Did you know the LA Metro is really a homeless agency, not just a failed government transportation system? They hire “outreach” workers and then put them up in a hotel. Why does a train system need outreach workers—outreach who, what? Just another government scam. Any wonder the cost of government transportation is high? We need a full audit of this Bernie Maddow like agency.
“Supervisors admitted, “We are also having trouble recruiting at the county… as we are all competing for the same outreach workers to do the same thing.”
One Supervisor said the county has agreed to pay the tuition for workers who agree to do this kind of work.
In the meantime, the CEO explained, “We’ve started putting people in hotels with supportive care…”
Director James Butts, interrupted, “When you say we? You mean LAHSA?”
CEO Wiggins, clarified, we “Metro is 100% support funding these rooms.”
Butts, replied, “I don’t want us to be known as the homeless agency.”
But you are a homeless agency.
Over 1/3 of Metro Employees Feel Unsafe on LA’s Trains
ERIC PREVEN, City Watch LA, 2/28/22
All aboard:
Long shadow over President Biden’s State of the Union… but apparently, Union station has gotten quite bad, as well.
The high and mighty Metro board, led by County Supervisor Hilda Solis were discussing how to balance safety and declining ridership issues, at their monthly Directors meeting.
Apparently, 50% of citations given are given to African Americans despite that group only representing 16% of the population at large.
29% of employees felt safe on the system, all the time.
Whereas, 39% of employees said, they rarely… or never felt safe.
Still, 70% of metro riders want an unarmed response to conduct issues to be a priority.
The CEO Stephanie Wiggins lead a team of white women who provided updates, following a deep dive including a study of the conduct codes at other agencies.
A layered approach to security will include the development of an app to better coordinate our outreach services at various county sites.
The launch date for a new ambassador program, Wiggins said, would be the fall of 2022.
The old model was prescriptive, reactive and siloed. The new direction is about transformational change… will be based on responsible analytics… “We are now offering hotel rooms.” Red Flag.
A more equitable, proactive and strategic approach was rolled out by the new Chief of Security, who will find the right mix of promotoras, elevator attendants and Mental health outreach workers.
One major problem is a staff shortage.
Dr. Sherin, who did not attend the Metro meeting, told Steve Lopez about the horrible administrative burdens he faces.
Outreach workers engaging patients before they get on trains, sounds terrific, where are these positions going to come from?
Mental Health was going to send over estimates by Friday about how much it would cost to get people in these jobs.
Supervisors admitted, “We are also having trouble recruiting at the county… as we are all competing for the same outreach workers to do the same thing.”
One Supervisor said the county has agreed to pay the tuition for workers who agree to do this kind of work.
In the meantime, the CEO explained, “We’ve started putting people in hotels with supportive care…”
Director James Butts, interrupted, “When you say we? You mean LAHSA?”
CEO Wiggins, clarified, we “Metro is 100% support funding these rooms.”
Butts, replied, “I don’t want us to be known as the homeless agency.”
He told the new Chief, “if you can prevent crime, you are underpaid.”
Butts said he had posted himself on the Crenshaw line, during the Super Bowl week and the number 1 complaint about it, “and these were not our regular riders, was the homeless and lack of sanitation and exposure to infection.”
He touted, Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, who he said, “is like me on amphetamines, but I like the guy.”
“The reason,” Bob Greene, left as Chief of Metro, was because we need “law enforcement leadership not, 2 to 6 ideologies” from Directors on the board.
Kathryn Barger agreed, “We have an immediate problem right now, while we are reimagining safety people are reimagining how they get around.”
Butts insisted that Mental health is the biggest challenge and “LHASA should be paying for it. Period.”
Chair Solis, reminded that these workers “need to serve the county first.”
Holly J Mitchell, eventually chimed in “Mayor Butts — you never cease to amaze me…”
Ara Najarian asked if these ambassadors “will have the power to arrest? To detain? Can they use force?”
“Ara, Ara,” Mayor Butts interrupted, “they are a uniformed presence to provide order and they are a lot cheaper than OT cops.”
“Can they give orders?” Najarian quipped. “Like, put your feet down!? We need to think about that… Will they have body cams?”
Fernando Dutra, a newish board member who is from the private sector, said “How did we get to this point?”
Janice Hahn, the Fourth District Supervisor reacted to one last report on the soaring costs of construction.
“I find this Sobering. But what are we doing to keep costs down?”
Then she quasi-admonished staff, “Staff, don’t make us ask…preempt the question by telling us ‘this is what we are doing… to keep costs down’ don’t make us ask.”
“Let us know, that you know, that we know, that you know,” said former Congresswoman Hahn.
