Barriers to protect bus drivers have been installed on Metro's entire fleet, the transit agency said Tuesday.
The barriers are designed to protect drivers. In April, the Metro board approved an emergency procurement motion to accelerate the installation following an uptick in crime on the Los Angeles transit system, some of which targeted drivers.
Metro is the first transit agency in the nation to fit its entire bus fleet with such protection.
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Metro also has added onboard cameras, digital video recorders and emergency buttons that operators can use to call for help. The agency has also mandated de-escalation training, and launched a "See Something, Say Something" campaign to encourage riders to report issues and stay vigilant.
Under state law, assaults on bus operators are punishable by up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A total of 2,017 buses received the barriers.
The completion of the barrier installation comes at the end of a year that saw several high-profile crimes involving Metro, including a bus hijacking in September in which a passenger was shot and killed. That bus was equipped with a safety barrier designed to prevent a hijacker from approaching the driver and taking control of the bus.
The deadly hijacking was about six months after another Metro bus was commandeered by an armed man in downtown Los Angeles. That bus collided with cars and eventually slammed into the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The bus driver and a woman in a car struck by the bus were injured.
