Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 27, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO MOTION 34.1 IMPROVING SAFETY FOR METRO RIDERS AND EMPLOYEES
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE a status report on strategies to improve safety for Metro riders and employees in response to Motion 34.1.
Issue
ISSUE
At its April 2024 meeting, the Board approved Motion 34.1 (Attachment A) by Directors Barger, Krekorian, Hahn, Najarian, Butts, and Solis, directing staff to provide an update on current strategies - and research potential new ones - to improve safety for Metro riders and employees, and report back to the Board in 60 days. This report provides an analysis of crime and arrest data; a progress update on station interventions and gate-hardening efforts; an overview and recommendations of potential technologies to secure the system and detect weapons; and an overview of opportunities for improved partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney's Office, the Probation Department, local court systems and the legislature to strengthen penalties for crimes against transit employees, and ensure those who commit crimes are prosecuted and barred from the system.
Background
BACKGROUND
Over the last 90 days, Metro employees and customers have experienced several random acts of violence, including a bus hijacking, a homicide at a rail station, and a homicide on a bus. Although the perpetrators behind these three incidents have been apprehended by law enforcement, these consecutive violent incidents, together with an escalation in the severity of bus operator assaults, and frequency of altercations between riders on the system have increased concerns and heightened fears about the safety and security of the Metro system. Transit agencies around the country are having similar experiences, which illustrates the seriousness of drug addiction and untreated mental illness crises that are fueling much of the v...
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