L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna says they've crunched the numbers, and it turns out that most suspects arrested for violent crimes committed on L.A. Metro over the last year did not have a ticket to be on the transit system.
Luna told KNX News' Emily Valdez, "Between May of 2023 and April of 2024, out of the 153 violent crimes that occurred, 143 individuals that were arrested did not have valid fare."
In Luna's eyes, that staggering number of crimes could be prevented if ambassadors, Metro employees, and cops respectfully request people to pay - and if they don't - make them leave.
He also suggests enforcing a code of conduct and believes physical changes to the Metro stations are required.
"If you go ride trains like ours in New York, DC, or Boston, it is very challenging to get in there without paying fair because their infrastructure is different - where ours is wide open," Luna said, "That creates a little bit more of a challenge. So, working with the board, we're hoping that we can all work together at the end of the day to make it safer."
Sheriff Luna says he plans to formally present his recommendations to the Metro board by the end of June. In the meantime, he says 300 deputies are assigned to Metro, which does not include the increase Mayor Bass has requested.
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