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OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 2020
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS BONIN, GARCETTI, HAHN, DUPONT-WALKER, AND SOLIS
A Community Safety Approach to System Security and Law Enforcement
On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was killed in her home by a Louisville police officer who was carrying out a search warrant in the middle of the night. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. These deaths and many before them, including here in Los Angeles, have sparked demonstrations for racial justice and a national conversation about the appropriate role of police in our society and the particular threats faced by Black people during interactions with law enforcement.
Community leaders are demanding a shift in how agencies deliver public safety at every level of government. This includes reforming police practices as well as reallocating resources typically devoted to policing to other forms of community safety. In a transit environment, safety is typically provided through design, staff presence, aid station access, and law enforcement. Given recent events, it is prudent for Metro to reevaluate its safety strategies to ensure it is meeting the needs and expectations of our riders. Metro should work in partnership with community leaders to re-envision transit safety and community-based approaches to policing leading up to and as part of the 2022 renewal of the multiagency police contract.
Subject
SUBJECT: A COMMUNITY SAFETY APPROACH TO SYSTEM SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
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APPROVE Motion by Directors Bonin, Garcetti, Hahn, Dupont-Walker, and Solis that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Establish a Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee. This committee should incorporate the existing Community Safety & Security Working Group and include additional perspectives that represent Metro’s ridership and advocacy organizations, including but not limited to racial, cultural, gender, income, geography, immigration status, and housing status.
B. In partnership with the Advisory Committee, Office of Civil Rights, Executive Officer for Equity & Race, and Executive Officer for Customer Experience, develop a community-based approach to public safety on the transit system, including but not limited to:
1. A transit ambassador program that provides staffed presence at Metro facilities and on Metro vehicles.
2. Alternatives to armed law enforcement response to nonviolent crimes and code of conduct violations.
3. Greater community stewardship of transit spaces, such as supporting street vending in transit plazas.
4. The Universal Blue Light program proposed in Metro’s June 2018 ridership initiatives (BF 2018-0365).
5. Education about and expansion of fare discount programs.
6. Outreach and services for unhoused individuals.
7. A shift of resources from armed law enforcement to the above strategies.
C. Consult with the Advisory Committee when developing the new scope of services, budget, and other provisions of the multiagency police contract renewal.
D. Report back to the Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee in 90 days, and quarterly thereafter until the 2022 contract renewal. In the final quarterly report of 2022, include an external, third-party evaluation of the effectiveness of the Advisory Committee and a recommendation on whether it should continue.