Metro moves to expand weapon screenings to more high traffic stations
The Metro Board of Directors voted Thursday to move forward with the weapons screening pilot project, expanding it to more high-traffic train stations.
Metro began the pilot program in Oct. 2024, as a trend of violence on Metro transportation was on the rise across Los Angeles. Two detection systems were tested at Los Angeles Union Station and at the APU/Citrus College Statio, one randomly scanning passengers, and the other using closed-circuit video feeds to detect people carrying weapons.
According to county Supervisor and Metro Board member Janice Hahn, neither system detected any passengers carrying weapons during the five-month test, but the systems detected officers' service weapons "with 100% accuracy."
Metro security officials said that the technology serves more as a deterrent to prevent people from bringing weapons onto the transit system. Security officers witnessed some people leaving the Metro stations when they saw or were told that the weapons screening systems were in use.
Under the motion approved by the board, the pilot program will now expand to other "high-traffic transit stations" for a year. Metro will also conduct a year-long pilot test of detection technology on buses.
"You can't bring a weapon to a concert or a Dodger game, and you shouldn't be able to bring a weapon on Metro," Hahn said.
Metro has implemented other measures in hopes of increasing safety at stations and on transit. A TAP-to-exit program was introduced at a couple of its stations, where riders have to scan their transit cards to enter and exit the station.
"... Upwards of 90% of the people that come into the system and commit a crime do not have a TAP card or valid fare," Carlos Rico, Metro Sr. Manager Systems of Security and Law Enforcement said. The tap-to-exit program expanded this month to Union Station.
