Metro Board votes to expand weapons detection system pilot

LOS ANGELES - Weapons detection systems will soon be coming to more Los Angeles Metro stations, after the Metro Board of Directors voted to expand its pilot program on Thursday.

What we know:

The Metro Board of Directors voted on Thursday to expand a pilot that would bring weapons screening to high-traffic Metro stations and buses. 

The expansion will bring the pillar-shaped sensors to other "high-traffic transit stations" in the Metro system. The scanners use things like artificial intelligence to find concealed, large, metallic objects on people in the station. 

The backstory:

The Metro Board voted last year to implement a weapons detection system at stations, after a rash of reported attacks at Metro stations and on Metro buses, including at least seven attacks between April and May 2024.

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The program started in August 2024, with Metro testing out multiple technologies at Los Angeles Union Station and at the APU/Citrus College Station.

Thursday's vote expands the use of "pillar-style" scanners at multiple stations over the next year, while Metro gathers more data on the system's effectiveness. 

What they're saying:

While neither system from last year's tests detected any passengers carrying weapons over a five-month trial period, both detected officers' weapons "with 100% accuracy," board member and county supervisor Janice Hahn said.

Robert Gummer, Metro's deputy chief of system security and law enforcement, told the board that officers saw some people leaving the Metro stations when they saw or were told about the weapons-screening systems, suggesting that they deterred people from carrying weapons onto the Metro system.

What we don't know:

While the motion says that the program would expand to "additional key high-traffic transit stations," it's not clear which stations or how many will be included in that expansion. The motion also calls for weapons detection systems on at least two Metro buses, but doesn't specify which lines may be affected.

It's also not yet clear when those systems will be in place at those stations. 

What's next:

While the exact stations are still unknown, the scanners will be installed for one year, at "key high-traffic transit stations" and on "at least" two Metro buses. The 

The motion requires the Metro CEO to report back to the Board in June with findings gathered from the expanded program.