To reduce violent crimes on the Los Angeles Metro rail system, a pilot program featuring weapons detection technology was expanded this week to two Metro locations: the San Pedro Street Station in Downtown LA and the Norwalk Station.
LA Metro started testing the state-of-the-art weapons detection technology at Union Station and Citrus College Station in Azusa last year, and is now expanding the technology to additional stations for phase two of the pilot program, beginning with the Norwalk (on the C Line) and San Pedro Street (on the A Line) stations.
Phase two will be conducted at two stations at a time, for two-month periods, over the next 12 months. The weapons detection system utilizes pillar-style scanners, similar to those used at concerts or government facilities. Riders are screened as they walk between the pillars, and if they are flagged, they will be subject to a search of their belongings by Metro security officers.
“Nothing is more important to Metro than the safety of our employees and customers,” said Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of Metro. “The weapons detection pilot is an additional tool to help improve safety on Metro, which includes increasing our uniformed presence on the system … and working more closely with our city and county partners to address the societal issues of people experiencing homelessness, drug addiction and untreated mental illnesses.”
When asked if the weapons detection technology would be installed at any Metro stations in the San Fernando Valley, a Metro spokesperson said for security reasons, they are not identifying the stations selected for the two-month testing phases during the year-long assessment period in advance, but future expansion plans could eventually include the valley.
There have been several violent crimes reported at Metro train stations in the valley in the past year. In March, a man was reportedly stabbed with a large kitchen knife during an altercation with another man near the Universal City Station on the Metro B Line. In another incident in April of last year, a woman was fatally stabbed in the throat in an unprovoked attack by a male passenger before exiting the Universal City Station. She later died at the hospital.
“You can’t take a gun or knife into a Dodger game, a concert or a government building, and you shouldn’t be able to bring them on Metro,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who chairs the LA Metro Board. “Let me be clear: weapons do not belong on Metro. … Metro should be safe for everyone – riders, workers and operators alike.”
In addition to the weapons detection pilot program, Metro has also tested video analytics at Union Station to scan CCTV video feeds to identify threats in real time, including someone brandishing a weapon, and alert law enforcement. Metro has also adopted several new system-wide safety protocols, including adding barriers to protect bus operators, improving lighting at stations and “more visible law enforcement [and] transit security,” said Hahn.
The Metro Board also plans to expand the weapons detection pilot program to Metro buses and is working to schedule the launch of a 12-month testing phase.