It was the beginning of her shift as a Metro Ambassador. She was standing by the entrance at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station ready to greet riders and help in any way she could. What she was not prepared for was to get punched in the face.
That morning, Joanna Juarez and her partner, who were on street level, noticed an “erratic man” enter the station and roam around with his shoes in his hand. They did not pay him much attention and eventually, he moved down to the platform level. Within a few minutes, he came back up. He did not have his shoes and he was talking to himself.
“He straight came up to me and was like ‘Bitch where are my shoes?’” Juarez said. “All I said was ‘Do not get near me.’”
He punched her in the eye.
This would be Juarez’s last shift as an LA Metro Ambassador, whose job it is to help Metro riders get travel advice and, ironically, deal with any safety issues.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Peter Pedroche, who assaulted Juarez. He was charged with felony battery causing serious bodily injury.
Pedroche’s Public Defender, Celebre Fouka-Nganga, did not return calls for comment.
Juarez has been on workers compensation since February. She does not feel ready to go back to work.
“Honestly, I don't even know if I'll go work there because emotionally, I'm not fine,” Juarez said. “I don't feel ready to be out. I'm actually a majority of my time at home, it's hard for me to go out.”
Juarez is one of countless victims of the escalating crime crisis plaguing the L.A. Metro rail system.
Rising crime in the system
According to Metro, from January to May of this year, 2,376 crimes were reported in the rail system, a 43% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
This is a sharp rise from previous years during the same period with 677 crimes reported in 2020 and 916 in 2022.
Crimes reported vary from homicide and robbery, to vandalism and drug-related incidents.
The spike of violent crime on Metro that we have recently seen against operators and riders has been absolutely unacceptable,” said Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles and member of the L.A. Metro Board of Directors in a recent news conference.
The upward trend of crime on the Metro is something that has become much more tangible for daily riders.
Luis Castaneda, a regular Metro rider, never had any problems until last July when he was punched in the eye at the 7th Street / Metro Center. Typically commuting with his bike, GoPro, helmet and face mask, Castaneda said that he felt people kept a distance because of his appearance.
"But that day was kind of weird,” Castaneda said.
Castanada was approached by three men who demanded he give them his bike. At that moment, he went to remove his GoPro, which was on his bike. One of the men told him to leave the GoPro on the bike and the other two began to crowd him, but he decided not to pay any attention to them.
“Next thing I know this eye [right] just went white,” Castaneda said. “He just cracked me right in the eye and then we got into a little scuffle.”
The men then tried to grab one of the wheels, but Castaneda pulled back. When they realized they would not be able to get the bike, the three men left.
“What I found amazing was that there were people there, but nobody was there to really help,” Castaneda said.
Stories like Castenada’s highlight the need for improved safety measures to ensure a safe experience for riders and employees in the Metro system. With a projected increase in ridership due to the World Cup in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027 and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there is a severe urgency for the implementation of effective safety measures.
"What I found amazing was that there were people there, but nobody was there to really help."
— Luis Castaneda
Los Angeles has received nearly $900 million through a spending package signed into law by President Joe Biden to strengthen infrastructure and the Metro Transportation system before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Out of the $900 million, $9.96 million will also be used to improve pedestrian safety.
“Metro is committed to ensuring that our passengers, our riders are safe and that our employees are safe when they're on the system,” said Carlos Rico, senior manager of safety, security and law enforcement at L.A. Metro. “So we've taken several measures to ensure that the system is safe, that people that are riding the system feel safe.”
But many in the public believe that the increase in crime needs to be addressed differently.
"Nobody's doing that is all I'm saying,” said Fabian Bolanos, an L.A. Metro Ambassador. “The city has a humongous amount of money. Metro has the money.”
Bolanos argues that changes on a larger scale are needed.
Hear The Experience of People on the Metro
Metro’s response
One of the programs Metro has launched to combat these safety issues is the L.A. Metro Ambassadors program. Launched in 2022, the pilot program aimed to incorporate unarmed staff at Metro facilities, assisting riders with fares or directions and reporting maintenance or safety issues.
The Alliance for Community Transit - Los Angeles (ACT-LA), a coalition focused on advocating for transit justice, housing justice, environment justice and public health, has advocated for Metro to be more welcoming as a public space for many years. Their 2021 report “Metro as a Sanctuary” pushed for uniformed transit staff who were trained in de-escalation, customer service and were able to support transit workers and riders.
The Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted in October 2023 to make the program permanent and handle it within Metro. Currently, the program is managed by RMI International Inc. and Strive Well-Being Inc.
It is against Metro policy to carry large objects, but these rules are rarely followed.
“The benefits of bringing those programs in-house is that now we are able to have greater oversight, better training, and really focus on, when it comes to deployment, when it comes to the needs of the system, really focused on where we want the ambassadors to be,” Rico said.
To address homelessness, mental illness and drug abuse within the system, Metro works with county, city and regional agencies. Metro Homeless Outreach Teams engage with unhoused riders to connect them to resources like placing them into housing.
Metro also partners with People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), an organization working to end homelessness. Metro has 24 homeless outreach teams staffed by PATH throughout the system.
In May, Metro launched a new "TAP to exit” pilot program at the North Hollywood Station. Throughout the whole system, riders only need to tap their transit card once they enter stations, but this program requires them to also tap their card as they exit.
“That one helps with the access control, but also ensures that our patrons are paying their fare when they're using the system,” Rico said.
Metro often cites this program when discussing safety procedures, but it is unclear whether the results of this new program will improve safety.
We have a major drug epidemic that is rampant, that is violent, that has been left unattended.”
— Fabian Bolanos
At the same time, Mayor Bass along with other Metro leaders ordered an increase in law enforcement to be present in the Metro system due to the violence.
“We have the responsibility to every single one of our riders and our bus operators and our train operators to make Metro safe, and part of the solution I believe has to be increasing law enforcement visibility and presence on our system,” said Janice Hahn, chairwoman of the L.A. Metro Board of Directors.
When asked about the 15.6% increase in violent crimes like assault in April, L.A. Metro senior safety manager Rico said it was due to the increase in law enforcement.
“I think it's still too early from the statistical standpoint to see how those numbers are reflected based on what we're doing in the system,” Rico said. “But as the months go on, I think you'll start to see those numbers fluctuate as this enforcement has been stepped up.”
The increased law enforcement was not implemented until May.
Bolanos, who is also suing Strive Well-Being for labor violations, said the rise in crime rates is due to the unhoused population and methamphetamines, fentanyl and drinking at L.A. Metro facilities.
“If we were to stop those three elements, in a sense, not stop it because you can't, but at least not have it be rampant on the stations inside the trains, I can guarantee, I will put my career on the line, I will bet double down on it, the numbers will get better,” Bolanos said.
Metro Ambassador Fabian Bolanos Assisting a Transient
In an emailed statement, Metro said ambassadors have saved 215 lives through CPR, suicide prevention and the administration of Narcan, which treats a narcotic overdose. Ambassadors began carrying Narcan in April 2023.
“The trains are contaminated,” Bolanos said. “We have a major drug epidemic that is rampant, that is violent, that has been left unattended.”
In June, the L.A. Metro Board of Directors approved the plan to establish an in-house police force known as the Transit Community Public Safety Department. This will end their partnerships with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Long Beach Police Department.
“We've seen with the current approach, which is primarily a policing approach, that the safety net is just not functioning, it's not touching people when they become an issue for other people,” McElvain said. “We need much greater investment in invisibility throughout the system and in like, readily available hands. We haven't had that.”
Metro’s “Transit Community Public Safety Department Plan” outlines their reasons for changing this dynamic. They claim the current contract with law enforcement lacks alignment with Metro policies, procedures, safety approaches, operational control and accountability.
This is a sentiment that has been echoed by Juarez who said Metro’s current police involvement has not been effective.
“Sometimes even when we call them Metro Police or LAPD, they won't even come on-site,” Juarez said. “They take forever. They wouldn't even do much…I feel like they see things as a joke.”
Issues Within the System
Metro staff members receive training to effectively handle issues related to homelessness, mental illness and drug abuse. However, L.A. Metro Ambassadors Fabian Bolanos and Joanna Juarez believe additional training needs to be given.
In an emailed statement, Metro said ambassadors receive 80 hours of field experience training, and complete a classroom and field training designed by Metro.
Metro added that ambassadors are trained in customer service, conflict de-escalation, how to administer Narcan, mental health first aid, public safety awareness, trauma-informed response and disability awareness.
Juarez said she only received two weeks of training, and that this training did not adequately cover the sensitive issues that Metro Ambassadors face.
“I feel like we need an ongoing monthly or every other month training, just to see what's going on, bring up our concerns and stuff like that,” Juarez said.
Bolanos outlined the three areas he would like to see added to ambassador training.
- Social work knowledge to assess riders and connect them to available Metro resources like PATH or Metro Outreach Teams.
- Security training to gather evidence and conduct interviews during incidents.
- Emergency medical technician training to allow ambassadors to feel confident about administering CPR or Narcan.
He would also like to see radios given to every ambassador, so they could be in contact with law enforcement.
“We're the first point of contact they're going to reach,” Bolanos said. “We're the ones that call, whether it be contract security, LAPD or the dispatch or paramedics. So the training could be better.”
Bolanos said he first went to Strive Well-Being regarding any concerns or ideas he had, but they did not do anything, so he then went to Metro.
“Metro bounces back, ‘We’ll go to speak to the contractor because that's really who you're employed by,’” Bolanos said. “It's just kind of like they throw the baton and then we're back to square one.”
Communication within the system is lacking across the board.
Metro's safety reminders: "See something, say something.
After her attack, Juarez expressed her anger in an internal email on Feb. 21 to Strive Well-Being due to the lack of communication with other ambassadors about the incident, and the lack of support for her partner who was present during the attack.
Sanjay Sangani, director of operations at Strive Well-Being, said in the exchange with Juarez that supervisors were actively speaking to their teams after her incident and that her partner had received counseling.
However, Juarez’s partner responded to the emails and said she had not received counseling and was only asked to write a report.
“In situations involving serious issues that require counseling, such as mental health concerns or traumatic experiences, employees must have access to the appropriate expertise and support,” Juarez said in the email. “Professional psychologists or counselors are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide effective guidance and assistance in such circumstances.”
In the emails, Strive said the agreement with Metro does not include provisions for hiring counselors.
Alternative Solutions
Although Metro has made advancements to reduce the increase in crime rates, alternative solutions are not being heard.
“I love Metro, but somebody needs to speak the truth,” Bolanos said. “Somebody needs to let this all out. And let's get the tools. Let's be empowered. Let's train. Let's do it better.”
The Metro in-house police force is estimated to cost Metro $192 million per year, while the current contract with law enforcement is about $194 million.
ACT-LA believes that the money would be better spent if Metro moved away from the police-first model and instead invested in more holistic safety programs like the ambassador and outreach programs.
“They [police] are not a tool for that issue,” said McElvain, ACT-LA communications manager. “Quality of life issues like the mental health crisis in the city and drug use in the system and just general nonviolence incidents are the vast majority of calls for service and rider incidents in the system.”
In March, ACT-LA published “Three ways Metro’s police dollars would be better spent,” to provide alternative ways to combat safety issues.
The three suggestions are:
- Invest $70 to $100 million in the Ambassador Program - Double the number of ambassadors, expand their coverage to elevators and buses, increase ambassadors’ pay to a housing minimum wage, and provide ongoing trauma-informed care training, support systems and professional development opportunities.
- Invest $80 to $100 million in Mental Health and Homelessness Outreach Budget - Metro works with PATH and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, but they only focus on the rail system. This investment would expand the program's coverage to buses and allow Metro to fund more shelter beds. Metro currently only funds a limited amount of shelter beds.
- Dedicate $30 to $45 million for an accessible Public Restroom Program - Although Metro has bathrooms at stations, they are inaccessible to riders. This program would open bathrooms to the public, and provide 24/7 attendants who can periodically clean, restock, and interface with riders.
When Metro released its "In-house Police Force Plan” in June, ACT-LA took to Instagram encouraging riders to attend or call into the June 27 board meeting where the plan would be discussed.
"Let's get the tools. Let's be empowered. Let's train. Let's do it better."
— Fabian Bolanos
McElvain said coalition members and riders throughout the county arrived at the meeting or were on hold on their phones, but the item was not discussed for about five hours. This was not tenable for working people who could not be on their phones all day.
““It's hard to take them at their word, believe that they're operating in good faith, on the desire to interact and engage with our communities meaningfully, when this is how it started,” McElvain said.
Do People Feel Safe on the Metro?
Metro in Crisis
The dangerous situations occurring in the Metro system are putting riders and employees in danger, which leaves many to believe that Metro does not care.
“Metro doesn't care for us because if they did, they would really do something about this whole situation,” Juarez said.
There were over five million riders in the rail system in June. There has been a steady climb in ridership since the COVID-19 Pandemic with 51 million in 2020 compared to 65 million in 2023.
Public transportation is a necessity for which many have limited alternatives.
“My vehicle was stolen, but I take the train to go to my doctor appointments, and it gives me a lot of anxiety just being in the train or just being around people,” Juarez said.
The increase in crime on the rail system continues to rise. Metro has implemented changes, but in the opinion of outside sources, these changes do not address critical issues that have been going on for years.
McElvain said, “It's not a surprise to me that whatever societal issues are driving an uptick on violent crime in the system, that they're not being mitigated correctly or appropriately, or even at all by the approach Metro currently has.”