Meeting_Body
SYSTEM SAFETY, SECURITY, OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
AUGUST 18, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON TRANSIT POLICING PERFORMANCE
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE monthly update on Transit Policing performance.
Issue
ISSUE
On September 4, 2014, the board requested that staff provide a monthly update on transit policing performance to Systems Safety and Operations Committee. Specifically, the board requested monthly updates on criminal activity, fare enforcement, response time, deployment and perception of safety.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Staff continues to be proactive in working with Operations, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), and Communications in addressing perception of safety, criminal activity, fare enforcement, response time, and deployment.
In the new law enforcement services contract, staff is including key performance indicators as tools to track performance.
Below are the key highlights for May and June 2016:
Actions to Improve the Ridership Experience
• Staff is utilizing Problem Oriented Policing strategies to develop innovative solutions at the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station.
• Staff is continuing to increase presence on the system using new technologies and redeployment of personnel.
• High Visibility
o Transit Security Officers (TSO) and Los Angeles County Sheriffs (LASD) have been engaging in high visibility operations on bus and rail. LASD has a 20 deputy train riding team (10 cover the Red and Gold Lines and 10 cover Blue, Expo and Green Lines). The goal of these operations is to combat quality of life issues on the Metro system. TSO’s conduct high visibility operations both on bus and rail.
§ TSO High Visibility Activity:
§ LASD High Visibility Activity: The total number of LASD train rides for the months of May 2016 is 2,719 and for June 2016 is 2,123. The total number of fare checks for May 2016 is 68,852 and for June 2016, 62,861.
Criminal Activity:
MAY 2016:
JUNE 2016:
Bus Operator Assaults:
• From January to June 2016, there were 64 operator assaults. Of the 64 total operator assaults, 32% of the total assaults have had a suspect taken into custody. The majority of bus operator assaults are caused by fare related followed by missed stop.
• Comparing January-June 2015 to January-June 2016, Operator Assaults have decreased 29%.
• Of the 64 total operator assaults from January to June 2016, there were 57 non-aggravated assaults, 5 aggravated assaults, and 2 sex crimes. The method of assault was as follows: 31 used hands, 20 used spit, 5 threw liquid, 5 threw an object, there were 2 sex crimes and there was 1 robbery.
• Attachment C contains the matrix for the suspects who have assaulted Bus Operators that LASD has been tracking.
• From January to June 2016, there were 156,118,303 bus boardings and 64 total operator assaults, equating to 1 bus operator assault per 2.4 million boardings.
Operator Safety:
• The Metro Communications team has completed phase 1 of a campaign targeted at reducing Bus Operator assaults. The campaign ran from June-July 2016 and focused on communicating that ill treatment against bus operators not only affects the operator, but families as well. Deliverables included print at bus shelters, bus benches, car cards on buses, digital billboards, junior billboards and print ads in major LA County publications.
• The ongoing Transit Ambassador Program focuses on classes that address conflict resolution for Operators and Supervisors.
• Metro Operations is continuing to move forward with the installation of barriers and monitors in the remaining serviceable fleet. Staff is on track to have all 900 New Flyer buses outfitted with barriers and monitors by October 2016.
• For the rest of Metro’s fleet (about 1300 buses), staff started a program in June 2016 to retrofit operator barriers onto buses. This program is expected to run for approximately 24 months. Staff is also developing a new program to have video monitors retrofit onto the rest of Metro’s bus fleet.
• As of July 22, 2016 the Metro New Flyer Buses that in service are as follows:
o Number of New Flyer buses in service = 810 of 900
o Number of buses “in-service” with protective barriers =601
o Number of buses “in-service” with live video monitors = 746
o The remainder of New Flyer buses are on track to be retrofitted with barriers by the end of 2016.
Significant Activities
• 05/10/2016 - Lieutenant Maradiaga, Transit Policing Division PM Shift Watch Commander reports at approximately 6:33pm on this day, Transit Policing Division units responded to the Metro Blue Line Del Amo Passenger Station regarding a man with a gun call. A male entered the platform area with what appeared to be five rifle cases. He was also holding a separate container as he waited to board a Blue Line train. For safety reasons, Lieutenant Maradiaga ordered the Blue Line trains to bypass the Del Amo Passenger Station in an effort to safely evacuate the platform of approximately fifteen to twenty patrons who were near the armed suspect. Transit Policing Division units, with the assistance of LASD Airship 21, arrived within minutes and formed a contact team under the direction of Sergeant Cadman. They evacuated the platform and detained the suspect without incident. Further investigation revealed he was in possession of five unloaded rifles and a container with several live rounds of ammunition. The suspect was arrested for unlawfully possessing unloaded rifles in a public place and booked at a local Sheriff’s facility. There were no patrons injured during this incident and service to the Blue Line was fully restored at 6:50pm. Transit Policing Division Detectives were notified and the investigation is ongoing.
• 5/3/2016: At approximately 7:00pm on this day, two LASD Transit Bureau North deputies assigned to the Metro Gold Line were on their dinner break at a restaurant in Pasadena. A male, adult, who was also at the restaurant, begin to choke and the deputies came to his assistance. Pasadena Police Department officers were also dining at the location and were able to dislodge whatever was causing the man to choke.
• 6/29/2016: On this day, a media availability event was held on the steps of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Headquarters. Twelve year old Alfonso Hoffman was sworn in by the Acting Chief of the LASD Transit Police, Commander Michael Claus. Young Alfonso was diagnosed in February of this year with leukemia and is currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatments. LASD Transit executives learned that Alfonso dreamed to being a K9 officer someday and looks up to his Uncle, who is a police officer. LASD Transit Media personnel were tasked with making a little boy’s dream come true. After Alfonso was sworn in, and fitted with a tactical vest just like the one worn by the K9 deputies, he was whisked away to begin his training as an Honorary K9 Handler Deputy in the Transit Policing Division’s armored reinforced vehicle, or ARV. He spent the rest of the day training with the K9 deputies and patrolling Metro platforms.
Fare Enforcement:
• In May 2016, law enforcement performed 743,600 fare checks on the rails and Orange Line. Based on the monthly targets, in May 2016 law enforcement had an 8% saturation rate. In June 2016, law enforcement performed 782,935 fare checks on the rails and Orange Line. Based on the monthly targets, in June 2016 law enforcement had a 9% saturation rate.
• Based on the chart, green checks occur when a patron has valid fare and has tapped at a turnstile or stand-alone validator. Yellow checks occur when a patron has valid fare, but failed to TAP at a transfer point. Red checks occur when a patron either has a daily/weekly/monthly pass and has not tapped at all during their trip, has stored value and failed to TAP, or has no stored value.
• At the discretion of the fare inspector, patrons are encouraged to make payment at the ticket vending machine or TAP their card on the validator in lieu of receiving a citation.
Response Time:
• In May 2016, the average response time for “Calls for Service” (Emergency, Priority and Routine) for all rail lines and buses was 16 minutes. In June 2016, the average response time for “Calls for Service” (Emergency, Priority and Routine) for all rail lines and buses was 16 minutes.
• LASD currently complies with Metro’s Performance Metrics requirement of average of 30 minutes for calls for service. The response time for emergency calls was 5.4 minutes for May 2016. The response time for emergency calls was 6.9 minutes for June 2016.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Transit Policing Division Report May 2016
Attachment B - Transit Policing Division Report June 2016
Attachment C - Matrix of Bus Operator Assault Suspects
Attachment D - Transit Policing Division Community Policing Plan FY17
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Alex Wiggins, Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4433
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-1023
