Santa Monica police officers could soon patrol all three Metro E Line stations in the city, including the platforms and the trains, under an agreement city officials say is nearing completion.
The memorandum of understanding, which the City Council authorized March 24, has not yet been signed. It would give the Santa Monica Police Department authority for the first time to ride trains, enforce fares and Metro's code of conduct, and respond to emergencies on Metro property at the Downtown Santa Monica, 17th Street/SMC and 26th Street/Bergamot stations.
"People need to understand that the sheriff is who has jurisdiction over the Metro platform, the actual train itself," said Councilwoman Lana Negrete, who said she championed the effort during her time as mayor. "So that means disorderly conduct and then of course fare evasion is all handled by the sheriff."
Under the current system, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau, working under contract with Metro, patrols E Line stations outside Los Angeles city limits, including the three in Santa Monica. The Los Angeles Police Department covers Metro property inside the city of Los Angeles.
SMPD officers are sworn peace officers with authority throughout the city, but the train property belongs to the County, not the City. Santa Monica officers have long answered emergencies at the stations but then handed investigations to the Sheriff's Department. Fare and code of conduct enforcement is a power state law gives to Metro, not the city.
Negrete said the arrangement has left residents frustrated to see local officers nearby but unable to act.
"Folks are coming off the train and either expressing mental health issues, they're using illegal drugs and have paraphernalia out," she said. "They're littering and loitering in a manner that makes people feel unsafe. Ironically, it's actually not our jurisdiction.”
Negrete said she began talks last year with Metro officials and the Sheriff's Department during the rollout of the tap-to-exit program and that City Manager joined later discussions. Police Chief Darrick Jacob led negotiations on the framework upon his appointment, she said, describing the effort as part of the city's broader realignment plan.
The goal, Negrete said, is to move past the "Santa Monica's hands are tied" response to the impacts associated with the train.
Under the agreement, SMPD officers would be able to walk the platforms, conduct fare compliance operations, remove riders without valid fare from trains and stations, enforce Metro's customer code of conduct and respond to 911 calls on Metro property. Officers would also coordinate with social service providers to connect people with care.
"It's structured so that SMPD deployment happens at the discretion of our chief of police, which means we retain full control over how and when the officers are deployed," Negrete said.
The agreement also establishes shared performance metrics, with both agencies tracking calls for service, response times, crime trends, fare compliance and referrals to services.
Metro requires officers to complete rail safety and transit policing training before working on its system. To speed implementation, SMPD leadership is meeting this week with the new deputy chief of Metro's Department of Public Safety so officers can deploy as soon as the agreement is signed, Negrete said.
Metro is building its own police force. The Metro board voted unanimously June 27, 2024, to create the department over five years at a projected cost of $192.6 million a year, and in May 2025 named former San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott as chief. Recruiting opened May 28. The new force hopes to reach about 630 officers by 2031 but will be reliant on contract policing for several years to come as its own officers come on board.
Santa Monica stations are also slated to receive Metro's taller, reinforced fare gates by mid-2027, Negrete said. In a 2025 results report, Metro said the new gates have significantly reduced crime while more than doubling paid entry. Metro also reported a 13.5% drop in systemwide crime in March compared with a year earlier.
"We feel like between the gates, between us being able to do enforcement, we hope to see a significant drop in quality of life issues," Negrete said, adding that she hopes the changes make "the train feel a little bit cleaner and safer."