Metro - File #: 2023-0742

• File #: 2023-0742
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 12/6/2023
• In control: Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 1/18/2024
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE the Public Safety Report.
• Sponsors: Executive Management Committee
• Indexes: 7th Street/Metro Center Station, Assembly Bill 468, Barriers (Roads), Call For Projects, City of Los Angeles, Cleaning, Cleanliness (Graffiti Abatement), Construction completed, Contracts, Customer service, Design build, Division 15, Elevators, Escalators, Fare Evasion, Federal Transit Administration, Graffiti, Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill Station, Historic Broadway Station, Hollywood/Highland Station, Hollywood/Vine Station, Hollywood/Western Station, Housing, I-10, Informational Report, Law enforcement, Lincoln/Cypress Station, Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Long Beach Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, Los Angeles Union Station, Maintenance, 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, Metro Vision 2028 Plan, Motion / Motion Response, North Hollywood Station, Plan, Property crimes, Race and ethnicity, Radio, Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project, Ridership, Safety, Safety and security, Security, Start of first construction, Subway stations, Surveys, System safety, Technical Advisory Committee, Theft, Threats, Transit buses, Transit operators, Transit safety, Uniform Crime Reporting, Vermont/Beverly Station, Violent crimes, Volume, Weapons, Westlake, Westlake/Macarthur Park Station, Wilshire/Normandie Station, Wilshire/Vermont Station, Wilshire/Western Station

Meeting_Body

OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE

JANUARY 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 safety and safety perceptions for riders and employees. The following summarizes current initiatives to accomplish this objective and recent public safety trends.

Background

BACKGROUND

At its February 2022 meeting, the Board received and filed a Reimagining Public Safety Framework (Framework), which outlines a human-centered approach to public safety guided by the principle that everyone is entitled to a safe, dignified, and human experience. This Framework reflects Metro’s Public Safety Mission and Values statements, which the Board adopted in December 2021. In March 2023, the Board adopted a revised Code of Conduct, a Bias-Free Policing Policy, and a Public Safety Analytics Policy.

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 and works in coordination with other departments, including Operations and Customer Experience, to implement strategies to advance this objective. SSLE forms the foundation of Metro’s multi-layered 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, as well as performance and outcome-related data for October and November, the most recent months for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.

DEPLOYMENTS AND TRENDS

In 2023, Metro significantly and strategically revised its approach to safety and security as the societal issues of opioids and other drug use, people experiencing homelessness, and post-Covid aggression have been reflected in behaviors exhibited on our system. Recent crime data reflects the effectiveness of Metro’s strategically layered approach to addressing challenges with continued sharp decreases in the most serious crimes we want minimized and increased arrests in areas such as trespassing, demonstrating effective proactive efforts and enforcement in those areas.

SSLE’s initiatives have included the Drug-Free Metro Campaign, which kicked off in February 2023 and reduced the number of people using drugs on the system; followed by a Supplemental Deployment on the B and D Lines in April where most of the drug use activity was identified; Bus Riding Teams by Metro Transit Security and law enforcement partners started deploying in July on bus lines with the highest occurrences of bus operator assaults; alignment of contract security and Metro custodial personnel ensuring subway ancillary areas are clean and trespassers are cleared and/or arrested; and targeting the most affected areas of the system with resources such as the Westlake MacArthur Park Station. 

Additionally, Metro focused on reducing the number of people who attempt to shelter on the system at the close of rail service and reducing fare evasion by ensuring all patrons leave the station at the end of the line and TAP back in if they choose to continue riding the system.

Systemwide Crime Stats

The following represents crime statistics and data analysis for the months of October and November 2023.

Metro reached a post-pandemic ridership high of 26,528,687 in October, which is an increase of 11.7% from October 2022 (23,759,202), typically resulting in a level of crime increase due to more riders on the system. However, in October, Part 1 crimes systemwide (violent or major crime classification) were down 6% from September 2023 and down 4% from the previous year October 2022. By mode, this correlates to a decrease of 20.5% (70 vs 88) on the rail system with specific declines in larcenies of 47.2% and robberies of 9.1%. By contrast, Part 1 crimes on buses increased by 37.9% (40 vs 29). This is due to an increase in aggravated assaults (16 vs 12), larcenies (12 vs 8), and robberies (12 vs 7).

Enforcement related arrests for trespassing and narcotics resulted in a 41.7% (418 vs 295) increase of Part 2 (less serious crime classification) crime numbers systemwide. The efforts of law enforcement, transit security, and contract security led to a 102% (198 vs 98) increase in trespassing arrests and a 6% (53 vs 50) increase in narcotics arrests. On the rail system, Part 2 crimes saw increases in trespassing arrests of 95.9% (192 vs 98) and increases in narcotics arrests of 22.5% (49 vs 40). On the bus system, Part 2 crimes saw a slight increase of 3% when compared to September, which was associated with (6 vs 0) trespassing on the G (Orange) Line when during law enforcement sweeps of individuals loitering at the bus station areas after revenue service resulted in arrests. 

Through the month of November, Metro achieved 12 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership increases (24,218,275 vs 21,759,811 in November 2022).  Despite this continued increase in riders, Part 1 crimes continued to trend downward overall throughout 2023 despite a slight increase from October to November. 

In November, Part 1 crimes were up by 4.5% from October and down by 7.3% from November 2022. On the rail system, Part 1 crimes were up by 12.9% (79 vs 70) with key factors of increases in larcenies (25 vs 19) and robberies (24 vs 20) due to cell phone thefts and copper wire thefts; with a decrease in aggravated assaults by 18.5% (22 vs 27). By contrast, Part 1 crimes on buses decreased by 10%, with reductions in aggravated assaults (15 vs 16) and larcenies (8 vs 12). 

November experienced a continuation of enforcement-related arrests for trespassing and narcotics, which led to a 13.6% increase in Part 2 crimes systemwide (475 vs 418). On the rail system, though there was an increase of Part 2 crimes by 14.3% (400 vs 350), batteries had a significant decline of 28.8% (57 vs 80). The increases were mainly attributed to enforcement activities resulting in a 40.1% increase in trespassing (269 vs 192) and a 62.5% increase in weapons (13 vs 8) from October. Part 2 crimes on buses increased by 10.3% (75 vs 68) from October mainly due to an increase in arrests of narcotics (17 vs 4), attributed to enhanced Bus Riding Teams on the system. The bus system also experienced a 9.3% decrease in batteries (39 vs 43) and trespassing (2 vs 6) compared to October.

The following reflects the results of the deployment for the months of October and November and the impacts of curtailing crime on the system.

Enforcement-related arrests for trespassing and narcotics (which fall under the less serious Part 2 crime category) were up, as expected, because of the increased focus on those areas. The increased numbers of arrests demonstrate that Metro’s strategy and efforts are effectively addressing these issues. The significant number of trespassing arrests and enforcement is having its desired impact, which is the continued decrease in violent crime incidents on the system.

Specific to trespassing arrests, Contract Security is conducting a minimum of three ancillary (non-public areas) inspections per shift at all 24 subway stations. Another contributing factor to the increase in trespassing arrests was due to the multi-layered roving teams comprised of law enforcement and Metro Transit Security conducting trespassing investigations on the system, inclusive of those found riding the system without proof of fare. As of November, 28 additional contract security officers have been deployed in support of the enhanced ancillary sweeps during the 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. shift for 24/7 coverage. Metro expects the full deployment of the 87 additional contract security officers by January 14 and to increase the number of trespassing and narcotics arrests on the system. SSLE will continue to monitor trespassing crimes with proactive accountability at below-grade coverage areas.

Part 2 crimes on buses in October had a slight increase of 3% when compared to September, which was associated with an increase in trespassing (6 vs 0), vandalism (10 vs 7), and battery (33 vs 32). November also saw an increase over October in Part 2 crimes on buses which was largely attributed to an increase in narcotics arrests (17 vs 4).

The following chart displays October arrests by race and ethnicity: 40% Black, 41% Hispanic, 17% White, and 2% Other and for November: 43% Black, 35% Hispanic, 19% White, and 3% Other.

Law Enforcement

LAPD, LASD, and LBPD enforce the penal code on the system, including conducting trespass investigations. Ejections represent law enforcement engagements during trespass investigations in which an individual is removed after determining they did not possess a TAP Card or pay fare to access the rail or bus system. The below charts depict law enforcement efforts in support of the multi-layered deployment, including homeless outreach.

*Law enforcement citations and warnings are not related to fare, but for trespassing, loitering, and moving violations.

*LAPD’s HOPE team defines accepting services as when the individual agrees to accept or requests assistance. This includes placing them in direct contact with a service provider, physically transporting an individual to a shelter that has services available, obtaining emergency medical services, or placing the individual on a mental health hold.

*The LASD MET team defines accepted services when a person accepts referrals to shelters, rehabs, or is connected to LAHSA or PATH.

*Long Beach Quality of Life (QOL) leads a “Shelter the Unsheltered” initiative with PATH assisting in the morning hours. QOL works with PATH to coordinate services for those experiencing homelessness.

Contract Security

On October 1, 2023, Metro onboarded two new contract security (CS) companies to provide security services at 77 Metro locations. The contract is divided into a north and south region. Allied Universal Security provides support for the north region and Inter-Con Security provides support for the south region. The locations include 10 support facilities, 19 Divisions, and 48 rail stations. All locations are fully staffed with a total of 450 security personnel including eight supervisors and two dispatchers. Both contracts provide a 50/50 model of armed and unarmed security personnel. A new guard tour system was also implemented that provides real-time information to measure performance and oversight for accountability.

CS officers working the ancillary areas were properly trained and equipped with PPE to support the ancillary cleaning efforts and the ancillary inspections. On November 1, 2023, CS began offloading trains at the end-of-line stations and providing security support for maintenance employees while they performed their duties at the stations.

Also on November 1, 2023, both companies completed the revision of their Use of Force policy and Arrest procedures to be aligned with Metro’s posture of arresting ancillary trespassers and for other violations in the system.

The next steps are to complete the deployment of an additional 87-armed security officers to support the ancillary efforts at 24 subway stations.

Transit Security

The primary role of Metro Transit Security (MTS) in the multi-layered deployment is code of conduct enforcement. Since the onset of the multi-layered deployment, SSLE has noted that a majority of the code of conduct violations cited on the system have been for fare evasion. From October 1 to October 31, MTS officers issued 150 citations and written warnings. Of those, 147 (98%) were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. The remaining citations and written warnings issued in October were for the following code of conduct violations: loitering, failing to comply with orders, and trespassing in non-public areas. 

From November 1 to November 30^th, MTS officers issued 242 citations and written warnings. Of those, 235 (97%) were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare.  The remaining citations and written warnings issued in November were for the following code of conduct violations: smoking/Vaping or use of alcohol, urination/defecation, failing to comply with orders, having food/drink, and for an animal not being properly housed in a carrier.

Operator Safety

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reported that there was a 121% increase in operator assaults at transit agencies across the nation between 2008 and 2021. The most significant spike occurred as patrons returned to public transportation in 2021 after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted. The number of incidents continued to grow nationwide in 2022 and 2023 respectively, and as a result, transit operator and employee assaults have been designated by the FTA and the White House as being a “national level hazard.”

In October 2023, operator assaults decreased by 15.4% compared to September 2023 (11 vs 13). Spitting on the operator and using hands (punch/slap) were the top two methods of assault. Of the 11 assaults, five were reported to have a bus barrier in use (45.5%). Two of the assaults occurred while the suspect stood outside of the bus and brandished a gun at the bus operators, two assaults occurred outside of the bus when the bus operators were shoved, and one was reported as unknown if a bus barrier was used.  Of the reported assaults in October, no victims required medical transport.

In November 2023, operator assaults increased when compared to October 2023 (20 vs 11). Spitting on the operator and using hands (punch/slap) were, again, the top two methods of assault. Of the 20 assaults, thirteen were reported to have a bus barrier in use (65%). One of the assaults occurred outside of the bus when the bus operator and suspect exited the bus, another assault occurred when a suspect in a vehicle intentionally slammed on the gas and crashed into a bus, and five assaults were reported as unknown if a bus barrier was used.  Of the reported assaults in November, three required medical transport. No patterns or trends were identified in October and November. 

The rate of assaults in October is consistent with the monthly averages in 2023, although higher than historical averages over the past six years as shown in Figure A. 

The rate of assaults in November is higher than the monthly averages in 2023.  However, the rate is consistent with historical averages over the past six years as shown in Figure A. 

The type of assaults that occurred in October and November are summarized in Figure B. 

Figure A: Bus/Rail Operator Assaults Year to Year Comparison

Figure B: Methods of Assault

Bus Riding Teams

Transit Security Bus Riding Teams continue to rotate across the top 10 bus lines with reported incidents of operator assaults and lines with new reported incidents of operator assaults to enforce code of conduct violations. In October and November, seven (7) Transit Security Bus Riding Teams were deployed across the five service areas of Metro’s bus system. Three (3) teams were deployed on the Day Shift and PM Shift, and one (1) team was deployed on the Early Morning Shift (Owl Service). The following table illustrates the Bus Riding Team deployment for October and November and the number of trips.

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Four (4) additional Bus Riding Teams have been deployed since October and two remaining teams are tentatively scheduled to be deployed by Spring 2024. The MTS teams are augmented with the support of law enforcement. For October, there were 10,793 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 8,483 bus boardings by LASD deputies.  For November, there were 12,615 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 8,965 bus boardings by LASD deputies.

Staff will be deploying a survey instrument by the end of January to capture operator feedback and the impact of bus riding teams on their feeling of safety. Furthermore, staff continuously reviews crime stats to identify potential trends and patterns to inform deployment strategies to reduce crime on the bus system and help decrease and prevent bus operator assaults. In addition, staff engages with bus operators from all 10 bus divisions at monthly RAP sessions to obtain feedback on lines and geographical areas where bus operators have safety concerns.

ACTIVITIES

Narcan Deployment

In March 2023, Transit Security Officers were trained on how to administer Narcan. MTS reported four Narcan incidents during the month of October and one incident in November. All of the incidents resulted in the successful revival of the individual experiencing symptoms of an overdose. 

Ambassadors were certified and equipped to carry and administer Narcan in April 2023. Metro Ambassadors reported a total of 33 Narcan incidents, thus saving a life in each, for the months of October and November 2023:

October 2023 - 17 Narcan incidents

•                     (6) incidents at WLMP Station

•                     (3) Incidents at Union Station

•                     (1) Incident at Wilshire/Western Station

•                     (1) Incident at Vermont/Beverly Station

•                     (1) Incident at Arcadia Station

•                     (1) Incident at Hollywood/Highland Station

•                     (1) Incident at Wilshire/Vermont Station

•                     (1) Incident at Little Tokyo/Arts District Station

•                     (1) Incident at 7^th Street/Metro Center Station

•                     (1) Incident at North Hollywood Station

November 2023 - 16 Narcan incidents

•                     (7) Incidents at WLMP Station

•                     (2) Incidents at Union Station

•                     (2) Incidents at Wilshire/Normandie Station

•                     (2) Incidents at 7^th Street/Metro Center Station

•                     (1) Incident On Train

•                     (1) Incident at North Hollywood Station

•                     (1) Incident at Little Tokyo Station

In total, MTS and Ambassadors reported 38 incidents in October and November.

Public Facing Dashboard Update

SSLE continues to work with its internal stakeholders to refine the dashboard in preparation for delivery of a public-facing dashboard. The primary objective of this project is to create a comprehensive dashboard that will be displayed in a user-friendly design providing various data points related to crime, arrests, calls for service, Transit Watch App reports, customer comments, and other informative information for the public to access.

In October and November, SSLE and ITS refined the dashboard to include feedback from internal stakeholders, such as capturing the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) perspective and making the dashboard into a useful public-facing tool. To accomplish and ensure UX/UI best practices, accessibility guidelines, compatibility with common browsers, various desk and mobile devices, and ease of comprehension and usability by the public was adhered to. SSLE and ITS determined the best approach was to engage external services to develop and deliver a product that Metro could present on its website. SSLE and ITS have received a proof of concept and with concurrence from Customer Experience, is moving forward with a scope of work and the initial steps towards completion of the project. The current scope period of performance for delivery is two to six months. SSLE will continue to update the Board on the progress and timeline of delivery.  

Security Operations Center Upgrade Project

The Security Operations Center (SOC) is responsible for supporting the day-to-day incident management of safety and security events systemwide. In addition, the SOC handles Metro Transit Security radio communications, CCTV monitoring, Transit Watch, and incoming calls for service.  

The SOC upgrade project began construction in August 2023 and was completed in November 2023. The SOC has been upgraded and reconfigured to improve its operational functionality, streamline current operations, including coordination with the Rail Operations Control Center, Bus Operations Control, and enhance its capability to provide connectivity, safety, and security to Metro’s public safety ecosystem and Metro staff. In its former configuration, the SOC had outdated equipment, including computer workstations that were over ten years old and video monitoring capabilities that were unable to switch and share views of safety and security incidents. Given the criticality of the SOC to SSLE Operations, special events, and emergency operations; addressing those issues was essential to critical path activities such as crime reduction and providing an increased security posture across the Metro system. This project is of benefit to Metro’s entire multi-layered public safety ecosystem.

Union Station Security Improvements

Security at Union Station has improved through the addition of two security guards in the passageway to increase the presence where the passengers exit off the trains on the upper platforms. The guards have been very engaged and have made hundreds of contacts with the public. Furthermore, the communication between the different jurisdictions at Union Station has improved with the installation of an Allied Security radio in the LAPD Watch Command, and the distribution of hand-held radios to the Metrolink security guards on the platforms to communicate with the Los Angeles Union Station Security Operations Center. Lastly, the Allied contract has been amended to allow the guards to pursue a person who has committed an offense in the guards’ presence and maintain contact with the person until the appropriate jurisdiction has taken control of the person. In the past, if an Allied guard observed someone strike another person in the passageway, the Allied guard had no contractual authority to follow the person and await law enforcement.

Emergency Management Update

Emergency Training and Exercises

Exercise 19 of 20 for calendar year 2023 was conducted on Wednesday, October 25, that includes station, vehicle, and Division familiarization and exercises agencywide. The Emergency Management Department (EMD) conducted a workplace violence/active shooter Full-Scale Exercise (FSE) with LAPD in coordination with the annual Division 15 Lockdown Drill. LAPD’s Transit Services Bureau and Foothill Division responded to Bus Division 15, performing a suspect search of both Transportation and Maintenance buildings until the suspect was identified and the threat neutralized. This was also an opportunity for officers to become familiar with Metro Bus Division 15, which most had never visited or trained at prior. During the Full-Scale Exercise, Metro personnel also conducted a Division lockdown drill, to simulate the actions employees should take with an active shooter or armed intruder on the property. All staff were able to safely lockdown or shelter in place while law enforcement swept the facilities and mitigated the threat.

Both the on-site law enforcement exercise and Division lockdown drill were successful with (43) FSE participants and approximately (73) Division Drill participants.

                     

On Wednesday, November 1, EMD presented to the Metro Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Metro’s emergency preparedness and response activities. The Committee was particularly interested in how Metro plans for special events and collaborates with local jurisdictions and partner transit agencies. EMD shared how it prepared with internal and external stakeholders for Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium, Metro’s response to Tropical Storm Hilary, along with some of the current committee participation and collaboration for the upcoming 2028 Olympics. During the presentation there were several questions related to training and exercises and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) representative expressed interest in coordinating Bus Familiarization Training and renewing participation in Metro full-scale exercises for local CHP Officers. Overall, the presentation was well received and appeared appreciative by TAC members.

Emergency Response

In response to the I-10 freeway fire and closure, Emergency Management coordinated with the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department and Department of Transportation to share situational awareness and traffic resource requests to support consistent movement of buses in heavily impacted traffic areas.

Lastly, the Emergency Management Department represented Metro at the Local Business Assistance Resource Center (LBARC), along with 17 other organizations, to provide information and resources to support the businesses impacted by the fire and closure of the I-10 freeway. The LBARC was open for three consecutive weeks, two days each week, with EMD participating each day to provide schedules for bus lines in the impacted area and information on the upcoming bus schedule changes.

Ancillary Areas Motion 30 Response - Quarterly Update

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

•                     All ancillary areas along the B, D, E, and K lines have been cleaned by Custodial Services. On November 20, 2023, the ancillary cleaning schedule was enhanced from eight stations per week to 21 stations per week. The feedback received from Metro employees is that the ancillary areas are much cleaner throughout the system. This is in part due to the increased frequency of station corridor cleaning, new cleaning product being used that cut the dwell time for chemical activation from 4 hours to 30 minutes, updated Standard Operating Procedures for new chemical and staff safety, equipment that secure staff from potential exposure to untreated corridors and increased numbers in certified staff.

•                     As of December 24, 2023, an additional 62 contract security officers were deployed on the system to support the ancillary efforts. Contract security is deployed 24/7 at 24 subway stations throughout the B, D, K, and E lines. Contract security inspects every ancillary area three times per shift. In addition, they respond to all ancillary door alarms and inspect the ancillary for any trespassers. Contract security also reports damaged property and clean-up requests by utilizing the Metro Transit Watch App. 

•                     All audible alarms at the ancillary doors have been reprogrammed to sound 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 via the badge readers and any observed activities are reported to the Security Operations Center. Once cameras and other monitoring technology are installed, manned security coverage is expected to be reduced to original staffing levels.

• Contract security, MTS, and LAPD efforts resulted in 27 removals and 15 trespassing arrests in October and 17 removals and 22 trespassing arrests in November. Metro personnel have noted that the ancillary areas are the cleanest since the effort began in 2018 due to the combined efforts of security, maintenance, and custodial staff.

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

CUSTOMER COMMENTS

Social Media Posts

Metro’s Safety and Security Social Listening Report provides an analysis of social media comments related to Safety and Security on the Metro system. For the month of October, the most common themes expressed on social media relate to homelessness, drug-related issues, weapons-related issues, mental health, Metro facilities and infrastructure, and safety personnel. Homelessness was the most frequently mentioned issue, followed by drug-related Issues and safety personnel. 

In October, the report identified 593 posts, comments, and replies related to Safety and Security on Metro social media channels. Four social media platforms. Facebook, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and Messenger, generated the most engagement with Metro related to Safety & Security with X producing 45.2% followed by Reddit at 28.2% total volume of public comments and posts related to safety and security.  

Although the negative comments about Safety & Security outweigh positive comments (2 to 1), there were a number of comments mentioning positive experiences with Metro.

In November, the report observed a slightly higher volume of engagement in the Safety and Security topic compared to October, making it the second-highest volume of engagement of all topics monitored. There was an uptick in accounts positively discussing increased security and improved infrastructure in November. We observed an increase in first-time riders positively discussing Safety and Security on Metro such as a post discussing a rider’s first experience with Metro and comments highlighting recent improvements and increased security. SSLE will continue to coordinate with Customer Experience and monitor social media posts.

Call Center Comments

Customer comments related to Passenger Conduct remained the highest public safety category from June through November. From September to October, customer comments related to Passenger Conduct decreased from 52 to 43, and slightly increased in November to 44.  Customer comments related to Rail General Security Concern decreased month-to-month from September through November from 46 to 35 to 17, respectively.  For customer comments related to General Security Concern, there was also a decrease month-to-month from September through November from 18 to 13 to 9, respectively.  SSLE will continue to highlight top themes from comments submitted to the Call Center and collaborate with its public safety partners to address as part of the multi-layered deployment.

Transit Watch (TW) App

Transit Watch App reports related to safety and/or criminal elements for the month of October totaled 1,958, which is an increase of 16.1% compared to September. The Security Operations Center’s Security Control Specialists (SCS) response time, based on initial reporting, has decreased by 69% from September (4.39 minutes) to October (1.36 minutes). In November, the response time decreased again by 43% to 0.77 minutes, though there was an increase of 8.2% in reports. By comparison, in FY23, the average response time was 4.9 minutes which exceeded that 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, which in turn improves calls for service response times on the system. The reported numbers for both October and November exceeded the target goals and demonstrates Metro’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and timely security resources to keep patrons and employees safe.

The top three areas of increased reporting in October were sexual harassment - non-physical, graffiti, and fight or disturbance. Graffiti was the category with the highest number of reports in October, totaling 819 reports, followed by the smoking/alcohol/drugs category which had 576 reports. Of the 819 graffiti incidents captured, Ambassadors reported 72% (586) of these occurrences, which were subsequently provided to law enforcement through SSLE.

In November, the top three areas of increased reporting were sexual assault - physical, theft, and graffiti. Of the 979 graffiti incidents captured, Ambassadors reported 53% (523) of these occurrences.

The top three locations reporting graffiti in October were Historic Broadway station (38), Little Tokyo/Arts District station (30), followed by three stations with the third most reports of graffiti which were Lincoln/Cypress station (25), 7^th Street/Metro Center station (25), and Indiana station (25). 

In November, the top three locations reporting graffiti were Little Tokyo/Arts District station (92), Historic Broadway station (87), and Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill station (67).  The top 3 locations reporting a sexual assault - physical were 7^th Street/Metro station (3), 26^th St/Bergamot station (2), and several stations reporting one incident each (Pico, Highland Park, Hollywood/Vine, and Hollywood/Western).

SSLE uses these reports, as well as information from Transit Security, law enforcement partners, and private security to inform deployment strategies, enabling resources to be directed to the areas that have the highest need. SSLE coordinates with the multi-layered public safety resources to develop strategies for identifying and addressing repeat offenders. In October and November, Transit Watch reporting led to a reduction in property crimes along both the A and C Lines, as increased patrols at the station and street level within the Regional Connector.  In addition to the mitigation of property crimes on the system, the strategies developed as a result of Transit Watch reporting has led to a 6.6% decline in customer reports of non-sexual harassment, persons in need, smoking/alcohol/drugs, and suspicious activity. 

METRO AMBASSADOR PROGRAM UPDATE

A Metro Ambassador’s job is to support our riders, connect riders to resources, and report incidents or maintenance needs. Metro Ambassadors were deployed on the A Line, B Line, C Line, D Line, K Line, and J Line, as well as bus lines 210, 40, 20, and 720.

By the numbers

For the month of October 2023, Metro Ambassadors conducted 63,035 customer interactions and reported the following:

•                     1,129 Cleanliness Issues

•                     534 Graffiti Incidents

•                     320 Elevator and Escalator Problems

•                     269 Safety Issues

For the month of November 2023, Metro Ambassadors conducted 69,401 customer interactions and reported the following:

•                     1,206 Cleanliness Issues

•                     543 Graffiti Incidents

•                     283 Elevator and Escalator Problems

•                     271 Safety Issues

Equity Platform

EQUITY PLATFORM

Metro continues to implement a multi-layered public safety model that takes a cross-disciplinary approach to address the various safety needs of the system to provide an equitable distribution of security resources systemwide, with EFCs being a critical point of consideration in this deployment. Staff incorporates feedback from front-line employees and riders, in addition to groups such as the Public Safety Advisory Committee, to make enhancements to the model. Most recently, SSLE has been incorporating new data points into its analysis of safety in the system. Typically, crime data has been the primary metric, but with the understanding that not all crime is reported, staff has begun to include call center comments and social media trends to better assess where additional safety resources are needed and where progress is being reflected. Through the incorporation of these data points, Metro’s safety partners will have a more robust understanding of safety across the system.

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 - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity October & November 2023

Attachment B - Total Crime Summary October & November 2023

Attachment C - Systemwide Law Enforcement Overview October & November 2023

Attachment D - MTA Supporting Data October & November 2023

Attachment E - Bus & Rail Operator Assaults October & November 2023

Attachment F - Sexual Harassment Crimes October & November 2023

Prepared by

Prepared by: Robert Gummer, Senior Executive Officer, System Security & Law

Enforcement, (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: Gina Osborn, Chief Safety Officer, Chief Safety Office, (213) 922-3055

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

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