TRANSIT SERVICES BUREAU WEEKLY REPORT SEPT 22 – 29 2023
09/29
TSB Staff Attend LAPD National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Union Station
TSB staff attended the Los Angeles Police Department – Transit Services Division community event at Union Station celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month. TSB presented a booth with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and TSB information and goodies and continued to build a collaborative relationship with our LAPD counterparts.
09/28
Public Safety Efforts
TSB Captain Shawn Kehoe and Metro Chief of Safety Gina Osborn attended the Downtown Santa Monica Inc. monthly board meeting to address safety and security efforts on the Metro Expo Line. Highlighted was Metro and TSB’s multi-layered approach with specialized teams and fixed posts, Transit Mental Evaluation Team (TMET) outreach, and collaborative efforts with the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Police Department. Board members noted an improvement in safety since the implementation of the existing deployment model.
Train Versus Vehicle Collision, Minor Injuries
TSB Deputies responded to a train versus vehicle traffic collision at the California Boulevard grade crossing in the City of Pasadena. The vehicle entered the intersection and collided with the train. The driver of the vehicle was extracted and transported to a local hospital in stable condition pending further medical evaluation. The train operator was also transported to a local hospital in stable condition pending further medical evaluation. A bus bridge was established between Fillmore and Del Mar Passenger Stations until the investigation was complete.
Assault on a Bus Operator (Suspect Outstanding)
TSB Deputies responded to the intersection of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in the City of Santa Monica regarding an assault call for service. Upon the arrival of deputy personnel, the bus operator (Victim) was being medically treated by a local fire department. The victim stated while he was stopped at the location, bus patrons were exiting and entering the bus. A male adult (Suspect) reentered the bus and spat in the face of the victim without warning or provocation. The suspect exited the bus and left the location southbound on 5th Street and out of view. The victim was transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
09/27
TSB Conducts Two Presentations to Transportation Safety Administration Advisory Peer Group and APTA Transit Law Enforcement Group
TSB Lieutenant Darland met with over 200 members of the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) Peer Advisory Group (PAG), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Public Transit Policing and Transit Industry Security via teleconference. Lt. Darland presented information regarding the specialized units at Transit Services Bureau (TSB). TSB will continue to participate in future PAG meetings to build collaborative relationships with other transit law enforcement agencies.
TSB Special Assignment Unit Participates in Emergency Response Demonstrations at SoFi Stadium
Members of TSB’s Special Assignment Unit (SAU) demonstrated emergency responses to scenarios involving active shooter and hostage situations during a training exercise at SoFi Stadium. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – ISTEP (Intermodal Security Training & Exercise Program) hosted the demonstration. Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) personnel also monitored our response during the exercise.
Parole VeriTracks Training at STARS Center
TSB Detective Bureau and TSB Deputies attended VeriTracks training through the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR). VeriTracks is an investigative tool that allows law enforcement personnel access to review historical location data for parolees wearing an ankle monitor which could tie paroled individuals to crimes on the Metro system.
TSB ROC Station Dispatch Desk “NG911” Inspection Completed
An inspection of the TSB Dispatch Desk 911 phone system was conducted by the Communications and Fleet Management Bureau (CFMB) and CA State representatives. The desk passed all mandatory requirements.
09/26
TSB Deputies Provide Security for Metro Staff, Santa Monica Fire Department During Train Fire Exercise
TSB Deputies assisted Metro and the Santa Monica Fire Department with an annual train fire exercise at the 4th Street Metro Passenger Station. The exercise was intended to test the response of Metro staff and local fire departments to a fire involving a train.
09/25
Crime Suppression Operation Continues on Blue/A-Line
The Special Assignment Unit (SAU) along with the Commuter Enhancement Unit (CET) continue to conduct extra patrol on the A-Line. Uniformed TSB Deputies ride trains and patrol Metro passenger stations. Appropriate law enforcement action is taken for suspects who commit any crime on Metro trains or property.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon (Knife/Suspect Outstanding)
TSB Deputies responded to the intersection of Century Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard in the City of Inglewood regarding an assault with a deadly weapon call for service. They contacted a male (Victim) who stated he was riding the bus when he observed a male adult (Suspect) disciplining his children. The victim began to engage the suspect when the suspect stood up and punched the victim in the face while holding a knife in his hand. The suspect exited the rear of the bus and began to walk with his children southbound on Crenshaw Boulevard and out of view. The victim was treated at the scene and was not transported to the hospital.
09/24
Spousal Battery (Suspect Arrested)
TSB Deputies responded to Willowbrook Metro Passenger Station and contacted a female (Victim), who said she was involved in an argument with her boyfriend while riding the train. The argument escalated and her boyfriend (Suspect) punched her. The suspect also struck her once with his cell phone. When the train stopped at Willowbrook Metro Passenger Station, the suspect fled westbound
toward the bus layover area where he was located, detained, and arrested without incident. The
victim refused medical treatment.
Assault (Suspects Outstanding)
TSB Deputies responded to the 4th Street Metro Passenger Station in the City of Santa Monica regarding an assault call for service. The deputies contacted a female adult (Victim) who said she was assaulted by a male adult and female adult (Suspects) at the 4th Street Metro Passenger Station. The victim was videotaping the area on her phone when the suspects saw her and asked her not to tape them. The victim continued to video the area and was attacked by the suspects. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition pending further medical evaluation. The suspects fled the location in an unknown direction.
Battery (Suspect Arrested)
TSB Deputies responded to the Norwalk Metro bus layover regarding an assault with a deadly weapon call for service. The deputies contacted a female (Victim) who said she was waiting at the bus bay when a male (Suspect) approached her and without provocation, began choking her from behind, causing her to nearly lose consciousness. The suspect was located, detained, and arrested without incident. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition pending further medical evaluation.
09/23
Assault Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury (Suspect Arrested)
TSB Deputies responded to the Del Amo Metro Passenger Station regarding a possible kidnapping call for service. Deputies contacted a male (Victim) who stated he had been assaulted. The victim said his son was taken by the child’s biological mother during a custody exchange at the location. During the exchange, the mother’s new boyfriend (Suspect) attacked the victim (the child’s father). The victim lost consciousness and awoke to the mother, child, and suspect gone. The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Deputies located, detained, and arrested the suspect without incident.
09/22
Narcan Administered, CPR Performed
TSB Deputies received a call of a person not breathing and CPR in progress at the Irwindale Metro Passenger Station. Deputies arrived within seconds and assumed CPR pending the arrival of the local fire department. Narcan was administered to the patient who was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
The TSB Weekly Update is not a complete list of all incidents, arrests, or events that occurred. The details contained within each incident description are preliminary information only and are not meant to replace those of a full investigation. For inquiries please contact the TSB PIO, Deputy Kari Mercer.