Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON TRANSIT SAFETY AND SECURITY PERFORMANCE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Transit Safety and Security Report.
Issue
ISSUE
This report reflects September 2019 performance data as reported under the transit policing deployment strategy which is a combination of in-house fare compliance officers, private security for fixed assets and a multi-agency law enforcement deployment strategy by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), and Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). The information in this report summarizes Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Property, and Crimes Against Society data under Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, average emergency response times, assaults on bus operators, and Metro’s fare compliance and homeless outreach efforts. The Six Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are Uniform Crime Reporting guidelines, Average Emergency Response Times, Percentage of Time Spent on the System, Ratio of Staffing Levels vs Vacant Assignments, Ratio of Proactive vs Dispatched Activity, and Number of Grade Crossing Operations.
BACKGROUND
UCR is a National Incident-Based Reporting System from the US Department of Justice. It captures crime offenses in one of three categories: Crimes Against Persons,
Crimes Against Property, and Crimes Against Society.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Crime stats are as follows:
Crimes Against Persons
For the month of September 2019, crimes against persons increased by 2 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Crimes Against Property
For the month of September 2019, crimes against property decreased by 24 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Crimes Against Society
For the month of September 2019, crimes against society increased by 5 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Bus Operator Assaults
There were 5 bus operator assaults reported in September, which is 3 fewer compared to the same period last year.
Average Emergency Response Times:
Emergency response times averaged 4.46 minutes for the month of September.
Physical Security Improvements:
The Systems Security and Law Enforcement division continues to provide a secure and safe environment for our patrons and employees. The New Blue Line North construction started on June 1st, and an effective policing plan for the bus-only lanes in Los Angeles was developed. We worked closely with the LAPD, LA Sheriff and Metro to provide coverage for the bus-only lanes and the heavily-trafficked area South of Olympic Blvd.
The New Blue Line North construction team was confronted with multiple thefts of copper wire along the tracks during August. Metro Construction and Security teamed up to deploy law enforcement, contract security and Metro personnel along the Blue Line to thwart the thefts, which would have affected the opening date of the New Blue Line if they continued.
We deployed the Thruvision explosive detection device on September 25th at the North Hollywood rail station. We worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department and Metro Security to develop a concept of the operation for the deployment.
We continue to improve our new Transit Watch application, and we hope to have the prototype ready this winter.
The Red Line ancillary area surge continues, and we are making progress with securing our underground rail stations.
Metro’s Homeless Efforts:
In spring 2016, Metro created the Metro Homeless Task Force to address the displaced persons that have turned to Metro system and property for alternative shelter. Out of the Task Force, Metro created the Metro Transit Homeless Action Plan which was presented to the Metro Board of Directors in February 2017. The Action Plan’s goals are to enhance the customer experience, maintain a safe and secure system, and provide coordinated outreach. Components of the plan include Metro’s coordination with County and City Measure H and Measure HHH. The plan also called for the hiring of two C3 teams (County, City, Community) through the County Department of Health Services as indicated by Metro’s Board of Directors. The C3 teams are to provide coordinated and responsive outreach to the homeless and to ultimately get them in housing resources.
Metro’s C3 Homeless Outreach Teams:
Metro’s C3 Homeless Outreach teams’ twelve-month pilot program began on May 22, 2017 with initial homeless outreach on the Red Line. Since the launch of Metro’s C3 Homeless Outreach teams they have provided substantial homeless outreach-with 6,000 total unduplicated homeless contacts,1,578 of whom have been linked to permanent housing solutions with a total of 150 homeless persons permanently housed. In FY19 Metro expanded the C3 teams from two to eight teams to cover rail, bus and Union Station.
C3 Homeless Outreach September 1, 2019 through October 4, 2019:
|
Performance Measure |
September Number Served |
Project Year to date Number Served |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals’ initiated contact (pre-engagement phase) |
182 |
6,000 |
|
Number of Unduplicated individuals engaged (engagement phase) |
55 |
3,126 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals who are provided services or who successfully attained referrals* |
82 |
2,544 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who successfully attained an interim housing resource (this includes crisis and/or bridge housing) |
31 |
1,065 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who are successfully linked to a permanent housing program |
5 |
363 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who are permanently housed |
5 |
150 |
For the month of September, a total of 11 people were placed in a motel. Of these, 3 were families and 8 were individuals. The total cost, $10,307.
PATH Impact Story resulting in Stable Housing
Participant is a 34 year-old male who had been a heroin addict for the past six years, five of those years he had experienced homelessness. Participant has experienced significant mental health issues for much of his adult life which had gone untreated for the most part. Participant developed a chronic illness with severe symptoms as a result of his addiction.
Based on the participant’s chronic physical illness, mental health issues and substance use disorder, a referral was made to DHS HFH IH and he was placed at the Weingart Center a few days later.
C3 Coordination with Law Enforcement
With Metro System Security and Law Enforcement personnel as the lead, Metro’s C3 teams coordinate with LAPD’s Homeless Outreach and Protective Engagement (HOPE) Teams, LASD’s Mental Evaluation Teams (MET), Long Beach PD, and Metro’s Transit Security Officers, in an effort to engage the homeless and provide placement into services. These law enforcement entities provide gap service on the lines for homeless outreach when the C3 Teams are off duty or working another portion of the system.
LAPD Outreach
There are a variety of small successes that include a few long-term cases being managed:
• One involves a female that might get her own apartment.
• A family with a child might get an apartment, but the process is still in progress.
• We’ve provided welcome home kits to DMH partner and recently secured a new bed for a newly house individual that had lost his bed and furniture due to bed bugs.
• Homeless woman observed at Union Station by law enforcement to have maggots pouring out of one of her legs. She was placed on a hold then transferred to receive much needed medical treatment. LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit is working to have the homeless woman evaluated through the Detective section of LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit for conservatorship consideration. Meanwhile PATH is working on housing options.
Sheriff Mental Evaluation Team (MET) Contacts September 1, 2019 through October 5, 2019
These monthly statistics only include contacts of the Transit MET Units. They do not include contacts made by other Transit Services Bureau personnel. In addition to the data reported below, Transit MET Units:
• Transported 23 clients to other homeless outreach connection services.
• 3 teams assessed a homeless encampment at Florence Pax, Blue Line - 09/06/2019.
• 2 teams assisted MTA post No Trespassing notices at a homeless encampment on 61st Street/Holmes Avenue, Los Angeles, CA Blue Line - 09/11/2019.
• TMET assisted MTA post No Trespassing notices at a homeless encampment on 190th Street/Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90503 - 09/18/2019.
• TMET and TIU team assisted Metro personnel with a homeless encampment clean-up at 61st St/Holmes Avenue, Los Angeles, Blue Line - 09/25/2019.
Long Beach Quality of Life Officers Update September 2019
In addition to the data reported below, Quality of Life Officers engaged on these dates:
• Saturday, September 5th there was a Metro complaint regarding a person experiencing homelessness at a Metro property located at 142 elm Ave. When engaged by Quality of Life Officers, the subject refused service and said that he was working with the Long Beach Health department Multi Service Center. Quality of Life Officers moved him along.
• Tuesday, September 10th, Metro Quality of Life Officers assisted the Public Works Department at 20th Street and Long Beach Boulevard with persons experiencing homelessness encampment clean-up. This area is adjacent to but not part of Metro property.
• Thursday, September 26th, a Long Beach Quality of Life Officer was able to place an elderly male subject at the Long Beach Reserve Mission. The Mission assigned the subject temporary housing for one week.
September 2019 Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach
|
ACTION |
LAPD HOPE |
LASD MET |
LBPD |
|
Contacts |
829 |
669 |
358 |
|
Referrals |
30 |
376 |
118 |
|
5150 Holds |
9 |
24 |
2 |
|
Mental Illness |
27 |
249 |
73 |
|
Substance Abuse |
90 |
161 |
56 |
|
Veterans |
3 |
10 |
0 |
|
Shelter |
3 |
3 |
12 |
|
Motel Housing Plan |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
VA Housing |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Return to Family |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Transitional Long Term Housing |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Detox |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rehab |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Metro ROW Encampment:
• Expo Line - Exposition Blvd and Veteran on the north side of the Expo ROW - September 10, 2019
• Harbor Division - Along Slauson between Hyde Park and Western - September 11, 2019
• Harbor Sub-division - Between 190th St and Hawthorne Blvd - September 18, 2019
• Gold Line - North of Highland Park Station - Between Ave. 59 and 60 - September 25, 2019
• Metro Blue Line - Slauson Station Fly Over - located at Holmes Ave and 61st St. Cul-de-sac - September 26, 2019
Metro Encampments Outside, Adjacent to Metro ROW: None
Measure H Generalist:
Metro’s Homeless Action Plan integrates itself into the work provided under Measures H and HHH. Part of the E6 Strategies of Measure H includes 40 additional outreach workers otherwise known as “generalists” to conduct outreach on government properties including Metro, and countywide parks, libraries, beaches and harbors. These generalists do not go past the fare gates and their data, per the county will not be extrapolated for Metro. However, these generalists currently work with the C3 teams to provide outreach services.
Connect Days
Connect Days provide comprehensive homeless resources at location sites throughout LA County. These resource opportunity events are led by Council Districts (CD) and are utilized by Metro’s C3 and Measure H teams when the Connect Days are adjacent to Metro properties. CD1 hosts a standing Connect Day at MacArthur Park that was utilized in September by Metro’s C3 teams to provide comprehensive resources to the homeless.
Mental Health Outreach Workers:
The LA County Department of Mental Health has provided a mental health clinician and an intern to one of Metro’s contracted HOPE teams. Mental Health professionals are paired with all MET Teams.
Faith Based Partnership
Since January 2019, Metro has hosted seven regional faith leader roundtable discussions to identity ways that Metro and the Faith based community in LA County may partner to serve the homeless. There is a major opportunity for faith based groups to provide additional resources to homeless contacts on Metro in several ways: hosting Connect Days; partnering with entities that provide necessities (food, shelter, clothing) and providing referral information. Metro invites faith based groups and local nonprofits interested in providing resources to transit located homeless to contact Metro’s System Security and Law Enforcement Department.
Peace over Violence
In 2014, a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority survey of nearly 20,000 passengers asked whether they felt unsafe during the last month while riding Metro due to “unwanted touching, exposure, comments, or any other form of unwanted sexual behavior.” About 21% of rail passengers and 18% of bus passengers said yes. About 17% of bus riders and 13% of train riders said they felt unsafe while waiting at bus stops or train stations.
In December 2016, Metro approached Peace Over Violence (POV) to help address the response of safety and sexual harassment. Together both entities decided to create the Sexual Harassment Off Limits Hotline, which is 1-844-OFF-LIMITS or 1-844-633-5464. The Off Limits Hotline is a toll-free hotline for victims/Metro Transit customers who have experienced sexual harassment on the bus, bus stop, train or platform. The Off Limits Hotline is publicized by Metro on their buses, Metro lines, etc. for riders to make them aware of the support that is available to them. This hotline is customized to address the needs of Metro customers and Metro transportation. Peace Over Violence also distributes the Off Limits Hotline number throughout the community, whether that is through trainings, presentations, networking events, etc. POV maintains advertising of the hotline.
From August 2017 to September 30, 2019, POV has received a total of 1,140 calls through the Off Limits Hotline. In addition to the 24-hour response via the hotline, Peace Over Violence also provides:
• 72 hour follow up
• Advocacy on behalf of the caller to report an incident or address any specific needs (with law enforcement, Metro representatives, other service providers)
• Counseling
Our comprehensive case management services for survivors of sexual violence plus our emergency response services to survivors at local police stations, Sexual Assault Centers and ER hospitals is also offered to callers. Customized services that our POV representatives also provide are:
• Assisting callers in reporting abuse/harassment
• Processing complaints against bus drivers/operators
The Off Limits Hotline has been able to provide Metro riders with additional resources to report and receive support after sexual violence or trauma. Advocates have been able to provide immediate crisis intervention, safety planning and continuation of services for Metro customers.
|
Performance Measure |
September 2019 |
|
|
Number Served |
|
Total Number of individuals that contacted POV Line |
26 |
|
Number of individuals that contacted POV Line regarding sexual harassment |
6 |
|
Number of individuals that requested counseling services |
6 |
|
Number of police reports filed or intended to file regarding sexual harassment |
6 |
|
Number of active cases |
6 |
Emergency Management: September 2019
The Office of Emergency Management has the responsibility of comprehensively planning for, responding to and recovering from large-scale emergencies and disasters that impact Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and our stakeholders.
Operations, Response, & Recovery:
• September 17-18, 2019 - Emergency Operations Center Activation: In response to the President’s visit to downtown Los Angeles, the Emergency Operations Center activated to a Level 4 (normal readiness) to support operations, transit security, and local law enforcement for the two-day visit. An EMD representative also deployed to the Unified Command Post to serve as a liaison. No major issues to report.
Training & Exercise:
• September 11, 2019 - CPUC 2016-2019 Rail Exercises Audit: No audit findings. CPUC noted exceptional presentation of exercise program and demonstrations of upcoming safety and response training; video and virtual reality systems.
• September 14, 2019 - Expo Line Training and Criminal Activity / Active Shooter Exercises: Conducted 11 Rail Familiarization Trainings and 12 Functional Exercises with five LAPD Divisions (60 officers) including LAPD SWAT and Emergency Services Bureau, with logistical support from LADOT. Objectives were to provide familiarity for law enforcement of Metro light rail trains, emergency equipment and interagency response coordination and communication, during an on-train incident.
Outreach & Preparedness
National Preparedness Month observance: Metro’s first observance of National Preparedness Month. Hosted a lunch & learn with panel guests representing LA County Office of Emergency Management, LA City Emergency Management Department, and Riverside Transit Agency. Conducted outreach at all Bus/Rail Yards, Non-Revenue Locations, and Gateway. Disseminated agency wide weekly preparedness Email Blasts and provided staff tours of the Mobile Operations Command Control. Over 2,000 employee interactions.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - System-Wide Law Enforcement Overview September 2019
Attachment B - MTA Supporting Data September 2019
Attachment C - Key Performance Indicators September 2019
Attachment D - Transit Police Summary September 2019
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jimmy Abarca, Senior Administrative Analyst, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-2615
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Aston T. Greene, Interim Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-2599
