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Metro creates Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee

Posted: 20 October 2020 | | No comments yet

Applications are strongly encouraged from Metro riders, transit advocates and community-based organisations from a diverse range of perspectives, to create the 15 member committee.

Metro

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is establishing a Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) to re-envision transit safety and explore community-based approaches to policing.

To establish the PSAC, Metro is launching an external recruitment for members of the committee from 19 October with applications being accepted until 13 November 2020. Applications are strongly encouraged from riders, transit advocates and community-based organisations.

“It is prudent for Metro to begin re-evaluating its safety strategies to ensure it is meeting the needs and expectation of our riders,” said CEO Phillip A. Washington. “We look forward to working with the community and our riders to re-envision our approaches to transit policing.”

In selecting members for the PSAC, Metro wants to ensure that they represent diverse perspectives, including racial, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, income, geography, immigration status, housing status and persons with disabilities.

Metro is seeking to establish a 15 member committee with three alternates. The search criteria will include individuals who regularly ride Los Angeles‘ Metro system, have knowledge of transit and expertise as advocates for racial justice, equitable transportation, and/or public safety reform, law enforcement experts, mental health providers or experts, and/or social service providers or experts. Membership appointments will run through June 2022.

Application for membership will be available online.

Following protests across the U.S. earlier this year against police brutality, the Metro Board of Directors sought recommendations from Metro’s System Security and Law Enforcement Department on ways to reform the agency’s policing practices as well as reallocating resources from policing to homeless engagement and outreach and other forms of community safety.

Metro is now in the process of re-evaluating its safety strategies to ensure it is meeting the needs and expectations of transit riders. This is taking place as the agency considers the renewal of its multi-agency law enforcement police contract in 2022. The establishment of the PSAC will give Metro the opportunity to consult with key law enforcement experts and community members as Metro works toward ensuring a more accountable culture of policing.