Citing improved costs, the Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors voted Thursday to move forward with a plan to create its own police force, amid a string of violent crimes across the transit system.
The Transit Community Public Safety Department Implementation Plan (TCPSD) would establish an in-house safety team and phase out its current model contracting with other agencies over a five-year transition period. The motion states that by using an in-house public safety team, Metro would be able to provide a cost-effective solution to aid and protect ridership, and avoid complications when crime occurs within overlapping jurisdiction lines.
“By bringing it in-house, Metro can establish a human-centered policing culture focused on dealing with quality of life issues tailored to a transit environment and more engaged visibility,” said Metro’s interim Chief Safety Officer Kenneth Hernandez.
Currently, Metro spends nearly $194 million a year on its multi-agency contract with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, with costs escalating yearly. Under the new plan, Metro projects around $2 million a year in policing costs savings. With plans to maintain armed sworn officer numbers at 386, the transit agency will nearly triple unarmed law enforcement employees such as ambassadors, homeless outreach and crisis intervention teams from 227 to 673.
James Butts, Inglewood mayor and Metro board member, called the existing multi-agency policing model “financially unfeasible,” while board member Holly J. Mitchell agreed, saying cost was one of the driving forces behind wanting to establish an in-house public safety team.
In response to a 2023 feasibility study, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna advised the transit agency that training and personnel compensation, as well as liability responsibilities would not result in a more cost-effective plan.
At the Thursday meeting, Ara J. Najarian, board member and Glendale City Councilman, jokingly likened the dissolvement of the multi-agency contract to a divorce.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to envision a system where we have no interaction and no contact with our law enforcement partners,” Najarian said. “I very much look forward to the day where we develop our own force but continue to keep our warm relationship with [them].”
The motion comes after 14 assaults on Metro since February, four fatal, according to Sheriff Luna, who spoke at the meeting. Multiple instances of stabbings and shootings across the system sparked protests by operators to improve upon safety conditions for drivers and riders alike. The spike in crime motivated the Metro Board and Karen Bass to order a surge in police presence on buses and trains in May.
During the meeting’s public comment, Metro employees and operators argued in favor of the motion, desiring consistent standards and procedures from Metro. Juan Gonzalez, a rail operator with Metro, expressed more security if it were Metro agency members protecting Metro employees.
“Operators are still getting attacked. Public safety personnel who are family with our operators and patrons, will not only secure safety but also significantly enhance trust in the Metro system. system. I understand that there may be financial need for this, however, it is 100% worth it,” Gonzalez said.
Others passionately opposed the motion, saying Metro needs more ambassadors on buses, not armed police officers to deal with mental crises, citing Metro’s own report that showed 215 lives were saved with Narcan, CPR and suicide intervention by on-board ambassadors.
According to the motion, Metro now moves to mobilize a transition team of subject matter experts in mental health, social services and policing, and begin the recruitment efforts for a new chief of police. The agency will then present quarterly progress updates to the board.