LA Metro considering to replace armed law enforcement with unarmed transit ambassadors

The LA Metro board will soon consider recommendations to eventually replace armed law enforcement officers on the transit system with unarmed, uniformed ‘transit ambassadors.’

The proposal is drawing outcry from law enforcement officials, who are calling the proposal a ‘looming disaster.’

"Any crime that occurs on any bus, any light rail, any subway - the victim would have to figure out who to call from whatever the local agency is, whoever picks up 911 depending on their signal, and figure out who’s jurisdiction it is," said LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva Wednesday at a media briefing. "They’re flipping the pyramid upside down and now the ‘transit ambassadors’ who are not law enforcement would be the main source of providing the illusion of security."

Chief Gene Harris with the Los Angeles County Police Chief’s Association and San Gabriel Police Department said the result would be chaotic.

"You're going to take away the entity that is highest-trained, best and specifically trained for transit service response, trained for homeless response and outreach, trained for mental health and outreach and response, and you’re going to eliminate that, and then you’re going to hope that…the 45 agencies along the transit and bus lines can step in and take care of that on a moving train, a moving bus, or a moving target as it were, then we are sadly mistaken," he said.

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Villanueva alleged that the Metro's Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), which was formed in 2020, is made up of anti-law enforcement advocates whose views don’t reflect the concerns of actual Metro riders.

"This is the definition of a ‘woke’ advisory group, and of course what’s the recommendation? Let’s get rid of all cops. Literally," he said. "There's an absolute absence of people that represent the average commuter, the average worker."

Statistics show that violent crimes on LA’s Metro system are on the rise - making it the fourth most violent transit system in the country. An October shooting left an 18-year-old woman dead at the Hollywood and Vine Station, and there have been numerous recent stabbings, fights, and other violence on the system.

Metro released the following statement in regards to LASD’s Public Safety Concerns:  

"L.A. Metro’s number one priority is the safety of our riders and our employees, and we will make sure that any changes to our public safety systems are consistent with the values of Metro and the Metro Board.

We have recommended that our Board approve funding for the remaining six months of our law enforcement contracts with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Long Beach Police Department as well as authorize an extension of up to one-year. We believe this will give Metro’s Public Safety Advisory Committee sufficient time to finalize its long-term recommendations.

We will continue to prioritize our riders’ safety on our system as well as identify long-term public safety measures.  We hope that we are able to work together with our law enforcement partners to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement."

PSAC members voted Wednesday to move forward with the committee's recommendations. The full LA Metro board will discuss the proposals at a meeting on December 2.  

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