This holiday season, Metro reminds all travelers to be safe – and help keep your transit system safe. If you “See Something, Say Something.” Here’s the press release from Metro:

Keeping Thanksgiving holiday weekend safe is the responsibility of every traveler and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Metrolink join in a continuing effort to engage passengers by urging them to be safety eyes and ears.

“There is a lot of excitement and distraction as folks visit family and friends, but remember safety and security is not just the concern of law enforcement. We all have a stake in keeping transit safe,” said LASD Transit Services Bureau (TSB) Commander Ronene Anda. “Union Station is the busiest rail terminal in the West and keeping our passengers engaged in recognizing potential dangers helps everyone. In 2012, with the cooperation of our personnel and travelers, things went very smoothly and we had only one arrest at Union Station and that was for baggage theft.”

The Metro system has an exemplary safety record with .030 incidents of serious crime per 100,000 bus and rail boardings and Metrolink, likewise has an excellent performance with .010 incidents of serious crime per 100,000 train boardings. With so many people using the regional bus and rail system this Thanksgiving weekend travelers are reminded that if they see something that seems out of the ordinary, say something to authorities.

LASD-TSB patrols the Metro bus and rail system and Metrolink in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties. The Metro Rail and Metrolink systems combined have about 400,000 daily boardings.

“It is impossible to understate the power of 400,000 sets of eyes and ears in keeping our system safe,” said Metro Chief Executive Officer Art Leahy. “Our bus passengers can tell the operator if there is a problem, rail travelers can use the intercom system in our trains, there is our security smartphone app – LA Metro Transit Watch, which is available free at the app store for iPhone and Android and people can call 911.”

Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, an alert Metrolink passenger informed a conductor after overhearing a rider make specific threats. The train was stopped and searched and the suspect arrested by sheriff’s deputies.

“With 42,000 daily boardings across six counties and many law enforcement jurisdictions means that we need the active engagement of our passengers,” said Metrolink Chief Executive Officer Mike DePallo. “Our patrons are an integral part of keeping our system as safe as possible.”

Union Station has about 60,000 daily rail boardings in addition to Metro and municipal bus service. Amtrak’s PacificSurfliner service between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, with 2.64 million boardings, is the second busiest rail corridor in the nation.

Photo: Juan Ocampo/Metro