Police Protective League Deletes, Reposts, Apologizes for, then Deletes Apology for Racist Scaremongering Tweet about Crime on Metro

In an effort to capitalize on an L.A. Times story about the rise in drug-related deaths on the Metro transit system, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) decided to tweet a racism.

The goal was to make the case that Metro, which embarked on a process of reimagining public safety in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020, was hurting public safety by “defunding” LAPD.

“Listen to your riders!” the tweet proclaimed against a back drop of images meant to convey how vulnerable riders – young Asian men and lone young women, in particular, it appears – were being menaced by unhoused people and others who, by some strange coincidence, just happened to be Black. “They keep telling you that if the trains, buses and stations are unsafe they will not ride. Defunding law enforcement at MTA was a big mistake in 2021. It’s critical to increase safety now to keep riders safe on our transit lines.”

It did not work out well for them.

First, as noted by Streetsblog L.A.’s Sahra Sulaiman, not only had Metro not defunded LAPD, the opposite had occurred.

Though the final contract will likely still include a hefty amount of police funding, Metro’s “layered approach” to safety should also shift significant resources toward expanding the pilot Transit Ambassador program and investing in outreach and services supporting unhoused people, programs aimed at those experiencing mental health issues, transit station activations, elevator attendants, and more. Hopefully that approach will also include improved service. Better, more frequent, and more reliable service cuts down the amount of time people must spend waiting alone in off-peak hours while clean, well-lit, and well-maintained stations and stops can improve riders’ comfort and safety, both real and perceived.

There is no question that the system’s safety issues are pressing. In recent years – even under the current plusfunded law enforcement contract – crime has increased. And while the rise in overdose deaths may be reflective of distressing national trends, they are also reflective of a public health crisis that will not be solved by criminalizing those on the system who are struggling with substance abuse, other mental health issues, and/or a lack of a place to call home. As councilmember Soto-Martinez explains in a brief video message to constituents, the inability – and unsuitability – of police to resolve those public-health related issues is why a new set of comprehensive and prevention-oriented solutions is so urgently needed now.

On Wednesday, Council will vote on a 54 million dollar contract between LAPD and Metro, the same day we vote on giving just 1 million to create an office of unarmed response.

I want to talk about how this is a bad deal for LA. https://t.co/dA7hw1psRD pic.twitter.com/pIdEo0y2l0

— Hugo Soto-Martínez (@HugoForCD13) February 28, 2023

Metro’s proposed care-based alternatives reflect an effort to address those deeper-rooted issues head-on, both to meet riders where they are and to lay the foundation for a healthier, safer, and more welcoming system for all going forward.

What remains is for Metro to tune out racist fearmongering and fully invest in this new path: commit to implementing alternatives, prioritizing better service, and taking bold bites of the police budget so that service can be enhanced and alternative programs are robust, fully resourced, and given a real chance to live up to their potential.

Metro’s ridership deserves no less.

But most of all, they deserve for their safety to be in the hands of people who do not view them as the posterchildren for crime.

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If there is a silver lining to the LAPPL’s terrible tweet, it is that it has brought new attention to a complex policy and budgetary process that can only benefit from greater public engagement. The next board meeting is scheduled for March 23 at 10 a.m. The safety/policing approach may be heard first at the March 16 Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee meeting. Find agendas, get information on how to participate in the discussion, and tune in via the Metro board meetings page. Follow Streetsblog L.A. on Twitter for updates and live tweets from Metro board meetings.