Sheriff discusses transit safety with Fox11’s Elex Michaelson and Marla Tellez

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has broken his silence on the uptick in violence on Metro buses and trains that left three people injured and one dead in a span of 72 hours this week.

On May 13 one person was stabbed on a bus in Glendale and another was stabbed in an elevator at a train station in South L.A.

Less than 24 hours later, on May 14, a person was stabbed on a Metro bus in Encino.

Photo: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

In response to the crime, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference on May 16 declaring Metro isn’t safe and ordered an “immediate surge” in public safety personnel on buses and trains to increase their visibility and deter crime.

“The spike in violent crime on Metro that we have recently seen against operators and riders has been absolutely unacceptable,” Bass said during a late-morning news conference Thursday. “And I know that all of my colleagues here today would agree.

Hours after Bass’ press conference, a person was shot to death on a Metro bus in Commerce.

Bass was flanked by multiple members of the Metro board but notably absent were Sheriff Luna, Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi and Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish who share in the task of providing security across the sprawling Metro transit system.

Luna appeared on Fox11 with hosts Elex Michaelson and Marla Tellez sharing he believes the transit system is safe and recommends his own family rides it.

He also reported that “94% of violent crime suspects haven’t paid their fare.”

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