Metrolink Takes Steps to Counter Human Trafficking

LOS ANGELES – In January, Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle joined industry colleagues from across the country in signing the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking Pledge, further reinforcing the agency’s ongoing commitment to combating human trafficking on its lines and at stations across Southern California. Under Kettle’s leadership, Metrolink is bolstering efforts in three key areas: improving training for staff, driving broader public awareness and tracking and sharing data.

The transportation industry is uniquely positioned within the national counter-trafficking movement. Traffickers frequent transportation hubs, like bus stops and train stations, to recruit vulnerable individuals, and they often use transit systems, including public transportation, to move victims between locations. 

Metrolink conductors and engineers already receive specialized training to help them recognize and report the indicators of human trafficking. Metrolink has extended similar training to frontline employees and has adopted additional educational requirements for all staff members, including office personnel. This month, the agency is also rolling out a comprehensive awareness campaign to engage the traveling public in the effort to end human trafficking.

Metrolink chief customer experience officer Lisa Bahr noted human trafficking isn’t just a global issue. “It’s happening right here in Southern California.

“As a regional public transportation agency, our customers are critical allies, helping us monitor our system for anything out of the ordinary. It’s important that both Metrolink representatives and the traveling public know what to look for and what action to take if they see something suspicious. Together, we can play a pivotal role in the fight against human trafficking,” Bahr said

So far in 2024, Metrolink has conducted essential training for all frontline staff and the majority of Metrolink’s workforce has completed a new biannual education requirement. Metrolink has developed digital and print materials to help drive awareness across multiple touchpoints, including on trains and at stations. The agency has also implemented a new reporting protocol to improve data collection, information sharing and collaboration with national counter-trafficking agencies, like the Department of Transportation.

Details: metrolinktrains.com/human-trafficking. To report suspected human trafficking on Metrolink’s system, call or text the Security Operations Center at 866-640-5190. Always dial 911 in an emergency.