Metro Los Angeles officials They declared a state of public safety emergency in response to the recent attacks of which passengers and drivers have been victims on train and bus services.
Unanimously, The Metro Board of Directors declared the alert and agreed, among other measures, to acquire safety barriers to protect bus drivers, as well as take other measures to improve safety throughout the system.
Among the most recent cases there is that of the stabbing death of the Latina woman Mirna Sozawhich occurred in the early hours of Monday, April 22, when the victim was returning home after his work day in North Hollywood aboard a train at the Universal City station in Studio City.
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The Agency’s Board of Directors adopted a recommendation to acquire protections for hundreds of busesin response to a “sudden and unexpected increase in the severity of attacks against operators.”
According to Metro, attacks against bus operators They increased from 92 cases in 2019 to 160 during 2023and the trend remains upward so far in 2024.
Metro board member and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion, co-authored with several of her colleagues, to quickly explore solutions to strengthen and increase public safetydriven by the fatal attack against Mirna Soza Arauz, 66 years old.
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“Metro riders deserve to be safe on the systemand we will continue to do all that,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who chairs the agency’s Board of Directors.
“We can keep not only our passengers safe, but our operators as well, and I know that as a board we will meet this challenge because, frankly, That’s what the people of Los Angeles deserve.“Bass added.
Barger said his motion calls for the agency to secure station entrances and exits, analyze data on violent crimes (including those committed by repeat offenders) that occur in the system and accelerate pilot solutions in some of the “most difficult” stations.
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Barger wrote the motion along with supervisors Hilda Solís and Janice Hahn, as well as Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian; Inglewood Mayor James Butts and Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian.
Man stabbed while getting off Metro bus
Just a few hours after the declaration of emergency by the Metro Board of Directors, an argument that originated on board an agency bus led to a stabbing in the Universal Park area.
The violent incident was reported around 12:35 pm this Friday, April 26 at the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Figueroa Way.
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When officers arrived at the scene, they found that a man had been attacked with a knifeaccording to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
According to a Metro statement, Three people argued aboard a Silver Line bus.
The reports say that The transport operator stopped the vehicle and the passengers got outand that’s when the stabbing occurred.
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Metro reported that the bus remained at the scene, as other passengers witnessed the attack.
A suspect was located and detained a short distance away.near Grand Avenue and Adams Boulevard, authorities said.
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Person who suffered injuries from the attack was taken to a hospital. His state of health is unknown.
This case, close to a Metro bus, once again raised concerns about safety in the transportation system due to the multiple attacks recorded in recent weeks.
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