Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 20, 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 impacting our transit system, 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
The Metro Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for overseeing safety initiatives on the Metro system, working in coordination with other departments, including Operations, Customer Experience, Risk, Corporate Safety, and Asset Management. DPS forms the foundation of Metro’s comprehensive approach to safety and security, focused specifically on protecting customers and employees by mitigating crime and other societal issues impacting the transit 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 September, the most recent month for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.
OVERVIEW
As Metro strives to continually improve and more accurately measure the impact of its public safety initiatives, staff have established the following outcomes, which are strategically focused on the CEO’s three-pronged approach.
• Continue to increase monthly ridership. In September, Metro ridership was 26,260,796, which is an 11% increase since staff first observed a decrease in ridership this past June (23,751,607). When compared to September 2024, ridership is down by 1.9%. Many factors influence ridership patterns, including business closures due to holidays, construction, students returning to school, and changes in people’s daily routines. Tracking monthly ridership numbers allows staff to assess the overall effectiveness of all three safety initiatives. Furthermore, ongoing safety initiatives influence riders’ overall perception of safety, which subsequently impacts their decision to utilize public transit, thereby leading to changes in ridership levels.
• Ensure access to the system is used solely for transit. Law enforcement and security made 170 trespassing arrests, of which three took place in the ancillary areas. These three arrests were initiated by Contract Security (CS) after an ancillary alarm was triggered. Metro’s proactive strategy, which includes fixed security posts of uniformed personnel, roving patrols, frequent station cleanings, physical security, and environmental improvements, has led to significant improvements in access control and safety, as well as noticeable positive changes in cleanliness across the Metro system's ancillary areas. The notable improvements in cleanliness, as well as the reduction and removal of encamped areas, coupled with increased enforcement and accountability for those who trespass in the ancillary areas, are positive measures of the effectiveness of Metro’s access control safety improvement strategies and tactics.
• Connect homeless riders to housing. Metro Homeless Outreach Management & Engagement (HOME) referred 213 people to interim housing and placed 20 people into permanent housing in September, thereby reducing the need for them to shelter on the Metro system and bringing the total for FY26 to 657 connections to housing. Meeting 31% of the FY26 goal of 2,100 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 remained relatively the same in September 2025 compared to August (159 vs. 158). There was one more aggravated assault this month. When compared to September 2024, Crimes Against Persons decreased by 16.3% in September 2025 (159 vs. 190).
• Facilitate the reduction of property crime. Crimes Against Property decreased in September 2025 by 5.6% (67 vs. 71) compared to the previous month due to decreases in vandalism. When compared to September 2024, Crimes Against Property decreased by 33.0% in September 2025 (67 vs. 100).
• Facilitate the reduction of narcotics, trespassing, and other crimes against society. Arrests for Crimes Against Society decreased by 12.5% in September 2025 compared to the previous month (335 vs. 383) due to decreases in narcotics and trespassing arrests. When compared to September 2024, Crimes Against Society decreased by 61.7% in September 2025 (335 vs. 874). More details, including crimes per one million boardings, 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.
Safety improvement and crime mitigation strategic responses to outcome trends are included in subsequent sections. Further analysis of the seasonality of crime is in the Crime Stats section below.
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Metro believes in continuously listening to, learning from, and responding to 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. DPS monitors general sentiment and reports actionable security concerns in weekly calls with Metro’s security and maintenance teams. Any customer comments about criminal activity are immediately forwarded to law enforcement for investigation and reporting.
Overall Public Sentiment
In September, the sentiment focused on safety and security. As in previous months, the most positive comment was about the system's visible security presence, highlighting the new faregates at stations.
• September 12 - A post on Reddit titled “First Month in LA - My Observations” generated positive engagement, when the rider stated they just moved to Los Angeles from Chicago and the public transit system here is way better than people give it credit for. They noted that trains are clean, well-staffed, and that they have taken public transit every day and have yet to use the train without seeing an officer, security, or an Ambassador.
Most Common Customer Concerns
To assess the most common customer concerns from the public, Metro looked at incidents submitted through the Transit Watch app. The number of reports submitted through the Transit Watch app increased in September, from 3,939 in August to 4,679, primarily due to a rise in graffiti reports.
The three most reported types of incidents are property crime related to graffiti (28% of reported incidents), smoking/alcohol/drugs (27% of reported incidents), and fights or disturbances (17% of reported incidents). Below are the top three locations for each incident type for September 2025:
1. Graffiti - North Hollywood Station, Chinatown Station, and Washington Station, where several reports were received for graffiti inside of elevators.
2. Smoking/Alcohol/Drugs - 7th Street/Metro Center Station, San Pedro Station, and Florence Station, where riders have reported seeing people doing drugs at the stations and smoking inside the trains.
3. Fights or Disturbances - Washington Station, Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, and Union Station, where reports were submitted for people arguing loudly and playing loud music on the platforms and on the trains.
As the number of reports increased, the Security Operations Center’s Security Control Specialists had an initial reply of 51 seconds in September, which was an increase from last month’s time of 34 seconds, but they still exceeded the department’s FY26 target alert reaction time of 120 seconds. This target reaction time ensures the proper resources are dispatched faster.
Addressing Customer Concerns
Rider reports continue to highlight recurring issues related to graffiti and Code of Conduct violations along the A, B, C, and E lines.
Metro’s graffiti abatement contractors are required to perform daily inspections throughout Metro’s system. All accessible graffiti observed by the contractor must be removed immediately within the same day. All reported accessible graffiti must be removed within 48 hours, and reported non-accessible graffiti must be removed expeditiously upon securing approved track allocation and support. Approximately 4,000 graffiti tags are removed monthly from Metro facilities, Rights-Of-Way, parking lots and parcel properties.
DPS, along with Customer Experience, actively work on decreasing drug use on our system. LAPD and LASD employ a variety of strategies, such as plain clothes surveillance operations, public drug use/ drug recognition surge operations to disrupt demand, and daily proactive patrols to actively disrupt narcotics distribution when it is observed or reported by an employee or rider. In September, LAPD and LASD made 104 arrests (LAPD - 95; LASD - 9) for narcotics, while MTS cited one individual for smoking/vaping. In comparison, LAPD and LASD made 127 arrests (LAPD - 117; LASD - 10) for narcotics in August, while MTS did not cite any 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.
Additionally, Metro promotes the Customer Code of Conduct and the Transit Watch app to all customers through its website, social media channels, and signage within the bus and rail 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. Observations are shared during weekly meetings among public safety partners, and security patrols are adjusted at stations with the highest numbers of observations.
ENGAGED & VISIBLE DEPLOYMENT
The following are Metro’s public safety personnel's deployment activities for September, 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 September.
In September, the two law enforcement agencies made 551 arrests and issued 659 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 are 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 enforcing the Code of Conduct, which includes addressing fare evasion. In September, Transit Security Officers issued 222 citations and 254 written warnings. 216 citations (97%) and 250 warnings (98%) were for fare evasion. Refer to Attachment D for more details on MTS activity and deployment this month, and a demographic breakdown of those cited.
In addition to these enforcement responsibilities, MTS also engages in educating patrons about having valid fare media on their TAP cards, explaining how TAP-to-Exit works at end-of-line stations, and overseeing the weapons detection pilot at designated stations.
Most of the violations were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. Approximately 23% of these violations were issued at TAP-to-Exit locations: Downtown Santa Monica (12%), Downtown Long Beach (10%), and APU/Citrus (1%). 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 by conducting fare checks as riders are exiting these stations, accounting for an additional 53% of violations issued in September (26% at Union Station and 27% at North Hollywood). 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
Metro Ambassadors support riders by providing assistance, connecting them to resources, and reporting safety incidents or maintenance needs. Their presence helps enhance the perception and feeling of customer safety and the overall customer experience. In September 2025, Ambassadors supported both regular systemwide deployments and several new initiatives. Notably, they began deployments at the four newly opened A Line to Pomona stations - Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona - and continued their presence across all rail lines as well as the G Line and the J Line. See Attachment E for additional details on Ambassador deployments this month.
In September 2025, Ambassadors conducted 67,435 customer engagements and reported:
• 6,847 cleanliness issues (41% increase from August 2025)
• 2,913 graffiti incidents (37% increase from August 2025)
• 925 elevator and escalator problems (24% increase from August 2025)
The rise in cleanliness and maintenance incidents is due to problems with the display and passenger monitors. Transit Ambassador Program staff will review outage reports provided by internal stakeholders to decrease reporting for units that are out for extended periods. The Transit Ambassador Program will continue to take a proactive approach and focus on qualitative versus quantitative reporting.
The apparent rise in property crimes (graffiti) appears to be the result of duplicate incident reports. To address this, Transit Ambassadors have been directed to submit a photo with all graffiti incidents to reduce redundancy. Early results show a 16% drop in reported incidents compared to previous metrics.
The uptick in elevator and escalator issues was primarily caused by misuse, vandalism, and people pressing emergency-stop buttons. Ambassador Supervisors have been provided with escalator keys so they can initiate restarts, thereby minimizing outage durations. The latest data indicates a 7% decline in incidents compared to this month’s report.
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. These deployments are both preventative to keep our riders safe from crime and reassuring to make our riders feel safe. The BSTs are augmented with law enforcement support. In September, there were 1,300 and 7,283 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. September 2025 also recorded a 93% decrease in offloading refusals compared to September 2024. This significant decline underscores the effectiveness of Metro’s ongoing strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing customer engagement and compliance with Metro’s Customer Code of Conduct. Compliance includes offloading the train at the EOL stations and re-tapping to adhere to fare payment rules.
In addition, MTS BSTs conducted EOL operations during Owl Service on Line 2 in Exposition Park and Line 4 in Downtown Los Angeles to address bus operators' concerns about individuals refusing to alight buses at the end of the line. In September, these operations resulted in 218 removals on Line 2 and 243 removals on Line 4 for non-compliance. MTS officers use a care-based, human-centered approach to first connect individuals sheltering on the system to homeless outreach services before escalating to issuing citations and warnings. Appropriate de-escalation techniques are deployed when people are uncooperative and or/aggressive. Warnings and citations are issued as necessary and appropriate to address egregious and intractable conduct and behavior and to provide accountability.
Homeless outreach workers are deployed at end-of-line stations to support offloading strategies by offering resources and services to mitigate unfavorable impacts in EOL station communities. Deployment of homeless outreach workers at EOL stations varies based on system wide needs and public safety priorities.
ACCESS CONTROL & STATION EXPERIENCE
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 improve station cleanliness and expand public bathroom access, Throne Bathrooms expanded to five more stations, providing public bathroom access at every end-of-line terminal across the LA County service area.
• To improve the bus service for riders coming from the South Bay and Gateway Cities areas at the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station, staff partnered with LADOT to refine the signal timing that had been causing delayed buses and missed transfer connections.
• To improve safety and cleanliness at Manchester/I-110 Transitway Station, staff completed several improvements, including brighter lighting, the relocation of map cases, and pressure-washing canopies and windows.
Looking ahead, staff continue to identify hotspot stations with similar challenges to expand these best practice interventions. This includes the following:
• Staff are working with the City of Santa Monica to address the misuse of the emergency exit to trespass at Downtown Santa Monica Station.
• Given the persistent misuse of the emergency swing gate equipment at Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, staff held an on-site demonstration and review of the improved egress capacity of the taller faregates with LAFD and received their approval to install taller faregates in lieu of the emergency swing gates. If successful at this station, staff will investigate how to use this approved strategy at other stations.
• Staff were granted approval by the LA City Fire Department (LAFD) to resume TAP-to-Exit at North Hollywood Station, so they have convened with all supporting stakeholders to determine a date to restart the program. They are also continuing discussions to resume the program at Union Station and implement it at the newly opened Pomona A Line Station.
• With the upcoming taller faregate upgrades to Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, staff relocated the paid fare boundary to where the temporary queueing lanes begin, which allows staff to remove queuing lanes and open up the concourse for riders with valid fare.
• 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 are working to coordinate a multi-pronged approach using HOME teams, fencing repairs, and technology advancements to address persistent break-ins of the emergency exit pathway underneath the Patsaouras Busway Station along the I-10 Express Lanes.
• After receiving feedback that some amenities at the El Monte Bus Station are outdated, staff conducted a site visit and are working to make the necessary repairs and upgrades to bring the station into the current technology standards.
• Maintenance Staff are working with DPS, LASD, and LASD’s Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) to address copper thefts and growing RV encampments near Del Amo Station.
• With evidence of inappropriate activity, particularly in the station parking lots, at Sherman Way Station, staff are working with its Facilities Maintenance partners in the region to implement parking lot user safety improvements.
PARTNERSHIPS TO MITIGATE SOCIETAL ISSUES
Like any other large metropolitan area, greater Los Angeles faces societal issues, 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 and improve access to mental health and substance abuse resources. Metro also works with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) annually on the Point-in-Time count, which is used to gauge the impact of the public safety ecosystem on the number of unhoused individuals who use the system for shelter. Addressing societal issues requires collaboration across Metro departments, so Ambassadors, homeless outreach, contract security, and law enforcement communicate and coordinate weekly, sharing data and any notable trends with each other 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 September, MDTs enrolled 619 people into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), referred 213 people to interim housing, and placed 20 people into permanent housing. For FY26, 1,873 people have been enrolled into HMIS, and 657 have been connected to interim or permanent housing thus far; see the table below for a breakdown of the placements for this fiscal year.
Responding to Mental Health & Emotional Distress
In addition to having MDTs on the system, DPS’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. In September, LAPD’s HOPE team engaged 136 individuals, referring seven of them to services. LASD’s MET had 277 engagements and referred one of them to social services. 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. See the following table for details from LAPD and LASD:
Systemwide Crime Stats - September 2025 vs. August 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 DPS and its public safety partners to better observe trends and determine and update deployments as necessary.
Overall, Crimes Against Persons (violent crimes) stayed roughly the same in September (159 vs. 158 in August) due to increases in aggravated assaults. LAPD and LASD did not identify any trends or patterns this month; however, MTS maintained an additional BST deployment in the Norwalk area until September 26.
Crimes Against Property saw an overall decrease in September compared to August, with decreases in vandalism (17 vs. 28 in August). Law enforcement did not observe any notable patterns in crimes this month and continues to monitor for any suspicious activity.
Crimes Against Society decreased in September due to fewer arrests for narcotics and trespassing. On September 16, LASD conducted an undercover operation at Lake Station, targeting reported narcotics activity in the area. Detectives arrested 11 individuals for trespassing, outstanding warrants, and narcotics. On September 18, LASD conducted another operation in San Dimas to identify and disrupt criminal activity in the area and to enhance safety along the A Line. These operations may have deterred narcotics activity on the rail system. Crimes in this category fluctuate in relation to enforcement levels, impacting arrest data, but staff also assess safety using other indicators, including customer feedback, reported incidents, and overall rider perception.
Per One Million Boardings
Note: Crime data from 2020-2023 may be skewed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The graph above compares crime in August and September from 2020 to 2025. Crimes Against Persons (violent crime) per one million boardings decreased from August to September from 2020 to 2025. Crimes Against Property per one million boardings increased from August to September in 2021, 2023, and 2024; however, it decreased by 9.2% in 2025. Crimes Against Society per one million boardings fluctuated between August and September over the years, with increases in 2020, 2021, and 2023; however, it decreased in recent years (2024 and 2025) as Metro implemented several access control efforts, including ancillary area alarms and taller faregates. There was a spike in Crimes Against Society in 2024, attributed to the Public Safety Surge, which began in May 2024. This surge led to a spike in arrests for trespassing, narcotics, and weapons as there was increased law enforcement out on the system. The general trend observed is a decline from August to September over the past five years, which can be attributed to various factors, such as the start of school, cooler weather, and major fall events. Refer to Attachment H for more details on the data normalized by ridership.
Mitigating Assaults Against Frontline Employees
Bus Operators
Metro’s law enforcement partners reported eleven operator assaults in September, an increase from August (11 vs. 5) and a decrease from September 2024 (11 vs. 13). Using physical force, spitting, using a weapon or object, brandishing a weapon, and throwing a projectile were the methods of assaults on operators. Of the eleven assaults reported, nine occurred inside the vehicle, and five of those reported a barrier in use.
Of the five assaults that reported a barrier in use, two involved suspects who approached from the driver’s side window, and one suspect used the barrier door itself to strike the operator. Another suspect brandished a toy gun while standing outside the bus. The remaining assault occurred when the suspect struck the barrier door with a hammer, demonstrating how the retrofit barrier was able to shield the operator from any injuries.
Four assaults happened inside the bus while the operator left their seats and stepped outside of the retrofit barrier to speak to patrons about Code of Conduct violations or while assisting a patron in a wheelchair. As a result, the suspect was able to get close enough to assault the operator, in these cases, to spit, push, hit, or throw water at them.
Two incidents occurred while the operator was outside the bus: when the operator attempted to put the battery back inside after an individual removed the battery, and the suspect grabbed the operator’s arm; and when the operator exited the bus to speak to someone who was parked in the bus lane, the suspect struck the operator in the face. More details on assault methods and reasons can be found in Attachment I.
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.
Other Frontline Staff
Assaults on frontline staff (excluding operators) increased from 13 in August to 14 in September. The methods of assault on these frontline staff vary from suspects using their hands to shoving or punching staff, throwing an object, spitting on an employee, throwing liquid, and using verbal threats. Of the fourteen assaults in September, seven occurred on the B Line, three occurred at Union Station (not line-specific), two occurred on the K Line, one occurred on the A Line, and one occurred on the E Line.
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 techniques, arrest procedures, 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 I.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Metro transit system spans many diverse communities across Los Angeles County. The diversity of Metro’s service area includes economically and ethnically diverse areas, as well as diversity in regard to crime and public safety needs. 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 is equitable across Los Angeles County.
Metro’s rider population includes vulnerable people, many of them unhoused, who utilize and ride on the system as a means of shelter. A Customer Experience Survey and employee feedback have shown that this often has an undesirable impact on riders and staff at the end-of-line (EOL) stations. Contract Security and MTS Bus Safety Teams regularly conduct EOL offloading operations at rail and bus stations, respectively, setting a consistent, compassionate, and equitable standard on what riders should do upon reaching the last station. In September, MTS BSTs focused on Lines 2 and 4 in Exposition Park and Downtown Los Angeles, respectively, improving staff safety as operators had concerns about individuals refusing to alight at the last stop. Homeless outreach teams are also available at EOL stations to offer services to any individuals experiencing homelessness.
Furthermore, as part of efforts to address and reduce crime and enhance the feeling of safety, MTS officers use enforcement as a last resort after all other reasonable and less intrusive alternatives have failed. MTS and CS officers use de-escalation, negotiation, and other non-coercive engagements as primary tools for resolution while engaging in educating patrons about Metro’s Customer Code of Conduct, which includes paying valid fare to ride the system. Ambassadors and TAP Blue Shirts are also present at stations to assist riders and refer people to Metro’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) Program when needed.
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 Transit Security Officers, 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 - Narcan Data September 2025
Attachment B - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity September 2025
Attachment C - Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach September 2025
Attachment D - Metro Transit Security Activities September 2025
Attachment E - Metro Ambassador Activities September 2025
Attachment F - Station Experience Updates
Attachment G - Law Enforcement Crime Summary September 2025
Attachment H - Frontline Safety Additional Data September 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
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
