Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE EVALUATION AND NEXT STEPS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the:
A. Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) Impact Evaluation Report (Attachment A); and
B. CEO Work Plan in response to the Report recommendations.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro appreciates the role that PSAC has played in bringing an external perspective to how Metro approaches safety and security, with a specific focus on operationalizing alternatives to law enforcement. PSAC’s role in advancing new policies and programs has been significant, and the CEO agrees that it is important to continue this advisory committee.
At its June 23, 2022 meeting, the Board asked the CEO to return during the September 2022 Board meetingwith more details and proposed refinements to the PSAC Impact Evaluation Report recommendations provided by Wanda Dunham Consultants (WDC), the third-party evaluator who assessed the effectiveness of Metro’s PSAC. The CEO workplan in response to the recommendations is outlined in this report.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro remains committed to reimaging public safety and improving the experience for Metro’s riders through the deployment of community-based alternatives to law enforcement, ongoing monitoring of safety and security programs, and the incorporation of input and refinements regarding the efficacy of interventions consistent with Metro’s Public Safety Mission and Values Statement.
Over the past year and a half, PSAC has provided advisement and recommendations to the CEO and the Board on how to holistically implement a reimagined public safety approach. The advisory committee provided guidance on the development of a community-based approach to public safety, provided input on the development of the multi-agency policing contract renewal, reviewed the Customer Code of Conduct, input on Metro’s mission and value statements regarding public safety, and guided the establishment of Metro’s Transit Ambassador’s program, among other accomplishments.
Given that PSAC was established to cover specific objectives over a designated time period, and that expectation was conveyed to PSAC members and codified through the PSAC Charter, the CEO concurs with WDC’s recommendation that it is appropriate to confirm the completion of service for the current members.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Moving forward, Metro will benefit from continued external stakeholder perspectives on implementing alternatives to law enforcement and improving public safety.
The second phase of PSAC work should build off the feedback from the Board during the June meeting cycle, and the recommendations outlined in the WDC Report to position future committees to be as inclusive and productive as possible and allow Metro to fulfill its Public Safety Mission Statement to safeguard the transit community by taking a holistic, equitable, and welcoming approach to public safety recognizing that each individual is entitled to a safe, dignified, and human experience.
To facilitate this, the next phase of PSAC should have a clear scope of authority and workplan, a better-defined structure to support impactful meetings, and a refined selection process to ensure that the committee reflects the diversity of Metro riders and stakeholders.
The following outlines the CEO Work Plan for Phase 2 of PSAC:
MEMBERSHIP AND SELECTION PROCESS
The Metro Board specified that the PSAC should include perspectives that represent Metro ridership and advocacy organizations, including but not limited to “racial, cultural gender, income, geography, immigration status, and housing”.
There was general agreement during the independent analysis focus group sessions (Attachment A - Addenda A) that there is room for additional representation, such as an unhoused representative, youth, and seniors. It should be noted that no representative on the PSAC has expertise in law enforcement, mental health, or social service sectors.
To facilitate this absence of representation , the following structure is proposed:
Size: 15 voting members, 3 ex-officio members who are Metro frontline employees.
Representation of different experiences, backgrounds, skills, and perspectives will ensure the advancement of an effective transformational change in public safety in the transit system.
Diversity of Representation:
- 5 Appointees would be selected from the original PSAC (randomly selected among interested candidates) to carry forward the experience and perspective of the original committee;
- 10 Appointees would be selected based on applicants who are familiar with the Metro system and can provide substantive input to the committee deliberations based on their experience and/or expertise, with a minimum of one individual representing each of the following categories:
§ Youth
§ Seniors
§ Individuals with Disabilities
§ Racial Justice
§ Equitable Transit
§ Mental Health
§ Social Services/Victims’ Rights
§ Homeless Advocacy
§ Law Enforcement
Note: Community organizations and advisory councils would be encouraged to share with their members to apply for membership to PSAC.
- 3 Ex Officio Members Appointees who are Metro frontline employees
The application to become a PSAC Member will be updated to refer directly to Metro’s Public Safety Mission Statement, ensure the proposed committee reflects all the aforementioned subgroups, and allow Metro to have more clarity regarding the ridership patterns of the applicants.
Appointment Term: 10 of the members will be appointed for two-year terms, and 5 members (including the 5 members from the original PSAC) will be appointed for one-year terms to facilitate a balance of fresh and informed perspectives. Moving forward, appointees would all be appointed for a two-year term.
IMPLEMENTATION
Consistent with the recommendations in the WDC report, the CEO intends to establish priorities for the committee in collaboration with the committee leadership, which would be documented in a work plan with clearly defined areas for requested feedback.
Metro would incorporate input from riders and the broader Metro community related to safety and security priorities to update and clarify the committee’s objectives as specified in its Charter. It would also allow for community perspective in developing a strategic work plan that ultimately impacts the transit-riding community.
Specific initial areas of focus would seek to address the areas of highest concern for riders identified in the Metro 2021 Customer Survey, Metro frontline employees, and customer care complaints regarding public safety, including:
- Impact and benefit of Lighting and emergency call buttons at stations and bus stops
- Support for people with disabilities
- Social workers and mental health professionals
- Transit Ambassadors Impact and Effectiveness; and
- Safety Reporting Tools
Given the alignment of Metro’s Public Safety Mission and Values Statements and the envisioned PSAC workplan with Metro’s customer experience goals, the CEO intends to make the Customer Experience Department, which oversees the Transit Ambassador program, the primary point of contact for PSAC moving forward.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
In the Transit Center’s Safety for All Report, the following “Steps Towards Equitable Safety Programs” are identified:
1. Be Transparent
2. Listen to and learn from riders and community groups
3. Increase system presence through the use of unarmed personnel; and
4. Reduce the use of police officers in response to fare evasion, homelessness, and mental health crises.
Metro can strengthen its role in supporting these steps in concert with the PSAC by facilitating consistent and broad feedback from the broader Metro community and the presentation of data and information that is relevant, reliable, and current to inform the committee’s decision-making.
Specifically, Metro staff can seek to accomplish this by helping to convene quarterly or bi-annual in-person listening sessions for the Committee with Metro riders. In addition, Metro staff can coordinate presentations from the providers of Metro’s unarmed public safety-oriented programs, including the Crisis Response Teams, Transit Ambassadors, Homeless Outreach Providers, as well as briefings from Metro’s Customer Experience and the System Security and Law Enforcement teams regarding trends and incidents occurring on the system.
The Center for Policing Equity has launched the “Justice Navigator”, an interactive tool that provides targeted analyses of police data. The platform also features a range of resources to help communities and law enforcement monitor and redesign public safety. Metro may consult with the Committee regarding the benefits of using this or another similar tool, to support monitoring and accountability of Metro’s public safety data analytics policy.
UPDATES TO THE CHARTER
The original charter included 10 objectives, reflecting timely issues related to developing the multi-agency policing contract and other policy and programmatic initiatives contemplated by the Board through various motions over the past two years.
Since policy decisions and funding allocations associated with the original objectives have largely been completed, moving forward, the committee should be both nimble in providing guidance and input pertaining to prospective Board requests but also maintain a platform to provide ongoing feedback and recommendations on how to improve Metro’s efforts to implement a layered approach to public safety that includes non-law enforcement alternatives in conjunction with law enforcement services to enhance public safety. To facilitate this, the Charter’s objectives should be streamlined. Metro’s Public Safety Mission and Values Statements and Strategic Plan, Vision 2028, provide an appropriate framework for this objective.
Additionally, the Charter will be updated with clearer guidelines for how the committee meetings should be structured and reflect the updated selection criteria and process outlined above. Monthly meetings with a clear leadership structure comprising of a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary, are also recommended.
REPORTS AND EVALUATION
The Committee should continue to be responsible for providing regular updates and recommendations to the CEO, and quarterly reports to the Board.
Furthermore, regular reviews should continue to be conducted by the CEO or her designee to monitor the Committee’s progress and efficacy. When the Committee’s recommendations are implemented, data should be collected and shared to track its impact.
TIMELINE
The following timeline is proposed:
|
October 2022 - November 2022 |
• Outreach to stakeholder groups • Solicitation of new members through a public process • Solicitation of members of the original PSAC who would like to complete another term. |
|
Beginning of December 2022 |
• Vetting of candidates |
|
December 2022 |
• Selection of candidates and notification of request to participate |
|
January 2023 |
• First Committee meeting comprised of newly constituted membership |
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro has recognized the importance of hearing diverging experiences and perspectives regarding Metro’s operations and public safety strategies. In adopting staff’s recommendations, Metro will be able to expand opportunities to consult with diverse perspectives while ensuring that the advisory committee is operated in a manner that focuses on the core objectives associated with operating a safe and equitable transit system.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
This recommendation aligns with Goal 2.1 - Metro is committed to improving security.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Metro staff will begin implementing the Phase 2 PSAC Workplan.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - PSAC Impact Evaluation Report
Attachment B - Revised PSAC Application for Phase 2
Prepared_By
Prepared by: Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer
