By Joanna Putman
Police1
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Metro Board has taken a significant step toward creating its own police force, KTLA reported.
During a board meeting on June 27, the LA Metro board was presented with plans for establishing a new in-house public safety department, according to the report. The board voted unanimously to begin the process of building a new police force and modifying or ending existing contracts with regional law enforcement partners.
Currently, law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD, LA County Sheriff’s Department, and Long Beach Police Department, patrol the Metro system, according to the report. However, a 2023 audit from the Office of the Inspector General found that many officers spent the majority of their time away from transit areas, with more than half of transit-related 911 calls being handled by officers not assigned to the Metro system.
“We can’t be everywhere,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “We do the best that we can to keep people safe and we have pretty darn good response times.”
During the board meeting, Luna went on to say that establishing a new law enforcement agency from scratch is risky, particularly with major sporting events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl in 2027 and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics approaching in the coming years.
LA Metro will implement a five-year transition to establish the Transit Community Public Safety Department (TCPSD), according to the report. The next steps include creating a transition team comprised of experts in policing, mental health, social services and human resources.