Metro installs barriers, video cameras on buses to cut down on crime
LOS ANGELES >> In an effort to curb assaults on bus drivers, Metro will install video cameras as well as steel-and-Plexiglass barriers separating operators from passengers on hundreds of new buses within the next three months, the transportation agency announced Friday.
Attacks on bus drivers have risen 35 percent from 2012 to 2014, prompting a three-pronged offensive aimed at protecting 5,000 bus and rail operators working for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Though most assaults tend to be minor offenses, they have involved passengers punching and kicking operators during layovers and sometimes weapons are used, Metro reported.
Metro board member Diane DuBois told the media that the recent statistics are worrisome.
Assaults numbered 138 by passengers against operators in 2014, a jump of 35 percent from 2012.
“There has been a disturbing uptick of assaults on Metro operators,” she said. “That is
not acceptable, so Metro is fighting back.”
Cherian Brown, a 16-year veteran who drives a bus for Metro in Long Beach, said one time a group of rowdy passengers got off the bus, then threw a garbage can at her that smashed the windshield.
• VIDEO: Cherian Brown talks about the new safety features
Many times, drivers are spat on by passengers for no reason or during a fare dispute, said Paul Gonzales, Metro spokesman.
Another aspect of the driver protection program is having the on-board computer announce the fare, which is $1.75. “It takes the operators out of the equation,” said Marc Littman, Metro spokesman.
Brown said she has heard from many fellow operators who said they were spat upon.
Having a plastic, see-through shield can help with that, she said. Brown demonstrated how to lock the new barrier and plastic-glass shield into place, while sitting behind the wheel of an orange bus parked at Metro headquarters Friday morning.
“I think it is a wonderful idea to secure the operators and the passengers. When we are secure, then they are secure,” Brown said.
Metro reported 24 assaults on drivers last year, including the beating of a 59-year-old woman driver sitting on the curb during her break in West Hills last November. She recovered from her injuries, authorities reported.
• PHOTOS: New safety features for Metro bus operators
At that time, the transit agency began installing video cameras and monitors on 50 buses, including a live feed of passengers. The increased surveillance has resulted in a drop in assaults, said Metro Chief Operating Officer Robert Holland. Metro has 166 buses with closed-circuit video monitors that show passengers boarding and also in the seating area. By June, Metro will have 268 with CCTV monitors, he said.
If someone that is about to commit a crime sees his or her image on a monitor, that person is less likely to do the crime, he said.
“They might say: Who is that? I’d say that is Big Brother watching you. And that is the reaction we are looking for,” Holland said.
Andrew Gonzales, who represents the operators union, said he would like to hear from members what they think of the barriers and the closed-circuit TV.
“We are looking for feedback from our operators. But anything to help protect them is what we are looking for,” he said.
In addition, Metro is working with state Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, who has introduced a bill that would triple penalties for assaults against operators and add jail time for those convicted. Right now, the penalty is up to one year in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000.
Finally, next month, Metro will launch a counseling program called Transit Ambassador, which helps bus drivers manage stress, both at work and at home. Also, drivers will be wearing lapel pins with the message “Mutual Respect.”
“It is a tough environment out there,” said Art Leahy, Metro CEO, who started his career as a bus driver. “Now with the new (driver) doors, the video monitors, it will have a positive effect on the safety of our operators and also our passengers.”
Commander Michael Claus of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Transit Division said plainclothes officers will continue to stake out bus stops that officers have determined are “potential trouble spots.” The last area targeted was in East Los Angeles, he reported.
Claus also asked members of the public riding buses to call the LASD transit hotline (1-888-950-SAFE) at the first sign of something suspicious, or to report a crime. “If you see something, say something,” he said.
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Attacks on bus drivers have risen 35 percent from 2012 to 2014, prompting a three-pronged offensive aimed at protecting 5,000 bus and rail operators working for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Though most assaults tend to be minor offenses, they have involved passengers punching and kicking operators during layovers and sometimes weapons are used, Metro reported.
Metro board member Diane DuBois told the media that the recent statistics are worrisome.
Assaults numbered 138 by passengers against operators in 2014, a jump of 35 percent from 2012.
“There has been a disturbing uptick of assaults on Metro operators,” she said. “That is
not acceptable, so Metro is fighting back.”
Cherian Brown, a 16-year veteran who drives a bus for Metro in Long Beach, said one time a group of rowdy passengers got off the bus, then threw a garbage can at her that smashed the windshield.
• VIDEO: Cherian Brown talks about the new safety features
Many times, drivers are spat on by passengers for no reason or during a fare dispute, said Paul Gonzales, Metro spokesman.
Another aspect of the driver protection program is having the on-board computer announce the fare, which is $1.75. “It takes the operators out of the equation,” said Marc Littman, Metro spokesman.
Brown said she has heard from many fellow operators who said they were spat upon.
Having a plastic, see-through shield can help with that, she said. Brown demonstrated how to lock the new barrier and plastic-glass shield into place, while sitting behind the wheel of an orange bus parked at Metro headquarters Friday morning.
“I think it is a wonderful idea to secure the operators and the passengers. When we are secure, then they are secure,” Brown said.
Metro reported 24 assaults on drivers last year, including the beating of a 59-year-old woman driver sitting on the curb during her break in West Hills last November. She recovered from her injuries, authorities reported.
• PHOTOS: New safety features for Metro bus operators
At that time, the transit agency began installing video cameras and monitors on 50 buses, including a live feed of passengers. The increased surveillance has resulted in a drop in assaults, said Metro Chief Operating Officer Robert Holland. Metro has 166 buses with closed-circuit video monitors that show passengers boarding and also in the seating area. By June, Metro will have 268 with CCTV monitors, he said.
If someone that is about to commit a crime sees his or her image on a monitor, that person is less likely to do the crime, he said.
“They might say: Who is that? I’d say that is Big Brother watching you. And that is the reaction we are looking for,” Holland said.
Andrew Gonzales, who represents the operators union, said he would like to hear from members what they think of the barriers and the closed-circuit TV.
“We are looking for feedback from our operators. But anything to help protect them is what we are looking for,” he said.
In addition, Metro is working with state Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, who has introduced a bill that would triple penalties for assaults against operators and add jail time for those convicted. Right now, the penalty is up to one year in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000.
Finally, next month, Metro will launch a counseling program called Transit Ambassador, which helps bus drivers manage stress, both at work and at home. Also, drivers will be wearing lapel pins with the message “Mutual Respect.”
“It is a tough environment out there,” said Art Leahy, Metro CEO, who started his career as a bus driver. “Now with the new (driver) doors, the video monitors, it will have a positive effect on the safety of our operators and also our passengers.”
Commander Michael Claus of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Transit Division said plainclothes officers will continue to stake out bus stops that officers have determined are “potential trouble spots.” The last area targeted was in East Los Angeles, he reported.
Claus also asked members of the public riding buses to call the LASD transit hotline (1-888-950-SAFE) at the first sign of something suspicious, or to report a crime. “If you see something, say something,” he said.
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