Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 19, 2023
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 providing riders with a safe experience and 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 concerns about their safety (not related to COVID) as a reason. Metro is researching, listening, 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 a world-class transportation system that enhances the quality of life for everyone living, working, and playing in LA County. Metro has implemented several non-law enforcement initiatives to improve public safety and provide riders with the tools to report crime and foster an environment where they are empowered to look out for themselves and each other. 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, Metro will formulate solutions to problems, anticipate future issues, and develop programs and initiatives for areas needing improvement.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Chief Safety Office is responsible for the public safety program’s strategic and cohesive deployment. Through agency collaboration, the focus is to increase a safety presence on 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 pilot, the Transit Watch app, and other efforts that are responsive to the security needs of riders and employees.
The following crime summary table outlines data for the last five years. Although in recent years we have seen an uptick in crime, this is consistent with other transit agencies in metropolitan cities like Los Angeles.
The following initiatives outline the status of existing programs and the research efforts for new initiatives to help decrease crime while we restore ridership to pre-pandemic levels.
RESPECT THE RIDE
On November 7th, through December 16th SSLE implemented a fare enforcement and cleaning initiative in response to complaints of graffiti, cleanliness issues, and general unsafe conditions at the North Hollywood station, which is in one of Metro’s Equity Focus Communities. The initiative consisted of a layered approach utilizing Metro Transit Security, and contract security and law enforcement officers to address station safety issues of cleanliness, Code of Conduct enforcement, and the safety of Metro cleaning staff who clean the trains throughout the day at the North Hollywood station.
PHYSICAL SECURITY
Security Operations Center (SOC)
The SOC continues to serve as the coordination center for Transit Security Department’s task management and workflow. The SOC is currently undergoing an upgrade which will refresh dated computer systems, monitors, furniture, and processes. In addition, SSLE will be incorporating next gen video analytics, enhancing the monitoring capability to identify safety and security issues across the system. SSLE is working with ITS to increase the functionality of the Transit Watch Application to address the increased usage as a result of CX promotion and presence of Transit Ambassadors.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
In November, Emergency Management coordinated a familiarization training and first annual rail line exercise per CPUC since COVID. The exercise scenario was a train fire at the Blue Line Yard. There was a total of 52 participants at the exercise, consisting of Long Beach Fire, PD, Metro Operations (Transportation/RFS/FM/MOW), and Emergency Management. Familiarization training was provided by a Rail Instructor, RFS Vehicle Technician, and Emergency Management.
In November, Emergency Management coordinated an 8-hour full scale exercise (FSE) w/ over 26 multiple scenarios related to an Active Shooter and suspicious packages/explosive devices at the Regional Connector Little Tokyo Station. The goal of the exercise was to conduct and train law enforcement and Transit Security responders to provide rapid response actions for immediate life/safety protection of passengers and Metro Staff. There was a total of 108 attendees to include the TSA VIPR Team, LAPD, MTS, Rail Operations (RTOS, Rail Operators, ROC), CPUC staff, US Marshalls, LAFD, the LA Deputy City Attorney, and a film crew assigned to produce a training video.
In December, the Discovery Channel featured an earthquake documentary on Discovery Science called “On the Brink of Disaster”. A portion of the documentary displayed Metro’s earthquake early warning system with highlights of SSLE/Emergency Management explaining the concept of how transit utilizes the pre-earthquake early warning system at the ROC for trains, rail yards and bus divisions; the safety benefit to passengers, site staff, asset protection, and the ability to perform operating service post-earthquake.
In December, Emergency Management activated the EOC to support the Mayoral Inauguration at City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles which featured the VPOTUS who conducted the swear-in. Emergency Management coordinated support efforts with Secret Service to determine impacts on the bus and rail system. The EOC coordinated road closures and operational pauses of the rail system with the ROC and BOC.
In January, Emergency Management coordinated three additional exercises on the Regional Connector with the following training scenarios: “Train vs Pedestrian” (Grand Ave./Bunker Hill), Chemical Release on a Train (Little Tokyo/Arts Station)”, and “Train Fire at Station (Historic Broadway Station).
In January, Emergency Management activated the EOC in support of the College Football Playoff Championship game at SoFi stadium. Emergency Management and SSLE also had a presence in the Inglewood EOC, and the SoFi Stadium Command Post.
OPERATOR SAFETY
Bus/Rail Operator Assaults and Bus Boardings
In October, there were a total of sixteen (16) assaults on bus/rail operators, with thirteen (13) assaults occurring in LAPD’s jurisdiction and three (3) assaults occurring in LASD’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, there were 23,645 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 3,503 bus boardings by LASD deputies.
In November, there were a total of fifteen (15) assaults on bus/rail operators, with ten (10) assaults occurring in LAPD’s jurisdiction and five (5) assaults occurring in LASD’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, there were 23,767 bus boardings by LAPD officers and 3,152 bus boardings by LASD deputies.
UPDATES ON SAFETY TRAININGS
Bystander Training
The Bystander Intervention training has published to the Metro Adobe eLearning Portal as of December 23, 2022. All Metro employees have been enrolled and may take this course now. This course is mandated for all Metro employees and a refresher is required annually. This will be part of Metro’s toolkit of resources to ensure a safe work environment for its employees.
Safety, Awareness, And Verbal De-Escalation
To date, 70 Street Teams and 219 Transit Ambassadors have received this training. Up to another 60 Transit Ambassadors are scheduled to receive this training in December.
TRANSIT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM UPDATE
As of December 13, 2022, 136 Ambassador Program staff have been hired, trained, and deployed on our system. Currently, there are an additional 57 Metro Ambassadors Trainees scheduled to complete training on Friday 12/16/2022. Metro Ambassadors are hired from the communities of which we serve. 53% of Metro Ambassadors live in the City of Los Angeles Area, 7% in the city of Long Beach, 7% in the city of Compton, 5% from the city of Hawthorne, 3% from Inglewood, 3% from Carson, and the other 22% from Pasadena, Azusa, Gardenia and the greater LA area.
Trainees are comprised of a diverse group that includes older adults, person with disabilities and persons with lived experience in homelessness and trauma informed care. The project team is collaborating internally with Metro’s Strategic Hiring team, to ensure Metro Ambassador jobs are accessible to re-entry, fair chance, and people with disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently we have 2 referrals from the Strategic Hiring team, participating in Metro Ambassador training and 7 Metro Ambassadors who were referred by CALIF (Communities Living Actively & Free - persons with disabilities).
The Metro Ambassadors go through an 80-hour training program that cover topics in: Customer Experience, Conflict De-escalation, Disability Awareness and Metro Operations.
Metro Ambassadors’ jobs are to support our riders and safety, connect riders to resources, and report incidents. They are currently deployed on the K Line, L Line (Gold), and Red/Purple Lines. As well as bus lines 210 and 40. Through the first week of December, Metro Ambassadors conducted approximately 42,000 customer interactions, most of those on the Red Line and K Line. They reported 357 cleanliness issues, 130 elevator and escalator problems, and 51 graffiti incidents, which were followed up by our custodial and maintenance crews.
On November 12, 2022, Metro Ambassadors came across a patron at the Universal City Station, around 1:30PM, whose phone had died, and was unable to find his way home. The Ambassadors assisted him by looking up the directions and writing them down for this patron.
On November 28, 2022, Metro Ambassadors helped a disabled gentleman to the 7th St/Metro Station. The patron was using a walking cane and notified the Ambassadors that his leg was in pain. He was heading towards the A-Line Del Amo stop. One of the Ambassadors offered their arm while the other carried the patrons’ bags. The patron was grateful for the Metro Ambassadors help.
Metro Ambassadors will continue to support our customer and employees, as our extra eyes and ears on our bus and rail systems. We plan to hire up to 300 Metro Ambassador Staff by the end of January 2023.
.Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
This public safety update describes the many ways Metro is reimagining public safety to ensure all riders have a safe and enjoyable transit experience.
The Security Control Specialists will be dedicated and trained personnel at the Security Operations Center. They will receive specialized training in dispatch and customer experience, amongst other trainings. Through this effort, our goal is to enhance the experience for patrons when submitting Transit Watch App reports or when calling the security hotline to ensure they receive prompt assistance, resources, and follow-up. This will help to enhance rider trust of safety on the system and that rider concerns are taken seriously with prompt action.
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 - Systemwide Law Enforcement Overview October & November 2022
Attachment B - MTA Supporting Data October & November 2022
Attachment C - Transit Police Summary October & November 2022
Attachment D - Monthly, Bi-Annual, Annual Comparison October & November 2022
Attachment E - Violent, Prop, and Part 1 Crimes October & November 2022
Attachment F - Demographics Data October & November 2022
Attachment G - Bus & Rail Operator Assaults October & November 2022
Attachment H - Sexual Harassment Crimes October & November 2022
Prepared by
Prepared by: Vanessa Smith, Executive Officer, Customer Experience, (213)922-7009
William Peterson, Deputy Executive Officer, System Security & Law Enforcement, (213)922-4515
Robert Gummer, Deputy Executive Officer, Administration, (213)922-4513
Imelda Hernandez, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4848
Reviewed By
Reviewed by: Gina Osborn, Chief Safety Officer, Chief Safety Office, (213) 922-3055
