PEH - Enrolled: Number of people experiencing homelessness enrolled into the Homeless Information Management System (or equivalent system used by the given law enforcement agency) by outreach team members.

4.                     Interim Housing: Number of people experiencing homelessness referred to and placed in interim housing.

5.                     Permanent Housing: Number of people experiencing homelessness referred to and placed in permanent housing (this includes family reunifications).

Consistently using these metrics will allow for a streamlined approach to understanding the outreach efforts systemwide and reporting information and trends. Staff expects to receive the first set of data, based on the new template, from its law enforcement partners in time to be published in the September board report.

End of Line

Contract Security (CS) officers offload trains at the end-of-line (EOL) stations. This operation functions to deter patrons from riding the system without valid fare while allowing train cleaning to promote a clean and safe environment. Offloading operations also simultaneously provide security support for Metro employees performing their duties.

For the month of May, CS cleared 13,645 trains and offloaded 45,586 patrons. As CS officers maintain their efforts at these stations, they are establishing a consistent process and expectations for Metro riders when the train reaches its last stop. Consequently, staff is observing fewer complaints from both riders and front-line staff. Metro service attendants and schedule checkers have been able to perform their duties with relative ease as the CS officers are present to ensure each train car is empty and step in if staff needs security assistance.

CS shares their observations during weekly comprehensive planned deployment meetings with Metro Homeless Outreach and law enforcement partners. CS observations are compared with feedback from Metro Blue Shirts and Transit Ambassadors to understand where unhoused riders require the most resources. In May, Metro Homeless Outreach efforts continue to target the following stations: Westlake/MacArthur Park, Willowbrook/Rosa Parks, Vermont/Santa Monica, and Lake. The table below reflects these efforts.

Metro Homeless Outreach has fixed posts at key EOL stations within the comprehensive planned deployment. Staff currently support six EOL stations (Union Station, Downtown Santa Monica, Downtown Long Beach, Atlantic, North Hollywood, and APU/Citrus). The efforts at EOL account for 1,678 (65%) of 2,569 total engagements during the month of May. The table below reflects the outreach efforts at EOL stations.

Transit Security

The primary role of Metro Transit Security (MTS) in the Comprehensive Planned Deployment is Code of Conduct enforcement. In May, MTS officers issued 187 citations and 64 written warnings for Code of Conduct violations. Of those, 189 (75%) were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. A breakdown of the remaining citations and warnings is shown in the table below. The numbers reflect MTS's continued efforts to deter those attempting to access the system for non-transit purposes in violation of the Code of Conduct.

Operator Safety

In May, operator assaults decreased by one assault when compared to April 2024 (11 vs. 12). Using hands (punching, slapping), and spitting were the top methods of assault. Of the 11 assaults, all reported a bus barrier in use. Of the reported assaults, one victim required medical transport. All 11 assaults occurred on various bus lines, and the occurrences of operator assaults are scattered throughout Metro’s service area. Four of the assaults occurred between 12 noon and 5:59 p.m., four assaults occurred between 12:00 a.m. and 5:59 a.m., and three assaults occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.  The Maintenance Department is actively working to retrofit the entire fleet with extended barriers.  As of May 31, 27 retrofit barriers have been installed; 90 additional are planned for installation in June.

Figures A and B provide context for how operator assaults this month compared to prior months and years, respectively. Methods of assaults for the month are illustrated in Figure C.

Figure A: Bus/Rail Operator Assaults

Figure B: Bus/Rail Operator Assaults Year-to-Year Comparison

Figure C: Methods of Assault

Bus Safety Teams

Transit Security Bus Safety Teams rotate across the top 10 bus lines with reported incidents of operator assaults and lines with newly reported incidents of operator assaults and other significant security incidents to enforce Metro’s Code of Conduct. In May, an end-of-line operation was conducted during Owl Service in Santa Monica at the terminus points for Line 4 and Line 720 to address bus operator concerns about non-destination travelers refusing to alight buses at the end of the line. This Bus Safety Team operation resulted in 207 removals for non-compliance on Line 4 between May 6 and May 17 and 203 removals for non-compliance on Line 720 between May 20 and May 31. Staff received positive feedback from bus operators and Division 7 management on this operation.

Two remaining Transit Security Bus Safety Teams are tentatively scheduled to be deployed by late Summer 2024. The MTS teams are augmented with law enforcement support. Law enforcement Bus Teams conduct bus boardings, which is 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 May, there were 4,269 and 9,158 bus boardings by LAPD officers and LASD deputies, respectively.

In addition to Code of Conduct enforcement, TSOs provide riders with safety tips, such as being aware of their surroundings while using their mobile phones and informing them of the Transit Watch application to report incidents. Several TSOs are bilingual and can assist patrons in Spanish, Korean, and Thai, among other languages. TSOs also engage with bus operators to obtain information regarding safety issues or areas of concern that the Bus Safety Teams can address. Additionally, when possible, TSOs provide operators with verbal tips related to safety and de-escalation tactics to ensure they can respond appropriately to incidents that may threaten their safety.

Staff will continue to review crime statistics and physical assault data to identify potential trends and patterns that will inform deployment strategies to reduce crime on the bus system and help decrease and prevent bus operator assaults. In addition, staff engage with bus operators from all ten bus divisions at monthly RAP sessions to obtain feedback on lines and geographical areas where bus operators have safety concerns.

ACTIVITIES

Public Safety Surge Update

Metro continued its public safety surge operation of increasing public safety personnel on buses and trains for the month of June. The following is a snapshot of activities for the first four weeks (May 20-June 23):

Note: LBPD has not surged its presence pursuant to Motion 41, and thus generally reports no surge-related crime or arrest activity; however, they did report one instance of vandalism on June 21.

Note: Contract Security work in cooperation with Metro law enforcement partners such that any crime or arrest recorded by Contract Security also results in a police report after the handover of the suspect(s) and/or incident information to the police. To avoid double-counting, crimes or arrests reported by Contract Security are excluded when only totals are shown. However, when breaking out crimes and arrests by agency, Contract Security numbers are still listed to show their contribution to Metro’s public safety initiatives.

After analyzing five weeks of surge data, we observed the following:

•                     LAPD reported 447 crimes - 385 were for Trespassing (86% of all crimes)

•                     LASD reported 8 crimes - all 8 were for Narcotics

•                     LBPD reported 1 crime (Vandalism, on June 21)

•                     Contract Security reported 77 crimes - 41 were for Vandalism and 27 were for Trespassing

Law enforcement weekly data showed that crime reporting increased even in the two weeks before the surge. This may be attributed to actual increases in crime or to changes in deployments following the highly publicized crimes committed in the transit system and related media coverage that led to the surge. The first week that included the surge, May 19 to May 25, was the highest, which is expected, as crime reporting improves when there is an increase in law enforcement on the system. Staff will continue to analyze data reported through a bias-free policing lens to ensure and address any inequities presented and provide updates on the surge and its activities in future months.

Narcan Deployment

MTS, LASD, and Metro Ambassadors are equipped with Narcan and administer it as needed to individuals experiencing symptoms of an overdose. LAPD and LBPD are not required to carry Narcan, per their agency’s policies. In May, MTS saved one life, while Metro Ambassadors saved five lives through the timely administration of Narcan. LASD reported two Narcan incidents in May, an increase of one over April.  

 

In total, 9 Narcan incidents were reported in May, a 55% decrease from the 20 reported incidents in April. The continued observed decline on the B Line can be attributed to the 24/7 coverage of contract security and their efforts to keep the ancillary (non-public) areas clear in addition to actively addressing issues, such as trespassing on the tracks and right of way and assisting the offloading of non-destination travelers at end-of-line stations. Additionally, the use of upgraded intrusion detection at certain station ancillary areas provides for proactive alerting, which allows streamlined communication between the Rail Operations Center and the Security Operations Center and a direct dispatch of contract security officers to trespassing in ancillary areas that are known for being briefly occupied for drug use.  

Public Facing Dashboard Update

SSLE continues to focus on the data portion and completing buildout and delivering Phase 1 of the dashboard, while Marketing focuses on the content and design of the Safety landing page on Metro.net (metro.net/safety). Both are currently at 90% completion. An initial version of the dashboard showing crime and arrest statistics is expected to be available for acceptance testing by the middle of July and released in August.

Emergency Management Update

In May, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Finance and Administrative Team, comprised of representatives from Emergency Management, Planning and Development, and Finance, received notification from FEMA of an award in the amount of $947,943.92, as reimbursement for force account labor expensed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Staff will continue to work on COVID-19-eligible activities to secure additional reimbursement.

On May 18, the Emergency Management Department (EMD) conducted the fifth of 11 planned exercises for this calendar year. The full-scale exercise was conducted at the E Line Culver City Station using an Arson Fire scenario. During this exercise, EMD worked with Metro’s Accessibility Department to recruit patrons with disabilities to participate among the volunteers evacuated by first responders. The objectives were to increase engagement with local first responders, improve response time and awareness of response procedures, assess first responders’ evacuation process from an overhead station with non-ambulatory and visually impaired patrons, and enhance coordination and communication with our first responder and jurisdictional partners. Participants included the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the Culver City Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, Culver City Fire Department, Culver City Traffic Division, Ivy Station Property Management, the Metro Accessibility Department, Metro Transit Ambassadors, Metro Revenue Blue Shirts, Metro Maintenance of Way, Rail Operations, Rail Operations Control Center, Bus Operations Control Center, E Line Management, and the Emergency Management Department.

                     

Ancillary Areas Motion 30 Response - Quarterly Update

The following is a quarterly update on Motion 30 (Attachment B) by Directors Bass, Horvath, Krekorian, Najarian, Solis, and Hahn outlining progress on securing and cleaning ancillary areas.

Maintenance

•                     All ancillary areas along the B, D, E, and K lines are cleaned weekly by Custodial Services.

•                     The feedback received from Metro employees is that the ancillary areas have maintained desirable results.

•                     This is a direct result of the increased frequency of corridor inspections by Contract Security officers, increased frequency of station corridor cleaning, new cleaning products, updated Standard Operating Procedures for chemical and staff safety, and equipment that protects staff from potential exposure to untreated corridors.

Security

•                     As of May 1, 2024, 87 Contract Security officers continue to be deployed on the system to support the ancillary efforts.

•                     Contract Security is deployed 24/7 at all 24 subway stations on the B, D, E, and K lines. They inspect every ancillary area nine times daily and arrest any trespassers they encounter.

•                     Contract Security efforts resulted in 22 trespassing arrests in ancillary areas in the month of May.

•                     Contract Security continues to respond to ancillary door alarms set off by intruders, with an average response time of 6 minutes. Contract Security is instrumental in keeping the ancillary areas clean by providing security escorts to custodial services while the ancillaries are cleaned.

•                     Contract Security reports damage, repair requests, and clean-up requests via the Metro Transit Watch app between the regularly scheduled clean-ups.  

Alarms

•                     All audible alarms at the B/D Line ancillary doors have been programmed to activate for up to two hours if the door was entered or exited without first tapping a valid employee ID card on the adjacent badge reader.

•                     The alarms are reset by Contract Security officers at the station only via the badge readers, and any observed activities are reported to the Security Operations Center.

Staff will continue to provide quarterly updates to the Board on the above activities and their progress.

CUSTOMER COMMENTS

Social Media Comments

Consistent with the other social media channels, Reddit’s volume of posts and comments increased by 50% from April, and sentiment continued to be more negative overall. When discussing safety and security at specific Metro stations, the highest percentage of comments continue to mention Union Station. Users also expressed security concerns at Harbor Freeway Station, primarily concerning graffiti. At the Wilshire/Western Station, riders expressed concern over open drug use in the station and individuals experiencing homelessness who are blocking ADA access to the station. Positive comments in May focused on the visible security presence on the system, specifically Ambassadors and TSOs, increasing the safety among riders. SSLE will continue to ensure a visible security presence through comprehensive security resources. 

There was also high engagement with our TAP-to-Exit pilot at the North Hollywood Station on the B Line. Many commenters stated that the extra layer of security and fare enforcement “would be a big step toward safety.” 

Call Center Comments

From April to May, customer comments related to Passenger Conduct increased by 2.2% from 46 to 47. Examples of some of the most common comments received are riders complaining about individuals smoking on the train, drinking alcoholic beverages, and playing loud music.

Customer comments related to Rail General Security Concern and General Security Concern increased by 21.9% (32 to 39) and 71.4% (14 to 24), respectively. Examples of these types of incidents range from harassment to assault. SSLE will continue highlighting top themes from comments submitted to the Call Center and collaborate with its public safety partners to address them as part of the Comprehensive Planned Deployment.

Staff reviews all safety and security-related customer comments for trends and patterns to inform possible shifts of uniformed personnel deployments to where ongoing Code of Conduct and crime issues are identified. Moreover, any customer comment referencing criminal activity is forwarded to law enforcement for a follow-up with the customer to investigate the incident and file a crime report.

Transit Watch (TW) App Reports

Transit Watch App reports related to safety and criminal activity for May totaled 3,364, an increase of 15.2% compared to April. The Security Operations Center’s Security Control Specialists’ (SCS) response time for receiving the report to initial contact with the reporting party increased by 6.5% from April to May (0.49 minutes). By comparison, in FY23, the average response time was 4.9 minutes, exceeding the fiscal year’s target of 4 minutes. For FY24, SSLE established a target response time of 2 minutes to ensure a faster process for determining the proper response and dispatch of resources, improving calls for service response times on the system. The reported number for May exceeds the target goal and demonstrates Metro’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and timely security resources to keep patrons and employees safe.

Types of Reported Incidents

Of the incident types reported through the Transit Watch application, fights or disturbances, harassment, and property crimes-graffiti reports increased from April to May. Property crimes-graffiti made up most of the incidents, at 64%. 

Graffiti incidents reported in May were 2,145 vs. 1,839 in April (a 16.6% increase). Of the 2,145 graffiti incidents captured, Ambassadors reported 73.1% (1,569) of these occurrences, a 14.3% increase compared to 1,373 reported in April. The number of harassment reports submitted in May was 97 vs. 78 in April (a 24.4% increase), while the fight or disturbance reports submitted in May were 363 vs. 330 in April (a 10.0% increase). 

Transit Watch reports highlighted increased property crime and cleanliness issues along the A, B, C, and E lines. These observations resulted in increased patrols at stations with the highest observations.

SSLE also utilized the weekly meetings between members of the Comprehensive Planned Deployment to discuss observed increases in security incidents, which included theft. SSLE will continue to explore best practices such as messaging/awareness campaigns, education, and video analytics to address graffiti, theft, and harassment systemwide. Additionally, SSLE will look to identify locations (stations, trains, and buses) and the time of day of harassment reports to determine if any patterns exist and work with multi-layer resources to develop a strategy for visibility to prevent and minimize these types of incidents. 

Stations with the Most Reported Incidents

For graffiti incidents, the top three locations in May were Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station (85), Hawthorne/Lennox Station (69), and Avalon Station (69). The top locations reporting harassment incidents were 7^th Street/Metro Center Station (11), followed by Expo/La Brea, Aviation/LAX, Hollywood/Highland, Vermont/Sunset, Union Station, and Wilshire/Vermont, which reported three incidents each. The top three locations reporting fight or disturbance incidents were 7^th Street/Metro Center Station (13), Union Station (10), and North Hollywood (8).

METRO AMBASSADOR PROGRAM UPDATE

A Metro Ambassador’s role is to provide support to riders, connect riders to resources, and report safety incidents or maintenance needs, thereby helping to improve the perception of safety. Metro Ambassadors were deployed on all rail lines, G Line, J Line, and bus lines 210, 40, and 720.

Bus Lines 106 & 605 Deployment: As of late April 2024, we have deployed three Ambassador teams per shift around the USC General Hospital area, deploying from Cesar Transit Plaza to the Marengo/State bus stop, to increase uniform presence in that area and improve the customer experience for our riders. We continue building positive relations each day with the Hospital Administration, Healthcare Workers and the ridership in the area.

Ambassador Surge Deployment: In late May, we began deploying additional Ambassadors during peak times across two 4-hour shifts with the goal of increasing Ambassador visibility at key locations and providing more support for riders. By the end of June 2024, 52 additional Ambassadors will be deployed daily during peak times.

Emergency Management Exercise. On May 18, Metro Ambassadors participated in the Annual E-Line “Arson on a Train at Culver City Station” exercise coordinated by Emergency Management.

Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) Ambassador Ride Along: On May 8, Metro Ambassador Program Senior Director Karen Parks participated in another PSAC Metro Ambassador Ride Along. PSAC members had the opportunity to observe firsthand the work performed by Metro Ambassadors on the system and ask questions.

May 14 & 16, On the Move Riders Program Tours: The Metro Ambassador project team participated in the tour for the On the Move Riders Program, which is catered towards older adults. The project team provided participants with a program overview, and participants had the opportunity to meet Metro Ambassadors at Union Station.

May 2024 Special Deployments

Ambassadors were sent to special deployments to help with crowd control and wayfinding, assist customers who needed special assistance, and keep a watchful eye to report or de-escalate any safety-related incidents. 

•                     Ambassador Surge Deployments

•                     Bus Lines 106 & 605 Deployments (USC General Hospital area)

•                     Dodger Games

•                     Cruel World Festival

•                     Billie Eilish Live Nation Album Listening Party

•                     Just Like Heaven Music Festival

• Long Beach Pride Festival
• Downtown Santa Monica service detours and other unplanned service detours as needed

By the numbers

For the month of May 2024, Metro Ambassadors conducted 69,962 customer engagements and reported the following:

•                     1,920 Cleanliness Issues (2.2% decrease from last month)

•                     1,564 Graffiti Incidents (14.2% increase from last month)

•                     388 Elevator and Escalator Problems (8.1% increase from last month)

•                     308 Safety Issues (6.2% increase from last month)

Ambassadors in Action

•                     May 1, 2024, On Train (A Line), 8:09 AM. Metro Ambassadors found a bag full of an unknown substance that appeared to be drugs on the train floor. Ambassadors notified SOC and ROC and reported it via the Transit Watch App so that it could be retrieved. Sheriff's deputies collected it at Arcadia Station.

•                     May 21, 2024, Sherman Way Station, 7:04 PM. Metro Ambassadors observed smoke at the edge of the station’s parking lot. Ambassadors approached the area and noticed some bushes and a palm tree were in flames. Metro Ambassadors called 911 and BOC. The fire department arrived at the scene shortly after and extinguished the flames.

•                     May 26, 2024, Florence Station, 8:17 PM. A rider approached Metro Ambassadors requesting assistance for their unconscious friend. The Ambassadors administered two doses of Narcan, performed CPR, and called 911. The victim regained consciousness and refused further medical assistance.

•                     May 31, 2024, Slauson & Washington Stations, 3:12 PM. Metro Ambassadors were redeployed to remain fixed at the Slauson and Washington A line Stations to assist riders through the unplanned bus bridge set up due to an incident preventing the train from passing through Vernon Station. Ambassadors remained until 6:30 PM, when the service disruption was cleared. 

Metro Ambassadors will continue notifying the public about ongoing service disruptions as needed.

Positive Customer Feedback - Metro Ambassadors

During May 2024, 6 Metro Ambassadors were recognized through the Special Thanks and Recognition (S.T.A.R.) form.

In one instance, a customer wrote: “I'm writing to commend Rafael Guadamuz for his exceptional helpfulness. Recently, Rafael assisted my grandmother by carrying her backpack. This seemingly simple act of kindness made a big difference for her, and I truly appreciate his willingness to go the extra mile. Rafael's thoughtfulness is a shining example of excellent customer service, and I hope his actions are recognized”.

In another, a customer wrote: “A Huge Thank You to Metro Heroes Rafael Guadamuz and Mariah Love…I witnessed a horrific situation unfold on a train where an unhoused person attempted to harm a patron. In the midst of this chaos, Rafael and Mariah stepped up and took control. Their calm and collected demeanor helped to de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of everyone on board. Their actions undoubtedly prevented further violence and created a sense of order amidst the panic. I was particularly impressed by their professionalism throughout the ordeal. They remained composed and acted swiftly, ensuring the safety of all passengers. It's clear that they are highly trained and capable individuals who are dedicated to their jobs and the well-being of the people they serve. Thanks to Rafael and Mariah's quick thinking and courage, a potentially tragic situation was averted. Their actions are a true testament to the professionalism and dedication of Metro employees. I left the train feeling safe and very satisfied with the way they handled the situation. Once again, thank you Rafael Guadamuz and Mariah Love for your heroism!”.

Equity Platform

EQUITY PLATFORM

Metro continues to take a cross-disciplinary approach to grow ridership, improve the customer experience, and, most importantly, ensure the safety of Metro’s system. The collaboration between SSLE and its partners in the comprehensive public safety model remains strong as they work strategically together to support vulnerable and unhoused riders, respond to customer concerns, and improve cleanliness and security on the system. Each public safety resource is deployed on the system after carefully considering customer comments, crime data, and observations shared by law enforcement partners, contract security, multi-disciplinary outreach teams, and Metro Ambassadors to ensure every resource is used efficiently. Operator safety remains a top priority as Bus Safety Teams continue to assist with offloading during Owl Service. In May, Bus Safety Teams were at the terminus points of Lines 4 and 720 in Santa Monica. Since bus operators continue to express the need for more security presence during Owl Service, this recent operation shows that their voices are being heard and action is being taken to address their concerns. Through these safety operations and the comprehensive deployment, Metro aims to create a safer environment for employees to perform their duties and riders to enjoy their trip experience. 

Next Steps
NEXT STEPS

SSLE continues to monitor our law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security Officer performance, monitor crime stats, and consider information from 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 - Board Motion 31

Attachment B - Board Motion 30

Attachment C - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity May 2024

Attachment D - Total Crime Summary May 2024

Attachment E - Systemwide Law Enforcement Overview May 2024

Attachment F - MTA Supporting Data May 2024

Attachment G - Bus & Rail Operator Assaults May 2024

Attachment H - Sexual Harassment Crimes May 2024

Attachment I - Daily Surge Demographics Data

Prepared by

Prepared by: Robert Gummer, Interim Deputy Chief, System Security & Law

Enforcement Officer, (213) 922-4513

Vanessa Smith, Executive Officer, Customer Experience, (213) 922-7009

Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848

Reviewed By

Reviewed by: Kenneth Hernandez, Interim Chief Safety Officer, Chief Safety Office, (213) 922-2990

Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Customer Experience Office, (213) 940-4060

Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, Operations, (213) 418-3034