Frustrated with local law enforcement agencies, Los Angeles County transit officials on Thursday rejected their proposals of a new contract to patrol buses and trains and signed off on a plan to explore creating their own police force.
The move was a rebuke of local law enforcement that has been the backbone of security for Metro, costing the agency $912 million over the last six years. An Office of Inspector General audit last year found the police agencies had poor visibility on the system and didn’t have adequate means of monitoring the deployment of officers, and that their process of dealing with citizen complaints lacked transparency.
Still, the board overseeing Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved extending the current policing contract with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff ‘s Department and the Long Beach Police Department for another year, with a clause allowing to renew it annually until 2026.
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