Courtesy photo
Wave Staff Report
NORWALK — The second phase of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s weapons detection program was launched April 28 at the C Line Station here.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who also chairs the MTA Board of Directors, was joined by MTA Board Vice Chair Fernando Dutra, MTA Deputy CEO Sharon Gookin and MTA Deputy Chief of System Security and Law Enforcement Robert Gummer at the Norwalk Station, which serves as the eastern terminus of the C Line and is a major commuter hub for the Gateway Cities region of the county.
“You can’t take a gun or knife into a Dodger game, a concert, or a government building, and you shouldn’t be able to bring them on the train,” said Hahn who first urged the pilot and has championed weapons detection. “Let me be clear: weapons do not belong on [our trains and buses]. There is no room for compromise on that. My goal is simple but firm: a [transportation] system where all of our riders feel safe, respected, and confident that they will get to their destination without fear.”
The weapons detection pilot program, using pillar-style scanners, will be conducted by security officers at various stations, two stations at a time, for two-month increments, for the next 12 months. Riders will walk between sensors which detect concealed weapons without requiring them to stop and remove any belongings.
If flagged by the sensors, riders will be subject to further screenings including a search of their belongings and follow-up questions.
“The MTA Board is committed to helping us explore every opportunity to make the system safer for employees and customers,” Whittier City Councilman Fernando Dutra said. “Testing innovative solutions, such as weapons detection systems, seems like a logical next step in expanding [our] safety resources.”
From August through December 2024, the MTA conducted the first phase of the weapons detection technology pilot program at Union Station and at the Citrus College Station in Azusa. In addition to the rider screening process, the MTA also tested video analytics systems at Union Station which scan video feeds in real time to identify threats, including someone brandishing a weapon, and sends alerts to law enforcement.
In February, Hahn along with MTA board members Kathryn Barger, Hilda L. Solis, Karen Bass, Dutra and Inglewood Mayor James Butts led the board in expanding the pilot program for this next phase.
“Nothing is more important … than the safety of our employees and customers,” said Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of the MTA. “The weapons detection pilot is an additional tool to help improve safety, which includes increasing our uniformed presence on the system, insuring people are only using us for transit and working more closely with our city and county partners to address the societal issues of people experiencing homelessness, drug addiction and untreated mental illnesses.”
MTA officials said a preliminary report shows that the passenger screening system technology proved to be effective. While no weapons threats were identified on passengers, the systems detected officers’ service weapons with 100% accuracy.
At Hahn’s request, the board’s February motion also calls on the MTA to explore bringing the weapons detection technology pilot to the system’s buses. The MTA has identified a vendor to conduct the 12-month pilot program on buses and is working to schedule its launch.
The detection system also is now available at the San Pedro Street Station on the A (formerly Blue) Line.
