A Message from Metro CEO Phillip Washington:
As Metro continues to work with our partners at the Los Angeles Police Department on the investigation of a young woman being forcibly removed from a Metro subway train yesterday, I want to be clear about my position: We want our Customer Code of Conduct rules enforced, but I’m disappointed at the way the situation escalated.
As a 24-year retired U.S. Army veteran, I understand and respect our police officers and their day-to-day duty in working to keep our system safe and secure. They encounter hundreds of conduct issues each day, and some of them are faced with very difficult situations. But my hope is that we work to de-escalate situations as much as possible.
The investigation is underway to gather all the facts, and until we have the complete story, we must not rush to judgment. Meanwhile, we remain committed to enhancing safety and the overall rider experience for all of our customers, and look to our patrons to be our partners in that.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Transportation News
I thought the policeman showed restraint in how he removed the girl from the train given her attempts at stopping him doing his job. In the video it appears people were standing while she took up a double seat. The video demonstrates the girls unacceptable behaviour towards obeying the rules of traveling on the train – it is a poor reflection on her behaviour not the policeman.
Enforcing rules is one thing. But when law enforcement escalates enforcement of those rules to the point that a 90-pound girl is getting dragged off of a train, handcuffed, and arrested – for an action that, while slightly immature and nominally against the rules, was not at all a violent or flagrant violation of somebody else’s rights – it is completely unprofessional and out of line with maintaining order; to wit, the officers’ actions were far more disruptive to the other commuters’ experience than the girl ever was.
This rude young woman needs to be punished to learn rules and law, and her parent and school should feel ashamed of her misconduct.
This rude girl does not deserve dignity as she showed no respect to others and even police officers.
These police officers did a great job and should not let this criminal minded girl to get away from her misconduct.
The school should also punish her and even dismiss her.
We love to see more police officers take positive actions to clean up those ill-minded people out of this society.
Phil Washington should show more guts to take up responsibility to get rid of those no dignity, unlawful passengers, and make this transport a real public transport systems.
Maggie
Metro will be going to all plastic seat inserts with drain holes. very soon, no more pee soaked upholstery
[…] CEO Phil Washington also released a statement o, that had to be reworded because they were too harsh on the police in their first statement, as […]
its about time you enforce the violators ….. she only a brat
It’s hard for me to comprehend how alot of you think it’s okay for a hardened segeant to forcibly remove/physically harm a teenage girl who doesn’t even have an id yet. As a parent I expect an officer to treat my non-threatening non-criminal teenage girl with a little more dignity. I watched the video, the silly young girl didn’t act out until after she was slammed into a wall, handcuffed, scared and made to cry. I’m betting most of you responding don’t and didn’t have kids her age. I can tell you if this had been my teenage girl the sergeants Dept. Would be paying for physical and mental damages. And any further treatment such as this of any non criminal human being by someone who is paid to protect and to serve will be completely illegal and fully noted in thier code of conduct. The officers actions are just fundamentally wrong and deface us as an compassionate respectful society. Two wrongs don’t make a rite… Write her a ticket next time and have some human respect. All of you that support that kind of force on anyone when there are better non violent options should consider the old saying ”What ye sow so shall ye reap”.
I think it all starts with the parents if you raise your kids to act that way and not respect authority that they deserve to go to jail
I watched the vid also. Now she’s launching a lawsuit but the video doesn’t back the story she’s now telling. And the f-bombs she was hurtling at the police were a complete embarrassment.
Phillip Washington, I demand you resign. The police officer handled the situation with incredible grace and restraint. We Angelinos want order and the rule of law to prevail because the metro is a disgusting, crime infested hell hole. More cops like this will make me feel MUCH safer than those that will allow human garbage like that girl and all the aggressive, threatening transients to do as they please.
I am withy you 110%.
Ralph when it comes to Transit you always get it right. If MTA tries to settle with this “So badly wronged” passenger it will be a terrible mistake. If she gets money for unexceptable behavior it will open the flood gates wide for
Much more trouble. I believe it is too late to save PublicTransit. Our Political Correctness won’t allow us to enforce rules. More and more undesirables will ride, Sleep or cause problems. Ridership will continue to drop as our older long term riders find other ways to go. The whole system is at risk.
Twitter gets you in trouble. Trump is a good example. But CEO Washington
Stuck his foot in his mouth buy criticizing the Police.
Me too
Its a big deal if policy (and signage) states to keep your feet off seats – and a bigger deal when law enforcement first asks you to follow the policy and then gives fair warning of what will happen next if you do not respect the policy. You know, paying a fare rents you one seat, it doesn’t rent you the whole train. I think more respect was heard from the policeman than the rider.
So true
Does the DMV in LA not require any form of ID when getting your driver’s license? In every other part of the country I’ve lived in, at least 2 forms of ID were required to get a driver’s license. Usually your Social Security Card being one of them and a picture ID, like a school badge were required.
Perhaps LA just trusts everyone to never lie when getting their driver’s license. Otherwise, this 18y/o was lying to the officer when she said she didn’t have any ID on her… and in many parts of the country, that’s also illegal when you’re found to be in possession of any form of ID.
IF HER FOOT WAS TAKING UP A VALUABLE SEATING SPACE THEN SHE SHOULD HAVE REMOVED IT. IF HER FOOT OR LEG WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HER, THEN I DON’T THINK ITS A BIG DEAL IF SHES NOT TAKING UP ANOTHER SEAT
What you are saying is that it is OK for her to dirty the seat you may sit on next.
Can’t agree with you at all):
6-05-100 Disorderly Conduct.
The following acts are prohibited in Metro facilities and vehicles: A. Expectorating (spitting); J. Placing feet or shoes on seats or furnishings.
Hey Washington should the police beg and say pretty please to riders to stop violating YOUR rules of conduct?? You should support the officers you are paying to keep your trains civil and safe.
Phillip Washington, you made the rule that passengers cannot place their feet on a seat. This situation is YOUR fault. Your rules oppressed this girl; don’t throw smoke and try to sneak off stage.
I have 3 cheerleader girls that i have raised. As a child i grew up with supermodels before the word supermodel existed. I have known some very entitled woman and some extremely beautiful woman. I have also met some really good officers and some who seem to believe they have the right to ignore the officers code of conduct.
Young entitled woman have a lot to temper at the age of this young girl who would not remove her foot from a seat as commanded by the officer. Not only is a young woman’s body still changing and other female biological functions at that age they must also deal with the attention received as most young pretty woman get.
The seat this young girl was sitting in is one of only a couple like it inside that particular train. most of the woman i have been on that particular train with won’t even sit in that particular seat because it faces the passenger in front of them; reason is because many woman get hit on all day long so they don’t want to deal with someone sitting directly in front of them if that person decides to hit on them. I have seen my girlfriends put things on that exact same seat so they are sure the wrong person can’t sit there. I also know woman who actually have panic attacks in public because everywhere they look and go men are checking them out or hitting on them.
the reactions i have seen in the social media video of this young girl are typical of many pretty young woman this day and age. I’m sure the officer involved has done well for society with his years of service and i believe he was just doing what he has been trained to do, on the same token i believe the young girl was just being a young woman and not harming society in any way; that is obvious as she appeared very scared and crying when the officer pushed her against a wall while handcuffing her.
If you have any experience with young girls its obvious to much force was used by the officer. the officer would be a much better fit in a rougher train line where pretty young woman who have their feet on a seat look like angels compared to the real crime that happens there. a simple warning ticket would have made the young woman think twice next time around, especially if she was just going thru what woman go thru.
I have been on public transit many times dealing with some very real and dangerous criminal activity where i could have used that officers assistance. i hate the idea that during those times he and all the other officers on the video may have been pushing around a young woman for blocking a seat she may have thought necessary to block.
Don’t get me wrong, i don’t agree with the attitude from the young woman but I’m sorry the officer used to much force for the situation, if you have ever seen some of the real crime that happens on public transit you would understand, especially if you have spent time with entitled pretty young girls.
This is not racial…it’s ignorance. Pay the fare and follow the rules that protect all of us.
Amen
Thank the good Lord there are police on the trains. I support them 99% of the time.
Me too!
The Metro CEO issues a statement before the investigation is over? We do not know the full story. We need to know all the facts before making a conclusion. Phillip Washington Should Resign!
Police officers are doing their jobs. As the people who travel on the trains know that.