Supervisor Mitchell’s Statement on Metro Vote to Extend Public Safety Contracts

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, a Metro Board Director issued the following statement on the Metro vote to extend public safety contracts:

“A lot has changed since 2017 when Metro’s current public safety contracts with law enforcement were negotiated. Currently there remains a lack of clarity on the cost of extending these contracts or if the law enforcement agencies will comply with Metro policies and staff direction. These unanswered questions are why I could not proactively support Metro extending its current public safety contracts.”

“I support public safety that accounts for the experiences of our riders and transit operators, and that is aligned with Metro’s values for centering the humanity of the million people who rely on public transit. This is why I voted for the long-term solution of creating an in-house public safety team that is trained by Metro. Leadership matters, we have a new CEO, who is committed to a culture shift. Being trained alongside the teams serving our riders is an important distinction that might also save us funding to invest in more clean and secure bathrooms, transit ambassadors, and community vendors to be additive to law enforcement and our public safety strategies.”

“I respect and appreciate the community members and my colleagues who have provided diverse insights on this pivotal issue. I trust CEO Wiggins to engage in good faith negotiations with law enforcement and believe we will be better positioned to have answers to some of these concerns outlined when we reconvene on this topic in May.”