Hahn Calls for Full Accounting of Metro Law Enforcement and Security after Woman is Beaten Up on Blue Line

Long Beach, CA – Today, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Metro Director Janice Hahn is calling for a full accounting of where Metro’s contracted law enforcement, security, and transit ambassadors were when a woman was beaten up on the Blue Line last week.

“We have multi-million-dollar law enforcement contracts, Metro security, and 300 Metro Ambassadors who have been hired to ride our buses and trains,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “But where were they when this woman was beaten up on the Blue Line last week? With this many layers of security, why didn’t anyone come to this woman’s aid? This is far from the first time there has been an attack on our trains in recent months. I will be asking for a full accounting of where our transit ambassadors, Metro security, and Long Beach Police officers assigned to Metro were at the time of this attack. Enough is enough. Our trains need to be safe for our residents.”

The alleged attack occurred last Wednesday May 17, 2023, on a north bound Blue Line train. The 53-year-old victim, who shared her story with ABC7 but did not share her name, was beaten up by a woman who also used racial slurs. According to ABC7’s reporting, the victim was on the phone with police while trying to get the conductor to stop the train for 11 minutes. When the train stopped at the Artesia station, the suspects involved in the incident fled the scene.

Supervisor Hahn will also be asking Metro to explain the protocol of what happens if a rider needs to ask a train operator to stop the train and whether that protocol was followed in this incident.