Metro Sweep in Santa Monica: Deputies, Mental Health Teams, and Security Ensuring Passenger Safety

Santa Monica, May 31, 2024: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies and Metro Armed Security conducted a comprehensive sweep of the Metro train system today, with a special focus on the downtown Santa Monica Station. This daily operation aims to ensure the welfare of passengers and uphold public safety standards.

At the downtown Santa Monica Station, Metro Ambassadors, the Metro Outreach Team, and The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Mental Evaluation Team (LASD MET) were present, offering outreach and assistance to riders.

The LASD MET provides crisis assessment, intervention, and targeted case management services to diffuse potentially violent situations. They prepare documentation to assist in the placement of persons with mental illness in acute inpatient psychiatric facilities or to link them to outpatient mental health services or appropriate community resources. Each team consists of a deputy sheriff and a DMH licensed mental health clinician who is Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (LPS) designated to initiate involuntary acute psychiatric hospitalization, in accordance with the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), section 5150 or 5585. The goal of this co-response model is to reduce incidents involving use of force, reduce hospitalizations, and avoid unnecessary incarcerations of severely mentally ill citizens. LASD MET also provides in-service training for de-escalation, crisis negotiations, and reducing incarceration of mentally ill consumers.

Metro Ambassadors support riders on Metro buses, trains, and stations, connect them to resources, and report maintenance and safety concerns. They are part of a multilayer plan to improve public safety, which includes security and law enforcement, homeless and mental health outreach workers, and cleaning crews.

Metro Homeless Outreach Teams engage with unhoused riders on buses, trains, and stations, connecting them to resources. These teams are also part of the multilayer safety improvement plan.

Metro Security also checked passengers' tap cards as they exited to verify fare payment. Those who did not pay the fare were issued citations.

The downtown Santa Monica Station serves as the terminal stop for the Metro line, making it a crucial point for authorities to ensure that all passengers exit the train upon reaching its final destination and re-tap to continue on the train. This measure is particularly significant due to reports of some unhoused individuals utilizing the train as a makeshift shelter, remaining on board for extended periods and even sleeping onboard.

Sheriff's Deputies and Metro Security stationed at the downtown Santa Monica Station have a multifaceted role, combining security duties with passenger welfare checks. Their responsibilities include monitoring trains and platforms, enforcing the code of conduct, tackling fare evasion, and upholding the rule of law to ensure safety and security for all passengers.

The increased law enforcement presence at the station is part of a broader effort to address concerns related to criminal activity, instill a sense of safety among commuters, and ultimately restore confidence in the Metro system. This proactive approach is designed to deter criminal behavior and encourage ridership without fear.

Authorities urge passengers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unsafe situations promptly. In emergencies, passengers should dial 9-1-1. For non-emergency security concerns, passengers can reach security personnel at 888.950.7233. Additionally, passengers can use the train intercom or station intercoms, marked by red signs on station platforms, to alert Metro staff to any incidents.

The heightened security measures underscore the commitment of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies to ensure a safe and secure travel experience for all Metro passengers, with a renewed focus on the downtown Santa Monica Station as a key point in the transit system.

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Fabian Lewkowicz is an award-winning Santa Monica-based professional photojournalist and press photographer, and the creator of the photo blog, Santa Monica Close Up. With years of experience as a staff photographer for several media outlets including the Santa Monica Daily Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica Observer, and the Santa Monica Corsair, Fabian has captured some of the most iconic moments of Santa Monica.

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