LA sheriff says deputies will no longer patrol Metro transit without sole authority
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Wednesday that he will withdraw all his deputies from patrolling the L.A. County Metropolitan Transit Authority unless his department is given sole authority to handle security for the transit system.
In a news conference, Villanueva said he will withdraw his deputies beginning in July.
Villanueva alleged that a 2017 contract which split Metro duties among the sheriff's department and the Los Angeles and Long Beach police departments has led to increased crime on the system and is "unacceptable."
The sheriff cited Tuesday's mass shooting at a Brooklyn subway station which left dozens of people wounded.
"The events that arose out of New York City in the last few days have been alarming, and sadly it hits way to home for here in Los Angeles County because of the MTA, and specifically because of the MTA boards and their decisions, that over the course, since 2017 to the present time, they've been consistently aiming at degrading and defunding law enforcement, degrading the capacity of law enforcement to address crime in a proactive manner," Villanueva said. "To the point now that the MTA system here in L.A. is as vulnerable as the one in New York City."
The Metro contract with the three agencies expires July 1, and Villanueva says his agency will bid to take over all policing on the system, but it will not take part in a continued division of duties among multiple agencies.
The LAPD issued a statement via Twitter late Wednesday, insisting there has been a drop in violent crime on the Metro system from pre-pandemic levels.
"The safety of the MTA ridership has not wavered in significance for the Los Angeles Police Department since obtaining the MTA contract in 2017," according to the LAPD. "The men and women of the LAPD monitor trains, platforms and buses diligently each and every day around the clock. This is evident when comparing year to date pre-pandemic violent crim in 2019 to 2022 as there is a 22% decrease. This specifically translates to 47 less victims of a violent crime.
"We continue to collaborate with MTA, various employee unions, Amtrak and our law enforcement partners in LASD and Long Beach."
Hours after his news conference ended, Villanueva issued a "clarification" statement to say, "At no time was I casting any dispersions upon the (LAPD officers' union) Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Los Angeles Police Department. My comments were directed at the decisions made by the city of Los Angeles and the MTA board and is no way a reflection on the brave men and women of the LAPPL and LAPD, who do an incredible job for the Angelenos they protect and serve."