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LA Metro Buses Are Taking LAPD Detainees To Jail. Here's Why
People arrested by LAPD officers are led aboard an L.A. Metro bus amid protests in downtown L.A. on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (Frank Stoltze/LAist)
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After L.A. Metro suspended services Saturday night due to curfews and safety concerns, many riders were left stranded.
But when it emerged that Metro's buses had been used to take people arrested by the LAPD to jail later that night, and in the days following, the frustration escalated.
L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin, who's also on Metro's board of directors, was vocal about his concerns, saying it seemed "particularly off to shut down service for essential workers and then provide service to transport detainees" when many were being cited for non-violent curfew violations.
I wanted to understand how this joint effort between the LAPD and the public transit agency works, especially given that bus operators in other U.S. cities have refused to transport protesters arrested by police.
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