In November 2022, a violent incident involving two men linked to a Metro safety initiative has raised serious concerns over the oversight of the program meant to prevent crime in public transit.
The incident, captured on video and later obtained by The Times, shows one of the employees engaging in a physical altercation with another man on a Metro station platform, while his colleague, identified by a shirt stating ‘security,’ joins the fray.
The victim, after being pushed down onto the platform and onto the tracks, fights back as he is held by one of the two workers.
These two individuals, known as ‘community intervention specialists,’ are reportedly unarmed community members who have experience with at-risk populations and gang intervention. They were hired to work within Metro’s ‘street teams’ with the objective of de-escalating potential violence among commuters.
The unclear identity of a third man present in the altercation has further complicated the case, prompting an investigation into the protocols surrounding Metro’s safety program.
Despite Metro’s promotion of its multimillion-dollar safety program as instrumental in combating rising crime rates, the fight against violence in the transit system is under scrutiny.
In January, Metro expanded this safety program, awarding a new three-year contract worth nearly $25 million to the Lee Andrews Group, a PR firm charged with managing the community intervention specialist program and its associated street teams.
These street teams have been described by Metro as station greeters who offered assistance to passengers and distributed materials, such as PPE during the pandemic.
Metro’s assertion that these community-focused programs have significantly reduced crime—claiming a 15% decline in violent crimes per boarding systemwide between 2023 and 2024—comes amidst increased scrutiny following this incident and a recent indictment linked to one of the program’s co-founders.
Metro’s partnership with Developing Options, a group co-founded by Eugene ‘Big U’ Henley—described as a former gang member turned community advocate—was terminated shortly after Henley’s indictment in March for serious charges including fraud, robbery, extortion, and running a racketeering conspiracy.
Henley was accused of fraudulently acquiring funds using a gang reduction and youth development program overseen by the Los Angeles Mayor’s office.
Developing Options had received nearly $2 million from Metro and ceased operations with the transit agency on March 25, soon after news broke about Henley’s legal troubles.
Metro acknowledged that Able Solutions, another community organization subcontracted by the Lee Andrews Group and connected to the workers seen in the video, has received over $3.2 million for their Metro-related services.
Although the individuals involved in the incident have been removed from the system, the organization remains affiliated with Metro, raising significant questions about recruiting and training practices.
Metro’s Customer Experience Cabinet oversees the community intervention program; however, it does not conduct background checks on the organizations involved—this responsibility falls on the Lee Andrews Group and the individual community organizations themselves.
According to Metro, Able Solutions mandates background checks for all team members via various state verification systems to ensure safety.
Metro further claims that the vetting process is grounded in ‘on-the-ground credibility,’ involving consultations with local leaders and stakeholders to ensure that individuals have the necessary relationships and cultural competence to operate effectively in sensitive areas.
Despite claiming these measures, there remain concerns, especially as reports indicate that eight individuals associated with Metro’s various safety programs have been arrested since 2022.
Gina Osborn, Metro’s former top security officer in 2022, expressed her concerns about the oversight of community intervention specialists, stating, ‘If you have a public safety ecosystem… why is the entire ecosystem not under one person?’
Osborn’s lawsuit against Metro, alleging retaliation for her legal complaints regarding security issues, highlights a troubling internal divide within the agency regarding its approach to ensuring public safety.
Scott Decker, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University and a veteran criminology researcher, noted that while community-based programs can sometimes reduce crime in urban settings, the effectiveness of these initiatives compared to traditional law enforcement is complex and often inconclusive.
Metro recently approved a budget exceeding $9.4 billion, which includes a 2% increase dedicated to public safety, with community intervention programs identified as a priority in their multifaceted approach to ensuring safety across their transit systems.
Despite the promise of innovative solutions and external collaborations, the recent violent incident alongside ongoing legal issues linked to community leaders raises serious questions about the efficacy and management of Metro’s safety initiatives.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-24/metro-violence-prevention-program-fight-rico-indictment
