LA Metro launches recruitment drive for public safety officers

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) has begun recruiting the first qualified law enforcement officers for its new Department of Public Safety (DPS). L.A. Metro officials announced in a press release that they had received 950 applications in the first 24 hours.

“As we recruit and develop the first generation of Metro officers, we will shape a department that reflects our values, earns public trust, and delivers the safe, welcoming experience our riders and employees deserve,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins.

The DPS was formed in June 2024, when the L.A. Metro board unanimously approved the establishment of an in-house public safety department with a goal of deploying its own specially trained officers by the end of 2029.

The DPS operates as part of L.A. Metro’s broader care-based public safety approach, which integrates ambassadors, homeless outreach teams and crisis and community intervention teams. L.A. Metro aims to match each situation with the appropriate responder, enabling law enforcement officers to focus on criminal activity and urgent safety concerns.

Violent crime also declined for the second consecutive year in 2025, reaching its lowest level since 2021. March 2026 had a 13.6% decrease in overall crime compared to March 2025.

“We have built a strong foundation that reflects our deep commitment to accountability, training, and community-centered policing to lead our training program,” said Wiggins. “Metro is leading the nation in creating a new approach to public safety for transit as it builds its [DPS] from the ground up.”

In addition to law enforcement training, all new DPS officers will receive training in transit-specific awareness issues, trauma-informed response, de-escalation and customer service.