L.A. Metro launches Care-Based Services Division to prioritize safety on transit systems
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (L.A. Metro) Department of Public Safety (DPS) has launched its Care-Based Services Division, which will focus on taking a holistic approach to public safety that prioritizes safety, dignity and the right response for every situation.
L.A. Metro notes the Care-Based Services Division brings together all of its care-centered public safety programs within the DPS, including Metro Ambassadors, Homeless Outreach Management and Engagement (HOME) and Community Intervention Specialists. The new division will work in close coordination with the department’s other divisions that oversee law enforcement, code of conduct enforcement, physical security and emergency management, which the agency says will result in enhanced coordination and improved response times to ensure all riders and employees feel safe and are safe.
According to the agency, Metro Ambassadors provide a highly visible, uniformed presence across the system with a focus on customer support, wayfinding and helping riders feel safe. Ambassadors are especially effective in creating a sense of comfort for riders who may be uneasy interacting with sworn officers while still serving as an important part of the agency’s overall safety ecosystem.
HOME and Community Intervention Specialists complement responses to situations involving mental health crises or vulnerable individuals through a multidisciplinary, care-first approach. These teams focus on de-escalation and connection to appropriate services, working closely with sworn officers when needed to ensure situations are handled safely and effectively.
The agency’s Crisis Response Teams will respond to behavioral health-related incidents on the rail and busway system, using clinicians, peer specialists and, when appropriate, trained DPS officers. Deployed through a zone-based model, Crisis Response Teams emphasize rapid response, stabilization and connection to supportive resources, helping resolve incidents in ways that reduce reliance on traditional law enforcement while reinforcing system-wide safety.
Leading this new division will be Craig Joyce, a senior executive officer with more than 15 years of experience as a social worker, who will report directly to William Scott, L.A. Metro’s chief of police and emergency management. Joyce joined the agency in 2023 and successfully led the agency’s homeless outreach initiative that has resulted in a 38% year-over-year reduction in homeless individuals seeking shelter on the system.
“[L.A.] Metro is leading the way in creating a new approach to public safety for transit,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “This new path is built on the hard work that’s been done across the agency to make [L.A.] Metro cleaner, safer and more welcoming for all riders. Now we are bringing together the care-based groups that [L.A.] Metro has piloted, and we know are effective, under one strong, unified vision. This collaborative approach reflects a growing recognition of the importance of integrating mental health expertise into public safety responses and promoting trauma-informed approaches to crisis intervention.”
In June 2024, the L.A. Metro Board of Directors approved the establishment of an in-house public safety department to ensure increased visibility, accountability and consistent service delivery. By the end of 2029, the Public Safety Department will deploy its own hired and specially trained law enforcement officers in the field, alongside Ambassadors, homeless outreach and crisis intervention staff utilizing a zone-based deployment model. Each zone will have at least one crisis co-response team assigned to respond to calls and do proactive engagement on board trains, buses and at transit stations.