Los Angeles Metro Launches Care-Based Services Division
Forget the traditional tools of law enforcement. In a decision that’s sparked quite a bit of controversy, Los Angeles Metro has rolled out a new “care-based services division,” aiming to substitute armed officers with a team of social workers. This initiative addresses serious safety concerns within the city’s transportation system.
The new division is set to merge current safety programs, including Metro Ambassadors—unarmed personnel in bright shirts who help passengers and report issues. There’s also the HOME Team, composed of outreach workers focused on engaging with the homeless, and community intervention specialists who draw from their experiences with at-risk populations. According to Craig Joyce, who oversees the department, a new crisis response team will also feature a mental health clinician, possibly a social worker.
The Care-Based Division stands as one of four branches within Metro’s Department of Public Safety.
Transportation officials tout the initiative as a way to offer “care-centered security,” prioritizing “dignity” and “appropriate responses” to the challenges posed by homelessness and addiction, which have reportedly contributed to chaos in public transport.
However, some recent data suggests that Metro’s approach might be a bit ahead of itself. For instance, incidents of aggravated assaults reached 286 in 2025 on buses and trains, which is notably higher compared to 207 in 2019. The total number of crimes also inflated from 2,747 in 2019 to 4,354 in 2025.
Interestingly, more than 80% of assistance calls involve social issues rather than criminal activity, Joyce explained.
While the new division won’t reduce the police presence, there are plans to bolster the number of officers alongside sworn police, traffic officers, and security personnel. Currently, officers from various departments, including Long Beach and LAPD, patrol metro services.
While the agency claims that these teams aim to lessen the dependence on standard law enforcement, critics point out that many of the ambassadors appear disengaged, often seen absorbed in their phones or clustered together at stations, ill-equipped to handle emergencies.
Since Craig Joyce joined Metro in 2023, outreach initiatives have reportedly led to a 38% decrease in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness within the system. However, some question whether this metric genuinely enhances rider safety, especially regarding threats that social workers are not trained to manage.
In the meantime, the agency is working to establish its own police force, but full staffing isn’t anticipated until 2029. Until that point, the Care-Based Division will take center stage in providing support.
