Letters to the Editor: How heavy police presence on Metro traumatizes vulnerable communities
To the editor: As a car-free Angeleno and frequent bus rider, I am happy to hear Metro is considering a different approach to public safety.
Countless times I have witnessed incidents where an armed officer arrives on scene in response to a perceived threat, only to escalate tension and provoke further agitation by a person in need.
The majority of bus riders are people of color and are from low-income households. It’s time to reallocate resources so we can stop inflicting further trauma on these communities.
Felicia Garcia, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: Just when the Metro is trying to increase ridership, it is now considering having fewer police officers patrol its system?
I know I’m not alone in reading about assaults and harassment that have dissuaded people from taking transit.
I am all for police reform, but as a female who has taken Metro, I am comforted when I see police nearby.
Celeste Demetor, Yorba Linda
A cure for the common opinion
Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
The problem for the NCAA is that its definition of amateurism — which critics say looks like exploitation — appears to be losing its legal safe harbor.
-
A bill in Congress would provide a pathway to citizenship for the roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants who risked their lives to work on the COVID-19 front lines.
-
The president’s new violence prevention program invites police involvement in mental health and social services — a failed move in the past.
-
We shouldn’t let tenants get evicted while the state sits on billions of dollars in federal rental assistance. A moratorium on evictions needs to be extended.
