Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
APRIL 27, 2023
Subject
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Public Safety Report.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro’s main priority is providing riders with a safe experience and employees with a safe work environment. As noted in the 2021 Public Safety Survey, safety is a top concern for riders. Metro is researching, listening, reassessing current safety programs, and launching new safety initiatives. This report provides a status update on these public safety initiatives.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro's mission is to provide a world-class transportation system that enhances the quality of life for everyone living, working, and playing in LA County. Metro has implemented several non-law enforcement initiatives to reimagine public safety. The Chief Safety Office continues to incorporate information from surveys, customer complaints, and physical security assessments, amongst other sources, to analyze a wide array of safety-related issues.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this report is to provide statistical information regarding the number of part 1 and part 2 crimes that occurred in the system. The data report is submitted by Metro’s Law Enforcement partners- LAPD, LASD, and LBPD on a monthly basis for the month prior to the reporting period. This report covers the crime stats for February 2023 and current safety strategy updates.
FEBRUARY 2023 CRIME DATA
During February, the system saw an increase in Crimes Against Persons and Crimes Against Society. The increase in reported Crimes Against Persons is due to an increase in battery, aggravated assaults, and robberies. The variance in Crimes Against Society is due to the Drug-Free Campaign, as narcotics related arrests increased across the Red, Blue, and Green lines. Attachment A provides the system-wide law enforcement overview for February 2023. The report covers Crimes Against Persons - violent crimes (i.e., homicide, aggravated assaults) are those in which the victims are always individuals. Crimes Against Property - crimes to obtain money, property, or some other benefit (i.e., theft, vandalism, robbery) and Crimes Against Society- represent society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity (i.e., drug violations).
Systemwide ridership for the month of February is 21,047,072. A comparative analysis of crime on the system was done in relation to crimes per 100,000 riders for the month of February. Of note, a spike in crimes against persons, property, and society caused the Green Line to have a higher average compared to the rest of the system. This is due to the lower ridership on the Green Line (422,552 riders) when compared to the Red (2,203,692) and Blue (849,164) Lines, so when compared to the ridership, any crime spike has more impact on the average when compared to lines that have two to five times the number of riders. This board report includes a more detailed analysis of the crime on the Red, Green, and Blue Lines.
RAIL
Overall incidents of crime on the rail system increased by 29% (202 vs. 157) when compared to February 2022. Overall rail ridership for the month is 4,704,448.
Part 1 crimes (violent crimes/property crimes) increased on the rail system in February 2023 by 19% compared to February 2022. The largest factor for the increase was aggravated assaults, which rose 53% (26 vs. 17 incidents) compared to the previous year. Larceny incidents made up most property crimes reported in February 2023 (67%).
Part 2 crimes increased by 37% (114 vs. 83) when compared to February 2022. Narcotic incidents accounted for 33% (114 of 38) of the total. It is likely that Metro’s Drug-Free Campaign was a contributing factor, as the increased presence of law enforcement and security services resulted in more narcotic and trespassing-related arrests on the system.
Monthly Comparison
Overall, crime on the rail system during February 2023 increased 12% (202 vs. 180) compared to January 2023.
Part 1 crimes (violent crimes/property crimes) increased on the rail system in February 2023 by 11% compared to January 2023. The largest factor for the increase was robberies, which rose 23% (27 vs. 22 incidents) compared to the previous month.
Part 2 crimes increased by 13% (114 vs. 101) when compared to January 2023. Narcotic incidents (arrests) increased from 17 arrests in January to 38 arrests in February. As previously mentioned, it is likely that Metro’s Drug-Free Campaign was a contributing factor, as the increased presence of law enforcement and security services resulted in more narcotic-related arrests on the system.
BUS
Overall, crime on the bus system during February 2023 increased by 18% (98 vs. 83 when compared to February 2022. Bus boardings for February 2023 are 16,342,624.
Part 1 crimes decreased on the bus system by 11% (31 vs. 35) compared to February 2022. Violent crime had a 4% increase (58 vs. 56). However, property crime decreased by 9% (21 vs. 23).
An analysis of Part 2 crimes showed an increase of 39.5% (67 vs. 48) compared to February 2022. The largest contributor to the increase was a surge in narcotic related crimes. Narcotics incidents accounted for 18% of the Part 2 crimes reported in February 2023.
Monthly Comparison
Overall, crime on the bus system during February increased by 5% (98 vs. 93) compared to January 2023.
Part 1 crimes (violent crimes/property crimes) increased on the bus system in February 2023 by 29% compared to January 2023. The largest factor for the increase was robberies, which doubled (8 vs. 4 incidents) compared to the previous month.
Part 2 crimes decreased by 3% (67 vs. 69) compared to January 2023. Narcotic incidents (arrests) decreased from 16 arrests in January to 12 arrests in February.
Green Line Analysis
In February 2023, with 422,522 riders, the Green Line saw a total crime increase of 164% (37 vs. 14) compared to the same time the previous year. An analysis of Crimes Against Persons increased 250% (14 vs. 4) due to aggravated assaults, battery, and robbery incidents. Crimes Against Property increased by 133% due to larceny and motor vehicle theft incidents. Crimes Against Society increased by 125% due to narcotics related arrests by LASD in support of the Drug-Free Campaign.
With the increase of crime on the Green Line, LASD has resumed Respect the Ride operations to address battery and aggravated assault incidents. The increase of narcotics related incidents was a result of the Drug-Free Campaign and the multi-layered approach to identifying and addressing illicit drug use on the system.
Red/Purple Line Analysis
In February 2023, with 2,203,692 riders, the Red/Purple lines saw a 34% increase (93 vs. 69) in total crime compared to the same month last year. Crimes Against Persons increased by 36.8% (52 vs. 38) due to battery, aggravated assaults, and robbery incidents. Crimes Against Property decreased 51.9% (13 vs. 27) due to a drop in larceny incidents. Crimes Against Society increased by 600% (28 vs. 4) due to increased trespassing and narcotics arrests on the system from the Drug-Free Campaign and ancillary sweeps conducted by contract security.
As a result of the continued issues on the Red Line, a multi-layered resource surge will occur on the Red Line starting April 24th to address safety and security concerns on the system. This will include TSOs stationed at the fare gates, more transit ambassadors on the system, increased LE resources, and PATH related services for the unhoused and those suffering from drug addiction.
Blue Line Analysis
Blue Line ridership for the month of February 2023 is 849,164. The total crime on the Blue Line remained the same (34 vs. 34) compared to February 2022. Crimes Against Persons increased by 5% (20 vs. 19) due to robbery, aggravated assault, and battery incidents. Crimes Against Property decreased by 72.8% (3 vs. 11) due to a significant decline in larceny incidents. As a result of the increased law enforcement presence on the Blue Line for the Drug=Free Campaign, Crimes Against Society arrests increased by 175% (11 vs. 4), due to narcotics and weapons related charges.
OPERATOR SAFETY
The safety of all Metro employees and passengers remains our top priority. Bus operators are responsible for the safe operation of the buses while at the same time assisting our passengers. Assaults on operators during the operation of a vehicle create a serious threat to not only our operators but to our passengers and the public as well. Importantly, these assaults have a physical and mental impact on our operators and affect their overall well-being. We have implemented several safety strategies to protect our operators based on recommendations from our Employee Assault Mitigation Task Force.
In February 2023, we saw a reduction of bus/rail operator assaults decreased by 22% when compared to January 2023 and decreased by 46% when compared to February 2022. In February, there were a total of seven (7) assaults on bus/rail operators, six of the assaults occurred on the bus system and one (1) assault occurred on the B Line (Red). The average monthly bus operator assaults over the past 5 years has been 8.67, the reduction in assaults over the past three months is a positive sign that the implemented strategies are having a positive impact on reducing assaults on operators.
To improve security and prevent bus operator assaults, Corporate Safety, SSLE, and Operations have been partnering to find an improved Bus Barrier retrofit. Two versions of prototype Bus Barriers are planned to be installed on a few buses beginning in late April. Operators will be given access to a survey through a QR code to provide feedback on their experience with the level of safety and security provided by the prototype barriers. The QR code will be attached to the prototype barriers and will be available at the window of respective Divisions.
Drug-Free Campaign
Narcotic violations impacting the Metro system have evolved into a severe problem, including narcotics sales, chronic drug usage, and overdoses that have reduced the quality of service and endangered our riders and employees.
On February 13th, staff launched a 30-day Drug-Free Campaign using a comprehensive, layered approach with the following goals:
• Remove individuals arrested for committing crimes on our system, with a particular focus on drug crimes.
• Significantly decrease drug sales, usage, and overdoses on trains, platforms, and in stations.
• Remove individuals who are not using the system for the purpose of transportation.
• Increase the feeling of safety for our riders and employees.
• Increase cleanliness and the overall customer experience on targeted lines.
• Decrease crime while taking a holistic approach by offering eligible offenders a drug diversion program and necessary mental health/social services for people experiencing homelessness and suffering from drug addiction.
During a four-week period, the overall results: a 10% decrease in customer reported drug-related complaints on the system. By week 4 of the campaign, Transit Watch App reports related to smoking/alcohol/drugs were down 78% compared to Week 1. Furthermore, during the campaign period, staff trained and equipped all Metro Transit Security with Narcan - a life saving measure for overdoses. Due to encouraging results, at its March 2023 meeting, Directors Najarian, Barger, Solis, Butts, Dutra, and Horvath issued Motion 36.1 (Attachment I) to extend the campaign on the B (Red) and D (Purple) lines for an additional 90 days and deploy Transit Security Officers and Ambassadors to hot spots most impacted by the increase in reported crime. At the start of the campaign, in partnership with all our safety partners, including law enforcement, staff identified problematic locations to focus resources.
Law Enforcement Efforts on the Bus and Rail System
The following details the deployment and efforts of the law enforcement contract services during February 2023 as requested by Mayor Butts at the March 2023 Board Meeting. The annotated percentages are based on law enforcement units specifically assigned to rail stations or bus patrols and do not reflect the time spent specifically on a rail car or bus. This data is derived from the monthly KPI report provided to Metro by the law enforcement contract agencies. SSLE leverages TAP data (Attachment J) to audit badge swipes onto the rail system or bus by individual officers.
*LBPD does not have Metro bus service within their jurisdiction.
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*Dispatched identifies time spent by law enforcement responding to a call for service vs. proactive which is deterring criminal activity through police presence.
* Other Citations are characterized as primarily “released from custody” citations. This is the practice of issuing a citation for suspected unlawful conduct, but not bringing the suspect to jail for a formal booking.
**Vehicle Code Citations are parking and or driving violations that interfere with transit operations. For instance, a vehicle driving in a bus lane or parked in a manner that disrupts bus operations.
Tap Reviews
Beginning in May 2021, SSLE implemented TAP reviews as an alternative approach to monitoring presence on the Metro system by contract law enforcement personnel. These reviews aim to verify law enforcement presence throughout the Metro system by using reports from the TAP system.
The SSLE Compliance group uses this report and compares it against law enforcement deployments (In-Services). The TAP reporting allows SSLE to observe TAPs by individual officers, by individual badge, and the total volume by line or route on the system. Any discrepancies are addressed during the weekly calls with law enforcement.
See Attachment J for graphs on individual badge taps systemwide for the month of February on bus and rail.
METRO AMBASSADOR PROGRAM UPDATE
Metro Ambassadors’ job is to support our riders, connect riders to resources, and report incidents or maintenance needs. Currently 295 Metro Ambassador program staff have been hired, trained, and deployed on our system. One training took place in the month of March 2023.
Effective Monday 4/17/23, Metro Ambassadors will be certified (through virtual training) and equipped to carry and administer Naloxone (Narcan).
Metro Ambassadors are currently deployed on the K Line, L Line (Gold), B Line (Red), D Line (Purple), A Line (Blue), C Line (Green) and J Line (Silver). As well as bus lines 210, 40, 20, and 720.
By the numbers - Reporting Period: 3/3/2023 - 3/30/2023
Metro Ambassadors conducted 41,942 customer interactions and reported the following:
• 753 cleanliness issues
• 246 elevator and escalator problems
• 182 graffiti incidents
• 192 safety issues
Here are a few examples of good news stories that reflect the work Metro Ambassadors are performing:
• On Friday, 3/10/2023, around 8:49PM, the Metro Ambassadors at the Pershing Square Station noticed a customer exiting the station, shivering and wet, they asked if she needed help, at first, she declined but then one of the Metro Ambassadors offered her a rain poncho. She was grateful to the Ambassadors and left the station.
• On Saturday 3/11/2023, around 5:15PM the Metro Ambassadors riding the L Line train called 911 for an individual on the train who appeared to not be breathing. One of the Metro Ambassadors was on the line with 911 while the other notified the Train Operator. The train came to a stop at the Highland Park Station, and the operator came to assess the situation. The Metro Ambassadors guided EMT onto the platform into the rail car that the patron was in. The patron was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Metro Ambassadors will continue to support our customers and employees as extra eyes and ears on Metro bus and rail systems.
Equity Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Drug-Free Campaign elevated local awareness on the national drug crisis and its impact on the Metro system. The campaign was a concentrated effort across all our safety partners to provide a holistic approach to curtail illegal drug use activity on the system to help create a safer environment for our riders and employees. As reported last month, there was an 87% decrease in Transit Watch App reports regarding drugs, alcohol, and smoking on the system. Due to the program’s success, we are developing a plan to continue to dedicate safety resources to support this effort moving forward.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to monitor our law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security performance, monitor crime stats, and adjust deployment as necessary.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Systemwide Law Enforcement Overview February 2023
Attachment B - MTA Supporting Data February 2023
Attachment C - Transit Police Summary February 2023
Attachment D - Monthly, Bi-Annual, Annual Comparison February 2023
Attachment E - Violent, Prop, and Part 1 Crimes February 2023
Attachment F - Demographics Data February 2023
Attachment G - Bus & Rail Operator Assaults February 2023
Attachment H- Sexual Harassment Crimes February 2023
Attachment I - Board Motion 36.1
Attachment J - Individual Badge Taps Systemwide
Prepared by
Prepared by:
Vanessa Smith, Executive Officer, Customer Experience, (213) 922-7009
Robert Gummer, Deputy Executive Officer, Administration, (213) 922-4513
Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848
Reviewed By
Reviewed by: Gina Osborn, Chief Safety Officer, Chief Safety Office, (213) 922-3055
