The Los Angeles Police Department held a news conference this morning to announce they arrested a person suspected of leaving three incendiary devices in a B (Red) Line station last Friday, July 30. The LAPD worked closely with Metro and its contract security staff to safely remove the devices, conduct an immediate investigation and make an arrest.
Metro has issued an official statement on this incident:
“This incident serves as a stark reminder that we all must continue to be hyper-vigilant in observing and reporting suspicious activity whenever and wherever we see it on the Metro system. Our customers play a key role in this partnership. If you see something, say something. Riders are encouraged to report any suspicious activities by calling Transit Watch at (888) 950-SAFE or by using Metro’s Transit Watch App available on iPhone and Android platforms.”
LAPD officials told the media today that there was no evidence of any ties to domestic terrorism. The station was closed for about 90 minutes while the bomb squad cleared the devices.
Categories: Safety
“ Afterwards Metro Board Vice-Chair Jacquelyn DuPont-Walker – who at the time headed the Safety Committee – stated during a public meeting that the public may be better served by not checking fare evaders because it could lead to such confrontations. Her apparent solution was to freely let disturbed, armed individuals on the train where us riders can deal with whatever drama happens.”
Wow, that’s EXACTLY the answer NO ONE wanted. If you hate confront serious security concerns, find another job.
Metro’s definition of “something” should be clarified. My wife once saw an agitated woman randomly swinging a 10-inch knife on the B/D platform at 7th/metro and searched for an employee to tell. By the time she found one upstairs, the woman had boarded a train and the employee seemed unconcerned and no effort was made to locate her. My wife concluded that metro couldn’t care less and doesn’t want to be bothered about such things. A presumably different woman stabbed and killed a rider on a train near that station a few months later.
I actually get the sentiment of the metro employee because it comes down from the top. Case in point, there was another tragic incident at 7th/metro where a man was shot by LAPD after charging them with a knife after dodging the turnstiles and being confronted by security. Afterwards Metro Board Vice-Chair Jacquelyn DuPont-Walker – who at the time headed the Safety Committee – stated during a public meeting that the public may be better served by not checking fare evaders because it could lead to such confrontations. Her apparent solution was to freely let disturbed, armed individuals on the train where us riders can deal with whatever drama happens.
Hi Shawn and readers;
Here is an L.A. Times article about the aforementioned incident in 2019: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-officer-involved-shooting-20190214-story.html. I do think there is a broader context to conversations the Board has had about fare checks — one involves triggering confrontations, including those that seem preventable. The other is about groups of people that fare checks target and whether certain groups are subject to checks more than others.
It’s a tough issue and it’s also worth mentioning that fare checks are not the same as weapons checks. I understand some riders want to see fare checks but I think it’s also fair to say that fare checks may not stop all incidents.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
“”The other is about groups of people that fare checks target and whether certain groups are subject to checks more than others.”
What’s the exact meaning of that?
Nice work.
Just make sure you do NOT ride the Red Line after 6 or 7pm because you will mostly encounter mentally ill/homeless and other transients… I made that mistake when transferring from Expo Line/7th Street Metro station back to Hollywood/Vine. The station was not busy..Most of the office and other workers downtown are already gone by that time. Got on later than I wanted: 9:30/9:45pm..and boarded a movable insane asylum. It was scary. And dangerous..And I’m one tough gal from NY..