Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JULY 18, 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 May 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 May 2019, crimes against persons increased by 9 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Crimes Against Property
For the month of May 2019, crimes against property decreased by 16 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Crimes Against Society
For the month of May 2019, crimes against society decreased by 10 crimes system-wide compared to the same period last year.
Bus Operator Assaults
There were 9 bus operator assaults reported in May, which is four more compared to the same period last year.
Average Emergency Response Times:
Emergency response times averaged 4.61 minutes for the month of May.
Physical Security Improvements:
The Systems Security and Law Enforcement division continues to provide a secure and safe environment for our patrons and employees. Our Metro Facility physical security assessment was completed, and the report was presented to key Metro leaders in Bus and Rail Operations, Information Technology and Facilities. The physical security assessment of Union Station started in August and concluded in February 2019.
We are working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department to develop a concept of the operations for the deployment of the Thruvision detection at range technology. We have had several meetings with the LAPD, and we continue to develop the procedures that will protect the public and Metro.
We met with the California Public Utilities Commission representatives to plan our Triennial Audit which will occur in September 2019.
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.
The New Blue Line North project planning commenced, and the site walks were conducted to identify law enforcement and security locations to support the construction.
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 5,194 total unduplicated homeless contacts,1,315 of whom have been linked to permanent housing solutions with a total of 114 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 May1, 2019 through May 31, 2019:
|
Performance Measure |
May Number Served |
Project Year to date Number Served |
|
Contacts with unduplicated individuals |
220 |
5,194 |
|
Unduplicated individuals engaged |
82 |
2,785 |
|
Unduplicated individuals provided services (obtaining vital documents, follow-up activities, transportation, CES packet, clinical assessment, etc.) or successful referral (supportive services, benefits linkage etc.) |
134 |
2,122 |
|
Unduplicated individuals engaged who are successfully linked to an interim housing resource |
83 |
862 |
|
Unduplicated individuals engaged who are linked to a permanent housing resource |
22 |
339 |
|
Unduplicated individuals engaged who are permanently housed |
16 |
114 |
Staff received eight referrals from LAPD. Of these, two could not be located and two declined services. Of those remaining:
• Four people were placed in interim housing.
• One of these four is now living with her significant other.
• The other three are continuing to work with the team toward permanent housing.
Impact Story resulting in Stable Housing
Recently Metro Security referred a 30 year old female and her three male children ages 10, 8, 6 to PATH Metro. The client reported that she was stranded in Los Angeles after fleeing a domestic violence relationship and was trying to return to her mother’s home in Hemet, California. The client displayed obvious signs of being distraught and worried that her abuser would find her at the station. The determination was made by PATH Outreach Team members to transport the client and her children to her mother’s home in Hemet rather than trying to place her on the next available train. The client’s mother was contacted and gladly agreed to receive her daughter and grandchildren. PATH Metro Outreach Team then transported all four individuals to Hemet, California in PATH’s company vehicle. Client and children were reunified with her mother and are residing in her home. The Client promised to follow-up with the police to report the abuse. Client also stated that her abuser did not know the location of her mother’s home and as a result of that she “felt safe” at her mother’s home.
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.
Sheriff Mental Evaluation Team (MET) Contacts May 5, 2019 through June 1, 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 21 clients to other homeless outreach connection services.
• 2 teams attended LASD/MET MILO training at Industry Station - 05/22/2019.
• 7 teams attended LACMET training meeting hosted by LASD County-Met - 05/22/2019.
• 6 teams attended Basic Crisis Negotiation training course from 05/28/2019 - 05/31/2019.
• 7 teams attended Advance Crisis Negotiation training course from 06/03/2019 - 06/05/2019.
Long Beach Quality of Life Officers Update May 2019
The Quality of Life Officers began working with LBPD at the beginning of February 2019. The Blue Line Closure was in effect for the entire month of May. The number of contacts should increase once the “New Blue” opens in June.
The Quality of Life Officers have concluded their work with Metro personnel and Long Beach Health Department’s Multi-Service Center Homeless Outreach personnel at two right-of-way homeless encampments in Long Beach. The encampment locations are:
• An abandoned golf course property adjacent to the blue Line and north of the Wardlow Station.
• On the eastern perimeter right-of-way at Division 11.
These locations are in maintenance mode with Quality of Life Officers checking on the locations daily to ensure encampments do not become re-entrenched.
May 2019 Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach
|
ACTION |
LAPD HOPE |
LASD MET |
LBPD |
|
Contacts |
1,183 |
441 |
14 |
|
Referrals |
30 |
267 |
4 |
|
5150 Holds |
15 |
15 |
0 |
|
Mental Illness |
24 |
140 |
0 |
|
Substance Abuse |
44 |
138 |
4 |
|
Veterans |
7 |
5 |
0 |
|
Shelter |
5 |
7 |
0 |
|
Motel Housing Plan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
VA Housing |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Return to Family |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Transitional Long Term Housing |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Detox |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rehab |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Metro ROW Encampment:
• May 1, 2019 - MRL Vermont Beverly Station Plaza, abandoned site. Trash cleanup completed on May 3, 2019.
Metro Encampments Outside, Adjacent to Metro ROW:
• May 24, 2019 - Burbank Branch Chandler Bikeway East of Vineland Avenue - Active Encampment Cleanup was cleared by LAPD and cleaned by LADOT on May 30, 2019.
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 May 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 to one of Metro’s contracted HOPE team. Mental Health professionals are paired with all MET Teams.
Faith Based Partnership
Since January 2019, Metro has hosted four 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.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - System-Wide Law Enforcement Overview May 2019
Attachment B - MTA Supporting Data May 2019
Attachment C - Key Performance Indicators May 2019
Attachment D - Transit Police Summary May 2019
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Aston T. Greene, Interim Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement,
(213) 922-2599
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Phillip A. Washington, Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-7555
