Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 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 with the County, cities, regional agencies, and nonprofit partners to address homelessness, untreated mental illness, drug addiction, and crime. The actions described in this report align with numerous initiatives to improve safety and the perception of safety on the system.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
System Security & Law Enforcement (SSLE) is responsible for overseeing safety initiatives on the Metro system, working in coordination with other departments, including Operations and Customer Experience. SSLE forms the foundation of Metro’s comprehensive approach to safety and security, focused specifically on protecting customers and employees by mitigating against crime and other societal issues on the 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 April, the most recent month for which systemwide law enforcement data is available.
OVERVIEW
The following bullets are an overview of some outcomes for Metro’s public safety and security priorities. As Metro strives to continually improve and more accurately measure the impact of its initiatives, staff have established the following outcomes, which are strategically focused on the three-pronged approach.
• Continue to increase monthly ridership. Metro ridership increased by 1.96% in April compared to the same month of the previous year (26,723,700 boardings vs. 26,210,300 boardings). This marked the 29th consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth. This metric measures the overall effectiveness of all three safety initiatives.
• Ensure access to the system is only for transit riders. Law enforcement made 153 trespassing arrests, of which six were initiated by Contract Security in ancillary areas. All of these arrests were a result of Contract Security responding to ancillary alarms. With regular patrols by Contract Security and cleanings by custodians, this measures the effectiveness of Metro’s access control
improvements.
• Connect homeless riders to housing. Metro Homeless Outreach Management & Engagement (HOME) referred 221 people to interim housing and placed 53 people into permanent housing in April, bringing the total to 2,378 connections to housing for this fiscal year. Having reached 132% of the FY25 goal of 1,800 connections, HOME teams continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in addressing societal issues.
• Facilitate the reduction of violent crime. Crimes Against Persons (violent crimes) systemwide decreased by 13.9% in April 2025 compared to March (155 vs. 180), marking the lowest total for April systemwide since 2021. This was mainly due to decreases in aggravated assaults and batteries, which could be attributed to the enhanced deployment operation that started mid-April.
• Facilitate the reduction of thefts and vandalism. Crimes Against Property increased by 19.7% (73 vs. 61), driven by an increase in thefts (48 vs. 39) and vandalism (24 vs. 21). In response, LAPD deployed additional officers along the E Line, as part of the special deployment, to mitigate this uptick in crime.
• Facilitate the reduction of narcotics, trespassing, and other crimes against society. Crimes Against Society decreased by 27.0% in April 2025 compared to the previous month (257 vs. 352) due to decreases in narcotics, trespassing, and weapons arrests. Metro continues its access control efforts through the TAP-to-Exit Pilot and end-of-line offloading by Contract Security. More details 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.
The aforementioned data was verified with law enforcement and internal departments, respectively. Safety improvement and crime mitigation strategic responses to KPI trends will be included in subsequent sections.
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Metro believes in continuously listening to and learning from customer feedback. Using various sources, including comments submitted to Metro’s social media accounts, the Transit Watch app, and the Customer Call Center, staff assessed the public sentiment of the Metro system. SSLE’s Data Analytics team monitors general sentiment, while specific and actionable security concerns raised by customers are reported during weekly calls with security and maintenance teams for awareness and strategy development. Any customer comment referencing criminal activity is forwarded to law enforcement for a follow-up with the customer to investigate the incident and file a crime report.
The number of submitted security-related reports has increased month-over-month between March and April, from 4,136 to 4,626. The Security Operations Center’s Security Control Specialists continue to meet the FY25 SSLE target response time of 120 seconds, with a response time of 28 seconds in April. This target response time ensures a faster process for determining the proper response and dispatch of resources, improving calls for service response times on the system.
Overall Sentiment and Engagement
Public sentiment on safety and security is assessed by analyzing social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Reddit) and Transit Watch app reports from the public, as well as Ambassadors, Contract Security, and Law Enforcement. Most reports from the Transit Watch app come from Ambassadors and Contract Security; therefore, the monthly sentiment data may be biased. Staff concentrated on the reports from riders in the findings presented further below.
In April, the overall sentiment about safety and security was slightly more negative than the previous month, influenced mainly by posts related to drug use on the system. The Facilities/Infrastructure topic remained the most discussed, driven by a high volume of Transit Watch incidents reported by Ambassadors and the public.
In terms of mitigating against drug use more generally, SSLE continuously reviews various sources of data to adjust deployments of uniformed personnel. Law Enforcement, MTS, and Contract Security address this issue by enforcing the penal code and Code of Conduct, respectively. LAPD and LASD actively disrupt narcotics distribution when it is observed or reported by an employee or rider, and officers carry out targeted undercover operations to stop the distribution of narcotics if they become aware of prolific issues around Metro stations. In April, LAPD and LASD made 82 and nine arrests for narcotics, respectively, while MTS cited five individuals for smoking/vaping. In comparison, LAPD and LASD made 97 and 10 arrests for narcotics in March, respectively, while MTS cited two 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.
Just as in the prior month, the most positive comments were about the system's visible security presence, highlighting visible security in stations.
• On Reddit, a Metro post about a decrease in violent crime per one million boardings generated positive engagement under the safety personnel topic.
• On Instagram, a post about security personnel checking riders for fare generated positive engagement.
• In Transit Watch, a USC student who just graduated stated that she is grateful for Metro to have a train system that takes her to school every day, and that she feels safe seeing Ambassadors on the system and an increase in law enforcement presence.
Like previous months, Metro’s Facilities/Infrastructure garnered the most mentions, at 10,444 mentions, a 43% increase compared to March (7,294 mentions). Most of these engagements mention graffiti at stations or malfunctioning fare gates, displays, or elevators, and these types of engagements tend to carry a negative sentiment.
When discussing safety and security at specific Metro stations:
• Westlake/MacArthur Park Station generated the most mentions this month.
• Union Station generated the second-most overall engagement, followed by Hollywood/Western Station.
Most Common Customer Concerns
To assess the most common customer concerns from the public, Metro looked at incidents submitted through the Transit Watch app by the public. The three most reported types of incidents are property crime related to graffiti, smoking/alcohol/drugs, and fights or disturbances. In April, property crime reports related to graffiti accounted for the most incidents at 33%. Below are the top three locations for each incident type:
1. Graffiti - Sierra Madre Villa Station, Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station, and Universal/Studio City Station
2. Smoking/Alcohol/Drugs - Union Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and Expo/Crenshaw Station
3. Fights or Disturbances - Washington Station, 7th Street/Metro Center Station, and Southwest Museum Station
While the majority of ridership occurs on buses, most reports on the Transit Watch app focused on rail stations. Rider reports continue to highlight recurring issues related to graffiti and Code of Conduct violations (e.g., smoking, alcohol, and drug use) along the A, B, C, and E lines. This variance in reporting could be partially attributed to there being more factors to report about rail stations as compared to buses, such as elevator/escalator issues, the mezzanine areas, and activities leading into a station. Even so, Metro promotes the Transit Watch app to all patrons online, on YouTube, and through signage within the bus 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.
In response to the feedback, these observations are shared during weekly meetings between public safety partners, and security patrols are adjusted at stations with the highest observations. Staff will continue to explore best practices such as messaging and awareness campaigns, education, and video analytics to address these concerns systemwide. Metro will review the data over the coming months to see if the changes in deployment are yielding declines in each type of incident. More details on deployment are provided in the section below.
ENGAGED & VISIBLE DEPLOYMENT
The following are Metro’s public safety personnel's deployment activities for April, 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 code on the system, including conducting trespass investigations. The table below represents law enforcement’s efforts for April to enforce the penal code on the system.
In April, the two law enforcement agencies made 408 arrests and issued 587 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 can be found 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 Code of Conduct enforcement. In April, MTS officers issued 94 citations and 41 written warnings for Code of Conduct violations. Refer to Attachment D for more details on MTS activity and deployment this month and a demographic breakdown of those cited.
Most of the violations, 130 (96%), were due to individuals failing to provide proof of fare. Despite the temporary pause of TAP-to-Exit at North Hollywood Station and Union Station since April 11, approximately 78% of all 135 violations in April were issued at TAP-to-Exit locations: Downtown Santa Monica (51%), North Hollywood (16%), Union Station (7%), and Downtown Long Beach (4%). MTS continues its efforts to deter those attempting to access the system for non-transit purposes in violation of the Code of Conduct. 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
Ambassadors provide support to riders, connect them to resources, and report safety incidents or maintenance needs, thereby helping to improve the perception of safety and the overall customer experience. In April, Ambassadors were deployed on all rail lines, the G Line, the J Line, and bus lines 40 and 210. See Attachment E for more details on Ambassador deployments this month.
In April 2025, Ambassadors conducted 40,656 customer engagements and reported:
• 4,295 Cleanliness Issues (18% increase from March 2025)
• 2,872 Graffiti Incidents (21% increase from March 2025)
• 582 Elevator and Escalator Problems (12% increase from March 2025)
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. The BSTs are augmented with law enforcement support. In April, there were 2,389 and 9,643 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. Offloading operations also provide security support for Metro employees (e.g., custodians, maintenance) as they perform their duties. We are seeing a substantial year-over-year decline in refusal rates. March 2025 recorded an 88% decrease in refusals compared to March 2024, while April 2025 reflected an even greater improvement with an 94% reduction compared to April 2024. These significant declines underscore the effectiveness of our ongoing strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing compliance and engagement.
CS observations have been positive, as operations reduced disorder and improved customer experience. Riders requiring CS interaction are more willing to follow alighting and re-tapping protocols. Enforcing the Customer Code of Conduct deters repeat offenders from staying on trains at the EOL, reflected in the decline of offloaded patrons these past months. Homeless outreach workers are also at end-of-line stations to offer resources and services.
In addition, MTS BSTs conducted EOL operations during Owl Service at G Line Chatsworth and North Hollywood Stations to address concerns from bus operators about individuals refusing to alight buses at the end of the line. These operations resulted in 144 removals for non-compliance at Chatsworth Station between March 31 and April 11, and 152 removals for non-compliance at North Hollywood Station between April 14 and May 2.
ACCESS CONTROL
Station Experience Updates
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 address concerns regarding dark, hidden areas at Slauson/I-110 Transitway Station, staff implemented major safety upgrades, including the relocation of map cases, high-pressure washing of the station canopy, and brighter LED lighting.
• To improve station cleanliness, Throne Bathrooms debuted at Memorial Park and Vermont/Sunset stations, successfully serving 200 people in the first three days of opening.
• To address issues with riders getting lost, staff implemented upgraded wayfinding at Vermont/Sunset Station and repaired damaged station pylons and plaza map cases.
• To enhance natural surveillance at problematic elevators, the Elevator Attendant pilot program was added to Lake Station in Pasadena.
• To address persistent safety and cleanliness concerns at the shared parking structure and outdoor plaza at Fillmore Station in Pasadena, staff have been working with internal and external stakeholders on new solutions.
• To gauge riders’ perceptions of safety and cleanliness, staff surveyed 100 riders, revealing positive marks for the recent safety and cleanliness improvements at Memorial Park Station, with 96% of them saying the brighter lighting makes them feel safer.
Looking ahead, staff continue to identify hotspot stations with similar challenges to expand these best practice interventions. This includes the following:
• Staff is working with the City of Santa Monica to address the misuse of the emergency exit to trespass at Downtown Santa Monica Station.
• 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.
PARTNERSHIPS TO MITIGATE SOCIETAL ISSUES
Greater Los Angeles faces societal issues like any other metropolitan area, 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. Metro has also worked closely with other County departments to help identify programs and improve access to mental health and substance abuse resources. Addressing societal issues requires collaboration across Metro departments, so Ambassadors, homeless outreach, contract security, and law enforcement coordinate regularly to address end-of-line and hotspot stations where any 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 April, MDTs enrolled 623 people into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and connected 274 people to interim or permanent housing. So far this fiscal year, HOME has enrolled a total of 5,638 people into HMIS and connected a total of 2,378 to interim or permanent housing.
Responding to Mental Health & Emotional Distress
In addition to having MDTs on the system, SSLE’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. These units can help de-escalate situations involving individuals suffering from mental illness and provide resources to appropriate mental health services. In April, LAPD’s HOPE team engaged with 467 individuals, referring 28 of them to services. LASD’s MET had 436 engagements and referred seven of them to social services. More details can be found in Attachment C. Metro also collaborates with the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) to ensure their mobile clinical teams can respond to referrals made by other departments, including Metro Ambassadors and HOME outreach teams. DMH staff have provided training to Metro staff on how to identify individuals appropriate for referrals and select DMH staff have been issued Metro IDs for efficient system access when mental health crises arise.
Systemwide Crime Stats - Notable Quarterly Trends (January-March 2025)
• Crimes Against Persons were low this January and February compared to the previous year, before increasing in March. Despite this increase at the end of the quarter, there was an average of 153 crimes, as compared to 152 in the same period last year.
• There were more Crimes Against Property this quarter compared to the same period in 2024, with an average of 69 crimes (55 in Q1 2024).
• Crimes Against Society remained low this past winter compared to previous winters, with a 19% decrease in average crimes during this quarter (296 vs. 366).
Systemwide Crime Stats - April 2025 vs. March 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 SSLE and its public safety partners to better observe trends and determine and update deployments as necessary.
From April 21 to May 26, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), MTS, and Contract Security initiated an enhanced deployment in response to an increase in criminal activity observed in March and early April. While Crimes Against Property numbers ended the month elevated due to a spree of cell phone thefts, the enhanced deployment helped suppress violent crime (180 vs. 155 in March vs. April).
Overall, Crimes Against Persons decreased in April, but there was an increase in robberies (48% from March; 37 vs. 25). These robberies targeted cell phones and occurred mostly on the E Line. Ten robberies involving bodily force occurred within a week, which prompted law enforcement to enhance their deployment with additional officers patrolling along the E Line. Compared to the previous month, robberies with bodily force only had a slight increase from 20 in March to 24 in April.
Crimes Against Property rose due to a series of those same cell phone thefts at the beginning of the month and increased reports of vandalism. In particular, during the weeks of spring break, juveniles committed thefts on trains. Hence, as previously mentioned, LAPD deployed more resources to deter these crimes and protect riders. Unlike robberies, thefts do not involve the threat of force and are therefore categorized as property crime and not violent crime. However, they are closely related and usually trigger the same law enforcement approach.
Crimes Against Society decreased in April across all three major categories: trespassing, narcotics, and weapons. Often, crimes in these categories fluctuate with levels of enforcement. A local increase in trespassing crimes on buses appeared significant percentage-wise but came from a low base (5 in April vs. 1 in March) and can be explained by the redeployment of police officers from buses to rail lines in response
to the rise in thefts and robberies.
• Crimes Against Persons decreased by 13.9% in April compared to March (155 vs. 180). This marks the lowest total seen for April systemwide since 2021.
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Persons decreased by 14.3% (96 vs. 112) due to decreases in aggravated assaults (25 vs. 37) and batteries (40 vs. 52). This represents the lowest number seen for April on the rail system since 2021.
o On the bus system, Crimes Against Persons decreased by 13.2% (59 vs. 68), due to decreases in aggravated assaults (11 vs. 17) and sex offenses (3 vs. 8).
• Crimes Against Property increased by 19.7% in April compared to March (73 vs. 61).
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Property increased by 4.8% due to an increase in thefts (33 vs. 32) and vandalism (10 vs. 9).
o Crimes Against Property increased by 52.6% on buses as a result of more incidents of thefts (15 vs. 7) and vandalism (14 vs. 12).
• Crimes Against Society decreased by 27.0% in April compared to March (257 vs. 352).
o On the rail system, Crimes Against Society decreased by 30.6% (236 vs. 340) due to decreases in narcotics (78 vs. 97), trespassing (148 vs. 218), and weapons (10 vs. 25).
o On the bus system, Crimes Against Society increased by 75% (21 vs. 12), due to increases in narcotics (13 vs. 10), trespassing (5 vs. 1), and weapons (3 vs. 1).
Per One Million Boardings
• Crimes Against Persons decreased by 14.6% compared to March 2025 (5.80 vs. 6.79) and 2.5% compared to April 2024 (5.80 vs. 5.95). 5.80 incidents per one million boardings is the second lowest rate in 12 months, surpassed only by January’s rate of 5.09 per one million boardings. It is also the lowest rate of incidents per one million boardings seen for the month of April since 2019.
• Crimes Against Property increased by 18.7% compared to March 2025 (2.73 vs. 2.30) and 46.1% compared to April 2024 (2.73 vs. 1.87).
• Crimes Against Society decreased by 27.6% compared to March 2025 (9.62 vs. 13.28) and increased by 4.2% compared to April 2024 (9.62 vs. 9.23).
As a result of the increase in thefts and robberies of cell phones at the beginning of April, LAPD redeployed resources, lowering the number of incidents in the latter half of the month. Additionally, the TAP-to-Exit Pilot and the taller faregates pilot, both of which deter crime by ensuring the system is accessed by those using it for the intended purpose of transit, had a positive impact on trespassing violations. Refer to Attachment G for more details on the data normalized by ridership. Based on internal metrics and discussions with staff, law enforcement partners adjust their deployments weekly.
Mitigating Assaults Against Operators
Metro’s law enforcement partners reported seven operator assaults in April, a decrease from March (7 vs. 10). Using physical force (e.g., punch, slap, kick), using a weapon or object, projectile, spit, and brandishing a weapon were the methods of assaults on operators. Of the seven assaults reported, three occurred outside the operator area, and the remaining four reported a barrier in use. Of the four assaults with a barrier, three involved physical contact. One suspect attempted to get past the barrier and pushed the barrier against the bus operator. Another sprayed mace towards the operator, affecting the operator despite the barrier. A third spat at the operator through the barrier door, striking the operator on the face and arm. The other assault had no physical contact and involved the brandishing of a weapon, resulting in an arrest for making criminal threats against the operator. See Attachment H for more details on the assaults.
In April 2024, seven out of 12 assaults caused injuries, leading to four operators needing medical treatment. In contrast, April 2025 had seven assaults, with only one medical treatment required. This indicates a continued decrease in assault severity, as retrofit enclosed bus barriers help prevent serious injuries. SSLE staff will share their analysis of the operator assaults with Corporate Safety and Bus Operations to help develop best safety practices that can be shared with operators by their supervisors. Staff will continue to analyze assaults with the bus barrier closed, and if trends show gap exploitation, will offer mitigation recommendations.
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.
Mitigating Assaults Against Other Frontline Staff
Assaults on frontline staff (excluding operators) remained unchanged from March to April, with 14 assaults. The methods of assault on these frontline staff vary from suspects using their hands to shove or punch staff to throwing an object to pouring liquid onto an employee. Of these 14 assaults, seven occurred on the B Line, with two assaults at 7th Street/Metro Center Station and the rest at different stations. Three assaults occurred on the A Line at different stations, and three assaults occurred at Union Station (not line-specific).
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, arrest laws, 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 H.
Equity Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro continues to take a cross-disciplinary approach to sustain and grow ridership, improve the customer experience, and, most importantly, ensure the safety of Metro’s system. The agency continues to explore initiatives, such as the taller faregates, to improve access control. The new gates are designed to be user-friendly and sturdier, deterring fare evasion while remaining ADA accessible for individuals with mobility needs. To keep operators and riders safe, Bus Safety Teams continue to conduct offloading operations at end-of-line stations. Homeless outreach teams are available at end-of-line stations to offer services to any individuals experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, as staff established the outcomes focused on the agency’s three-pronged approach to safety, they utilized data from existing data sources, and each data source went through a set of verification steps, adhering to Metro’s Public Safety Analytics Policy.
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.
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
SSLE will continue to monitor the performance of its law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security Officers, and the agency’s crime stats. 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 April 2025
Attachment B - Arrests by Race & Ethnicity April 2025
Attachment C - Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach April 2025
Attachment D - Metro Transit Security Activities April 2025
Attachment E - Metro Ambassador Activities April 2025
Attachment F - Station Experience Updates
Attachment G - Law Enforcement Crime Summary April 2025
Attachment H - Frontline Safety Additional Data April 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
Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848
Reviewed By
Reviewed by: Kenneth Hernandez, Chief Transit Safety Officer (Interim), (213) 922-
2290
Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Officer, (213) 940-4060
Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
