L.A. Metro sees drop in most crime rates in 2025 while expanding security presence

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) showcased improved safety metrics across its bus and rail systems through 2025. The agency notes that violent crime declined for the second consecutive year in 2025, reaching its lowest level since 2021, while customer satisfaction with safety measures reached record highs.

Violent crime on L.A. Metro services fell 6.7% in 2025 compared to 2024 figures. The agency attributes this reduction to its three-pronged public safety strategy focused on maintaining an engaged and visible presence of uniformed personnel, enhancing access control and strengthening partnerships to address societal issues that can have an impact the transit environment, including homelessness, addiction and untreated mental illness.

“The [L.A.] Metro Board has made public safety our highest priority, and we are seeing measurable returns on those investments,” said L.A. Metro Board Chair and Whittier Council Member Fernando Dutra. “By strengthening access controls, expanding frontline presence and building a modern department of public safety, we are creating a safer transit environment for riders, employees and communities across Los Angeles County.”

Additionally, L.A. Metro also notes a 33% drop in crimes against society, including trespassing, narcotics and weapons. Crimes against property were likely impacted by increased copper wire theft, which the agency says it is working to develop a new interdiction and mitigation to combat those thefts.

In its October 2025 Pulse Survey, L.A. Metro says that it surveyed more than 9,000 riders and found a customer satisfaction rate of 87%, which the agency notes is attributable to a cleaner and safer system.

“Our riders are telling us they feel the difference,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “They see more a visible presence, stronger access controls and teams ready to help. Safety and customer experience go hand in hand, and our 2025 results show that when we invest in both, we create a transit system people can trust.”

After retrofitting fully enclosed bus operator barriers across its entire bus fleet in 2024, L.A. Metro says it saw a 50.5% year-over-year reduction in bus operator assaults and a 67% decrease in the number of operator assaults that required medical transport.  

Building out the department of public safety

L.A. Metro says that in an effort to sustain and accelerate this progress, it began establishing its department of public safety (DPS) under the leadership of Chief Bill Scott, a 35-year law enforcement veteran who joined the agency in June 2025 as L.A. Metro’s inaugural Chief of Police and Emergency Management. The agency says that DPS is working to integrate modern transit policing, physical security, crisis intervention and community-centered engagement into a single coordinated public safety ecosystem.

Engaged and visible presence

L.A. Metro notes that it also continues to contract with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) to provide contracted law enforcement services across the system. In 2025:

• Officers conducted approximately 123,000 bus boardings and over 116,000 train boardings.
• Officers performed approximately 500,000 Transit Access Pass (TAP) card inspections.
• Enforcement activity resulted in more than 2,300 arrests for criminal activity, including possession of illegal weapons and narcotics, and arrests of individuals with outstanding warrants conducted during TAP card inspections.

The agency made further strides in 2025, approving a collective bargaining agreement to create an in-house transit ambassador department and expand ambassador coverage to more bus routes and rail lines.

The agency says that transit ambassadors play a vital role in welcoming riders, reporting issues, supporting crisis intervention and connecting people to resources, accenting the work that law enforcement and security teams are carrying out as part of what L.A. Metro calls a layered safety approach.

“While we continue to contract with LAPD and LASD, we are simultaneously building a new department of public safety that will balance the enforcement work of sworn officers with transit security officers and care-based services, such as homeless outreach workers, community intervention specialists, licensed social and psychological clinicians, peer support specialists and ambassadors,” Scott said. “Through this integrated public safety ecosystem, we are transforming safety across our transit system.”

Enhanced access control

L.A. Metro also expanded its TAP-to-Exit pilot program in 2025, requiring fare validation upon exiting at Union Station and Pomona North, bringing the total to four stations. At stations where TAP-to-Exit has been implemented:

• Security incidents reported on the Transit Watch app declined by 40%.
• Rider satisfaction with the program reached 95%.

L.A. Metro notes that it plans to expand TAP-to-Exit to seven additional stations in 2026.

In March 2025, L.A Metro launched a pilot program installing reinforced, taller fare gates at 28 high-volume stations. The agency notes that Transit Watch incidents related to security concerns, vandalism/graffiti and cleanliness declined by 69% at stations with new gates. To date, 22 stations have been completed, with the remainder scheduled for installation by spring 2026.

Addressing societal issues with compassion

In 2025, L.A. Metro says it connected thousands of individuals to housing and services, reduced homelessness on the system by 38% according to the 2025 Point-in-Time count and helped save 129 lives through Narcan deployment vis its Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement program. In 2026, these efforts have been formalized through the newly announced DPS Care-Based Services Division. 

Preparing for major global events

As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, L.A. Metro says it’s continuing to strengthen its emergency preparedness and large-scale event management capabilities ahead of the major influx of passengers.

In April 2025, L.A. Metro opened its 26,000-square-foot Emergency Security Operations Center (ESOC). The agency says the facility enhances its ability to command, control and communicate during both routine incidents and large-scale emergencies. The ESOC centralizes real-time intelligence, providing L.A. Metro with faster decision-driving information to protect riders, employees and critical infrastructure while minimizing service disruptions.

Throughout 2025, L.A. Metro also:

• Conducted dozens of emergency preparedness exercises.
• Expanded cellular connectivity in underground sections of the K Line and Regional Connector.
• Delivered incident-free service for numerous regional and international events.

In addition, L.A. Metro also opened its LAX/Metro Transit Center in June 2025. L.A. Metro has also expanded the A Line from Azusa to Pomona, opening four new stations with taller faregates.

Safety hub

As part of the agency’s efforts to increase transparency and accountability, L.A. Metro also announced its safety hub. The hub is designed to provide riders with information about L.A. Metro’s progress on making the system safer and includes a dashboard with detailed statistical information.