Violence remains a concern for Metro riders and staff, with spitting, punching, and threats reported, alongside incidents where passengers are assisted by Transit Community Public Safety changes.

Metro crime has surged, rising 58% from 2019 to September 2025, with 2,747 incidents in 2019 and 4,354 through September 2025 (COVID period data excluded).

In January 2026, Metro rolls out the Care-Based Services Division, uniting Metro Ambassadors, homeless outreach, and crisis-intervention teams into one department to prioritize trauma-informed responses over policing.

Fare enforcement has weakened as deputies were instructed not to pursue TAP card violations, leading to fewer arrests for warrants and for recovering weapons or narcotics.

A notable violent crime occurred in December 2024 at the Universal/Studio City Station, where Elliot Tramel Nowden fatally stabbed Mirna Soza Arauz; Nowden received a life prison sentence.

Metro has shifted budgets and staffing by converting Metro Ambassadors into direct employees, backed by a $5 million budget amendment for wages and benefits.

Safety operations are being restructured toward an in-house Transit Community Public Safety Department, moving away from external agencies, with a $192 million budget approved in June 2024 and targeted for completion by 2029.

Despite reforms, the system notes that most outreach contacts with homeless individuals do not lead to service acceptance, underscoring ongoing homelessness-related challenges on the network.

Rider feedback via the Transit Watch app highlights ongoing concerns such as open drug use, smoking, alcohol, graffiti, harassment, and disorder.

Aggravated assaults on buses and rail rose 38% in 2025 compared with 2017, increasing from 207 to 286 incidents.

September data show 159 violent crimes for the month, including 44 aggravated assaults (a 61% rise) and 29 robberies (nearly a 29% month-to-month increase); 11 sex offenses and one rape were reported.

Riders report crises on trains, including people in crisis, drug use and open drug dealing, with occasional threats such as a passenger with a knife on board.