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Metro To Boost Officer Patrols After Recent Attacks Leave Passengers And Operators Injured
Mayor Karen Bass joined by Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian, LA County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda L. Solis during a press conference on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
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Juan Ocampo
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L.A. Metro
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Thursday announced plans to push for more law enforcement presence on Metro's transit lines in the wake of series of assaults that have injured passengers and bus drivers.
A day earlier, Bass, who serves as chair of the Metro Board of Directors, ordered a surge of law enforcement presence aboard bus, rail cars and at stations to crack down on the violent attacks.
On Monday night, a rider was stabbed at the Vermont and Athens Metro station in South L.A. The attack is one of three within the past week for Metro.
Despite the attacks, Metro’s latest statistics show that overall crime has been declining as ridership levels increase.
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About the safety motion
The motion Bass plans to introduce next week will direct Metro to increase the daily deployment of public safety personnel with a focus on rail cars, buses and Metro stations with the highest incidents of crime and public safety issues. It would entail having members of the L.A. and Long Beach police, L.A. County Sheriff's deputies, and Metro security officers actively patrolling the buses and rail cars with overlapping shifts.
The motion also calls for Metro to create a “unified command” to make sure cell service works at all underground rail stations and platforms even during transit so riders can call for immediate help.
Mayor Bass joined by Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian, LA County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda L. Solis during today's press conference.
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Courtesy Metro
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“In 2024, there is no reason this should be an issue, and yet we know there are dead zones in our system. We have a responsibility to fix this issue as quickly as possible,” L.A. City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said.
What's next
The motion will be voted on at the next board meeting on May 23.
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L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at the new conference Thursday that despite the investment in homeless outreach services and public safety for the Metro system, safety continues to be the number one concern for riders and that it feels like officials are fighting an uphill battle.
“Much of this is a symptom of the dysfunction and failure of government at various levels, including at the federal and state levels, that spill over onto our transportation system, and I'm talking about the issues surrounding mental health,” Barger said.
Last month, Barger introduced a motion at a Metro board meeting calling for “hardening access points” to control who enters the rail system.
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