From 2021 to 2023, according to CBS News and LA Metro, crime increased in the Metro system, but has declined starting in May 2024.
In June 2024, Metro recorded 97 crimes, including crimes such as illegally boarding the bus without paying and assault on the Metro system. Because of this, Metro started to take more measures on safety. One of the safety measures taken was installing protective barriers on buses. According to the LA Times, Metro installed safety measures like retrofitting buses with a protective barrier between the driver and people riding. This measure was taken after a Metro bus driver was brutally stabbed in April 2023. Another measure was adding more surveillance and law enforcement to its stations to prevent assaults. Because of this, starting in May 2024 crime decreased and is continuing to decrease to this day.
I interviewed my brother, Brian Hernandez, to get his opinion on my question. He take the bus to get home from high school. His response was, “to be honest I think it has gotten safer. I have a bike but I use the bus to get home, but yeah I think from last year to now there’s a lot less assault and violence happening and sometimes when I go to the train stations I see a lot more police then previous months or years.”
In conclusion, busses have gotten safer lately because of measures like protective tempered glass on buses to prevent stabbings and more law enforcement patrolling stations.
