Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
AUGUST 18, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: MONTHLY UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Public Safety Report.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro’s main priority is to provide a safe experience for riders and a safe work environment for employees. As noted in the 2021 Public Safety Survey, safety is a top concern for riders - about four-in-ten respondents who have reduced their Metro ridership cited their safety (not related to COVID) as a reason. As a result, the Chief Safety Office is researching, listening, and reassessing current safety programs, and launching new safety initiatives. This report provides a status update on these public safety initiatives.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro’s mission is to provide high-quality, courteous security across all Metro services and facilities so that every rider feels and is safe while using the Metro system. Metro has implemented several initiatives aimed at educating people of all ages on how to safely ride public transportation, as well as providing riders with the tools to report crime and foster an environment where they are empowered to look out for themselves and each other. Additionally, the Chief Safety Office has partnered with contracted law enforcement agencies to ensure there are community outreach events across all law enforcement jurisdictions. This is so that the riding public may familiarize themselves with the individuals that keep them safe. Finally, the Chief Safety Office continues to incorporate information from surveys, customer complaints, and physical security assessments, amongst others, to analyze a wide array of safety-related issues. Using this information, the Chief Safety Office formulates solutions to problems, anticipates future issues, and develops programs and initiatives for areas needing improvement.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Chief Safety Office is responsible for the strategic and cohesive deployment of Transit Security, private security, and law enforcement personnel. Through their collaboration, they focus on increasing their presence in the system, protecting Metro riders, employees, and infrastructure, and conducting fare and code enforcement. Furthermore, the Chief Safety Office oversees safety programs and tools such as the Respect the Ride campaign, the Transit Watch app, the Public Safety Advisory Committee, and other efforts that are responsive to the security needs of riders and employees. The following initiatives outline the status of existing programs and the research efforts for new initiatives.
METRO TRANSIT SECURITY (MTS)
Quality Service Audits
For May, MTS completed three (3) Quality Service Audits. MTS Supervisors randomly contacted two (2) external partners and one (1) patron to gain feedback on the performance of our officers. The following are the questions and the ratings from those surveyed.
For June, MTS completed seven (7) Quality Service Audits. MTS Supervisors randomly contacted two (2) internal partners and five (5) patrons to gain feedback on the performance of our officers. The following are the questions and the ratings from those surveyed. (Note that one QSA was submitted without ratings from the patron.)
Calls for Service
For May, Transit Security received 593 calls for service, of which 496 (84%) Transit Security responded to. For June, Transit Security received 491 calls for service, of which 361 (74%) Transit Security responded to. Note, calls that Transit Security didn’t respond to were assigned to law enforcement, contract security, or other entities such as maintenance, Rail Operations Control, Bus Operations Control, local fire department, or elevator tech. The following is a breakdown of the call categories and response times.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Our law enforcement partners, LAPD, LBPD, and LASD, work in tandem with Transit Security. Their primary duties are to support Transit Security in situations where it rises to a level of a crime. Furthermore, they lead special task forces to combat repeated crimes such as copper theft and station damage.
Law Enforcement Contract Compliance
SSLE continues to verify that all field Officers/Deputies on duty are tapping their Metro-issued badges at all TAP machines when patrolling Metro buses, trains, and rail stations/corridors. This ensures high visibility for riders utilizing Metro’s services while establishing a method of accountability for our contracted law enforcement personnel.
The Compliance Unit reviewed TAP reports provided by Metro’s TAP Department against law enforcement deployment documents to verify that Officers/Deputies are tapping at turnstiles and/or readers. After performing a TAP data quality assurance report from late April to late May 2022, it was determined that all contracted law enforcement partners were tapping their Metro-issued badges and securing their assignments across the system.
Law Enforcement Highlights
Below are some highlights of our law enforcement partners’ hard work in July on the Metro system.
On July 18, 2022, while conducting train rides at the L Line Duarte Station, LASD’s Community Enhancement Team Deputies arrested a suspect wanted for grand theft person and attempted robbery. The suspect committed the crimes onboard the L Line trains on June 25, 2022, and July 8, 2022. Both crimes were captured on CCTV footage, and lookout bulletins depicting the suspect were issued to Transit Services Bureau (TSB) deputies. As a result, the Deputies detained the suspect and positively identified him as the suspect who committed both crimes.
On July 24, 2022, LAPD officers assigned to a fixed post at the Westlake/ MacArthur Park Station observed a male unconscious and not breathing. The officers requested a rescue ambulance and began administering CPR. The partner officer administered NARCAN, which was effective. The subject started breathing independently and was treated at the scene by LAFD and later transported to the Good Samaritan Hospital.
PRIVATE SECURITY
Private security guards are a great asset to Metro’s public ecosystem as they can provide a presence where and when Transit Security officers are limited. Their primary focus is to protect secured areas at stations and private property at Divisions.
Currently, they are aiding the Respect the Ride campaign by roving station platforms in efforts to mitigate loitering, observing, and reporting.
OPERATIONS SAFETY PROGRAMS
Respect the Ride Campaign
Since the program's launch in April, Metro continues to seek ways to help improve riders' transit experience. For example, in May, the program's Street Teams roamed around the stations and distributed 18,500 masks to assist riders in protecting themselves from COVID-19. Efforts like the one mentioned above help improve riders' perception of safety and create an opportunity for our patrons to engage with our staff. On July 11th, the campaign expanded to Universal City while maintaining a presence at Union Station, 7th & Metro, and North Hollywood.
As mentioned in last month’s report, Metro conducted a Respect the Ride survey to collect campaign feedback and gain insight into the effectiveness of the newly launched efforts. The following are highlights of the survey results:
• About 52% of the respondents saw Metro personnel helping riders purchase or use TAP cards.
• Over 50% of survey respondents agree that Metro security and/or law enforcement staff is helpful and courteous.
• Over 50% of the respondents were aware of the Respect the Ride efforts.
• More than 50% of survey respondents agree that clean stations make them feel safer.
• About 25% of the survey respondents strongly disagree when asked if they feel secure at Metro train stations.
Staff is reviewing the survey results and modifying the program to ensure it continues to meet riders’ needs.
Fare Enforcement Mystery Rider Program
Metro’s Office of Civil Rights established the Fare Enforcement Mystery Rider Program in December 2021. The Mystery Rider Program verifies that Metro employees are conducting fare enforcement activity in a non-discriminatory manner and that Metro’s law enforcement partners are not conducting fare enforcement. Mystery Riders are diverse in gender and racial/ethnic background. To date, Mystery Riders have made over 11,735 observations, with no patterns of discriminatory enforcement being noted. Moving forward, SSLE will incorporate OCR’s Mystery Rider data into the monthly public safety update to the Board.
Bus/Rail Operator Assaults and Bus Boardings
In May, there were a total of nine (9) assaults on bus/rail operators, with seven (7) assaults occurring in LAPD’s jurisdiction and two (2) assaults occurring in LASD’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, there were 14,684 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 4,398 bus boardings by LASD deputies on various routes throughout the system.
In June, there were a total of fourteen (14) assaults on bus/rail operators, with twelve (12) assaults occurring in LAPD’s jurisdiction and two (2) assaults occurring in LASD’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, there were 11,194 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 4,284 bus boardings by LASD deputies on various routes throughout the system.
LASD’s Special Assignment Unit (SAU): Bus Saturation Operation
A pilot SAU Bus Saturation Operation was launched to decrease operator assaults and increase safety perception. It began on April 25, 2022, and it involves deploying deputies on the bus lines with the highest instances of violence committed against operators.
Bus Operator Focus Group Feedback
In partnership with Operations, SSLE attended Bus Operator Focus Group sessions to hear first-hand safety concerns and operator feedback. Bus Operators across all Divisions made the following concerns/comments regarding safety/security:
• Operators want a greater presence of law enforcement/security on the bus system, particularly after 3 pm into the late-night owl service when they feel the least safe.
• Operators want officers to have more interaction with them, walk through the bus, and exit through the rear door.
• Operators consistently feel unsafe from passenger confrontation. Operators would like personal safety training so they can defend themselves from attack.
• Operators want law enforcement to ride the bus for a few stops. Previously, LASD had a Deputy riding the bus for a few stops while another Deputy followed in a patrol vehicle.
• Metro needs to establish a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behavior against Operators and there needs to be a “Respect the Operator” type campaign that lets people know there are serious consequences for verbally or physically assaulting an Operator.
• Operators want a fully enclosed barrier that doesn’t allow for any contact from riders.
In response to this feedback and aligning with the CEO’s goal of increasing operator safety, the Chief Safety Office will deploy 50% of its officers during night service on the Metro system. Our staff is currently developing a deployment model to realign resources and a date for implementation.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Emergency Operations Center Activation
On July 19, 2022, in support of the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated at a Level 2 (partial activation) to support Operations, Transit Security, and local and federal law enforcement during the evening event. The EOC conducted regular briefings with internal and external stakeholders on rail ridership, bus shuttling activities, and law enforcement/security deployments to ensure a safe traveling experience for visiting fans and our daily patrons. In addition, the EOC provided situational awareness updates to all engaged Metro departments and external agencies via periodic dissemination of Situation Report(s). There were no significant safety/security issues to report.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Public Safety Advisory Committee
From June through July 2022, PSAC held four (4) general meetings, four (4) ad-hoc subcommittee meetings, and two (2) working sessions. In these meetings, the following recommendations were developed: PSAC’s Vision of Metro’s Public Safety Ecosystem (Attachment E), Place-Based Implementation Strategy (Attachment F), Future Recruitment & Outreach (Attachment G), and Metro’s Community Engagement on Public Safety Topics (Attachment H).
.Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The random Quality Service Audits (QSA) provide a key assessment tool to help measure and enhance customers’ perception of safety, security, customer service, and public sentiment toward Metro Transit Security. This comes in the form of a survey that asks to rate the service provided by Transit Security Officers. Participants range from external and internal personnel and patrons who ride the system. Spanish language forms are utilized to increase rider feedback. Transit Security is researching other strategies to ensure QSA surveys are inclusive to all riders, regardless of preferred language or ability.
As mentioned earlier, Metro's Customer Experience department conducted a Respect the Ride survey. To make the survey more accessible, it was available in English and Spanish, printed and online via QR code. The survey results indicate some riders do not feel safe at our stations. Metro understands that safety looks different for everyone. Therefore, we are working on addressing safety deficiencies, exploring, and testing new strategies, such as deploying 50% of our security officers at night, to learn if this approach makes our facilities feel safer for all riders.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to monitor our law enforcement partners, private security, and Transit Security performance, monitor crime stats, and adjust deployment as necessary.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - June 1, 2022, PSAC Meeting Minutes
Attachment B - June 15, 2022, PSAC Meeting Minutes
Attachment C - July 6, 2022, PSAC Meeting Minutes
Attachment D - July 20, 2022, PSAC Meeting Minutes
Attachment E - Recommendations on Metro’s Public Safety Ecosystem Memo
Attachment F - Place-Based Implementation Strategy Recommendations Memo
Attachment G - Recommendation Future Recruitment & Outreach
Attachment H - Recommendation for Metro’s Community Engagement on Public Safety Topics
Attachment I - Systemwide Law Enforcement Overview May & June 2022
Attachment J - MTA Supporting Data May & June 2022
Attachment K - Transit Police Summary May & June 2022
Attachment L - Monthly, Bi-Annual, Annual Comparison May & June 2022
Attachment M - Violent, Prop, and Part 1 Crimes May & June 2022
Attachment N - Demographics Data May & June 2022
Attachment O - Bus & Rail Operator Assaults May & June 2022
Attachment P - Sexual Harassment Crimes May & June 2022
Prepared by
Prepared by: Andrew Black, Deputy Chief Officer, System Security, and Law Enforcement
Imelda Hernandez, Manager, System Security, and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4848
Reviewed By
Reviewed by: Gina Osborn, Chief Safety Officer, Chief Safety Office, (213) 922-3055
