Los Angeles Metro launched a 24/7 hotline Jan. 11 for passengers to report sexual harassment on its trains and buses.
Counselors from Peace Over Violence, a community advocacy nonprofit, manage the confidential hotline. The trained counselors give advice to help callers safely handle conflicts. The number for the hotline is 1-844-633-5464 and it is available in English and Spanish.
Metro board member Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker presented the new initiative in a press conference at Union Station on Jan. 11. Dupont-Walker said Metro aims to protect their customers against sexual harassment.
Metro spokesperson Joni Goheen said the hotline will increase rider safety and security. He added the hotline is the first of its kind nationwide.
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The hotline is currently a one-year pilot program, and Metro will evaluate how it is used to make later improvements, Goheen said.
Martin Wachs, a professor emeritus of urban planning, said he thinks the hotline will make Metro riders feel safer. He added he thinks it is a step in the right direction to reduce attacks.
Alia Persad, a second-year international development studies student and frequent Metro rider, said she thinks the hotline is important because the Metro can feel dangerous and scary for women and girls at night. However, she added she will not necessarily feel any safer because she can call 911 if she experiences harassment.
Dalia Assoum, a fourth-year geography and environmental science student, said she thinks the hotline adds a level of safeness to riding the Metro, but she added she did not feel unsafe when she used it.