Rosemary Alamo and Rick Ornelas, associate teaching professors of practicum education at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, received appointment to a new advisory board for the Los Angeles Metro Transition Team for the development of a Transit Community Public Safety Department (TCPSD). L.A. Metro is transitioning to an in-house law enforcement model as part of its commitment to establishing a robust, care-first public safety framework. This ambitious five-year effort aims to create a comprehensive, multi-layered safety program that provides L.A. Metro with oversight and control to improve outcomes for individuals in crisis by prioritizing trauma-informed interventions. The advisory board will work with the board of directors for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to prepare a comprehensive Transit Community Public Safety Implementation Plan. 

As advisory board members and subject matter experts, Alamo and Ornelas will help shape the success of this transition by providing input and guidance on L.A. Metro programs and policies being developed to ensure best practices for transit policing and public safety are incorporated into the new TCPSD. The advisory board will provide input on specific care-based strategies, law enforcement policies and procedures, and feedback on key metrics, performance indicators and program outcomes to ensure alignment with public safety goals. 

Alamo and Ornelas founded the first-of-its kind Social Work and Public Safety Collaborative at USC, a capacity-building partnership that merges social work with law enforcement. Through an interprofessional collaboration, the collaborative embraces a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to enhance public safety for local communities. For over a decade, the collaborative has provided a working partnership and professional development pipeline between social work, local law enforcement agencies, public safety and community-based organizations.