The City Council Wednesday authorized the LAPD to extend its existing contract for $113 million with L.A. Metro for security services through the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
In a 12-3 vote, the council instructed the LAPD to move forward with the contract, which is expected to increase from $616.9 million to $730.8 million. Metro officials said the agreement would cover a one-year period from July 1, 2024, through June 30, and mostly accounts for wage increases for LAPD officers.
There are not “any substantial changes” in services, according to Metro representatives.
City Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado voted against the matter, and there was no discussion.
This marked the ninth amendment to an initial five-year contract that the agency executed in 2017 with LAPD for $369.3 million. Metro also has agreements with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the Long Beach Police Department.
Metro’s System Security and Law Enforcement Department directs contracted law enforcement to address crime and patrol its entire system, among other duties.
The transit agency expects to amend its contract with the Sheriff’s Department soon, while the LBPD in November 2024 decided not to renew its contract “in order to be able to redeploy those resources to other parts of Long Beach,” Maya Pogoda, a representative for Metro, told CNS in an email.
LBPD’s contract expired in December, but the department agreed to continue patrolling eight stations on Metro’s A Line through the end of March. Starting April 1, that is set to end.
Both agencies are working to ensure a “seamless transition.” At the moment, there is “no lack of law enforcement on this segment of the system,” Pogoda added.
Metro officials added it would continue its “strong working relationship” with LBPD even after the transition as the department will continue to respond to emergency calls in Long Beach.
At the same time, the transit agency is moving forward with its plans to establish its own police force, called the Transit Community Public Safety Department.
Metro’s board of directors decided to move in that direction in June 2024, citing concerns over the cost of the contracts and issues with deployment models. Homelessness, high-profile violent crimes against riders and bus drivers, among other challenges, prompted the decision as well.
The plan is expected to be implemented in three phases over a five-year period.
Currently, the transit agency is in the first phase — hiring a chief of police, establishing administrative support and developing standard operating procedures.
In year two, the agency expects to recruit and train officers and personnel. By the end of year five, the agency anticipates having a fully trained force and full deployment onto the system.
Metro said it will gradually phase out contracts with LAPD and the sheriff’s department between year two and five as its in-house agency comes online.
“We’re thankful for the work of our law enforcement partners on our system, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate and work with them during this transition to keep our employees and riders safe,” Pogoda told CNS in an email.