{"id":78468,"date":"2024-06-28T17:39:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T21:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=78468"},"modified":"2024-06-28T17:49:09","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T21:49:09","slug":"lacmta-reconstitutes-in-agency-police-force-to-protect-workers-riders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/lacmta-reconstitutes-in-agency-police-force-to-protect-workers-riders\/","title":{"rendered":"LACMTA reconstitutes in-agency police force to protect workers, riders","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GCA-875 represents workers for both Los Angeles County Metro Transportation Authority\u2019s bus and train services and stands as the SMART Transportation Division\u2019s largest bus\/transit property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saying that the thousands of people in those five locals represented by General Chairperson John Ellis and his team have been through things that people should not have to go through while on the job would be an understatement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent months, a LACMTA bus operator has been held at gunpoint by a hijacker, with the incident ending with the bus hitting multiple vehicles and a downtown hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members have been stabbed while in service. Passengers have been killed aboard LACMTA buses and trains. Neither rider nor worker could deny that getting from here to there was an experience not without apprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enough was enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union effort brings true security back for our members<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
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SMART-TD officers attend the board meeting June 27 when the LACMTA board approved the creation of a Transit Community Safety Department. From left are: Local 1563 Chairperson Jaime Delgadillo; Local Chairperson 1607\/GCA-875 Secretary Julio Mejia; GCA-875 General Chairperson John M. Ellis; Vice General Chairperson and Local 1565 Chairperson Quintin Wormley; Local 1564 Chairperson Andy Carter and Local 1605 Chairperson Juan Gonzalez, who represents rail members. (Not pictured is Edgar Menendez, Local 1608 chairperson.)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The media publicity and outrage surrounding the violent events aboard LACMTA and the outspokenness of our union members and leadership finally helped to turn the tide with the people who could do the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 27, the Los Angeles County MTA\u2019s board voted unanimously to create an \u201cin-house\u201d police agency called the Transit Community Safety Department to serve and protect SMART-TD members and the people who use LACMTA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a victorious day,\u201d GC Ellis said in a letter to members announcing the board\u2019s actions. \u201cToo often incidents aboard Metro vehicles have compromised your lives and dissuaded residents from riding the bus and rail services. Maintaining the status quo was NOT an option.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meetings by union leaders with L.A. County Superintendent Janice Hahn and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spelled out precisely what the union\u2019s stance was \u2014 that a dedicated department focused on security was needed to ensure safety for everyone aboard LACMTA, which serves 900,000 passengers daily and is the third-largest transit agency in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change will take time and collaboration between union and LACMTA<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To that end, rather than LACMTA being dependent on support from the LAPD and county Sheriff\u2019s Department, the Transit Community Safety Department would fully control safety priorities and better commit resources to where our members, in conjunction with agency leadership, say they are needed the most. More than 400 sworn-in transit safety officers would be in the department and collaborate with LACMTA\u2019s transit ambassadors, as well as with specialists in crisis intervention and homeless outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A unanimous vote by board members present at the meeting created a security force for LACMTA on June 27.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

While the action taken by the board June 27, along with the prior approval of barriers to protect operators, is a definitive path toward a safer direction, GC Ellis stressed to members that the change will need time to take effect \u2014 at least three to five years, according to agency estimates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe look forward to working with CEO Stephanie Wiggins and management to make this proposal a reality,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cWe understand that establishing your own police agency will take years to ensure it works effectively and as swiftly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNevertheless, we will continue to campaign to keep our members \u2014 Metro\u2019s frontline heroes \u2014 as safe as possible. The union wishes to express our sincere appreciation for the forward steps the board took today to create a safer environment for our members and for the riding public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example other agencies and unions can follow<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson congratulated GCA-875 on their success. But the need to improve safety in Los Angeles or at the other bus and transit properties the union represents isn\u2019t going to disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLACMTA is a huge property with a lot going on and a lot to track \u2014 there are only two others in the country that are bigger operations,\u201d he said. \u201cThe headlines that we\u2019ve seen coming out of Los Angeles have been hard to stomach, and sadly the violent incidents that have happened there aren\u2019t exclusive to there. They happen all around the country on multiple properties we represent. It\u2019s why we\u2019ve had to create an internal Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJohn Ellis and his team have shown that our union gets things done for our bus and transit members. We all know that it\u2019s not going to get better for our people unless we as a union lead the way and make it better. I congratulate GCA-875 on this accomplishment and being an example of great leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SMART Transportation Division bus leaders get through to the LACMTA leadership. An agency police force will be re-established after board members make a unanimous vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":7,"featured_media":78469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,300,4990,4825,18],"tags":[5732,216],"member_types":[4846],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLACMTA reconstitutes in-agency police force to protect workers, riders - SMART Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/lacmta-reconstitutes-in-agency-police-force-to-protect-workers-riders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"LACMTA reconstitutes in-agency police force to protect workers, riders - SMART Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SMART Transportation Division bus leaders get through to the LACMTA leadership. 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