Shape the future of Transit Public Safety in Los angeles

Join Metro DPS and help build a new standard for public safety: one grounded in integrity, empathy, and collaboration.

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About metro DPS

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is one of the nation’s largest public transportation agencies, serving millions of riders each week across bus, rail, and active transportation systems. Our mission is to provide a safe, reliable, and equitable transit experience for riders and employees through our engaged and visible public safety ecosystem.

Public safety is essential to that mission, and that’s why LA Metro is launching a new, dedicated department of public safety designed specifically to safeguard the transit community by taking a holistic, equitable, and welcoming approach to public safety.

A New Model for Transit Policing

Metro DPS is a comprehensive and integrated public safety ecosystem designed for the realities of a 21st-century transit system.

Our approach blends:

  • Modern policing strategies

  • Visible patrol and enforcement

  • Crisis response and de-escalation

  • Care-based, community-centered engagement

Metro DPS Police Officers work alongside Transit Security Officers, Ambassadors, Community Intervention Specialists, Crisis Response Teams, and Homeless Outreach Teams to ensure every rider and employee is safe, and feels safe, across the Metro system.

Three police officers in black uniforms and two Metro supervisors in lime green shirts standing inside a transit station under a sign reading 'To Union Station West Sageway to Trains and Bus'.

Our Mission

The mission of the Metro DPS is to provide a safe transit experience for riders and employees through our engaged and visible public safety ecosystem personnel, technology, enforcement, and partnerships with community stakeholders.

Our Core Values - "SERVICE"

  • Safety First – Safety guides every action we take

  • Engagement – Building trust through presence and communication

  • Respect – Treating every person with dignity

  • Vigilance – Being proactive, attentive, and responsive

  • Integrity – Doing what’s right, always

  • Collaboration – Working together to deliver better outcomes

  • Empathy – Leading with compassion and understanding

Smiling Los Angeles Metro police officer standing in front of a yellow subway train at a station with a Union Station sign.

Public Safety Starts With You

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find your path

Whether you’re starting your career or bringing years of experience, Metro DPS offers multiple pathways into transit policing.

Two police officers in uniform shaking hands outside a building, with one officer smiling.

Entry Level Police Officer

earn up to $130,499 per year

Entry Level Police Officers begin their law enforcement career by providing sworn public safety services across the Metro transit system through patrol, enforcement, and community engagement, while completing required training and field development.

learn more about entry level police officer position
Smiling African American male police officer in uniform with badge and name tag 'Scott' sitting in front of a colorful mural.

Lateral Police Officer

earn up to $142,521 per year

Lateral Police Officers bring prior experience to provide advanced public safety and investigative services across the Metro transit system. Officers will step into leadership roles immediately and have the opportunity to shape field training, operational standards, and expectations from the ground up.

learn more about the lateral police officer Position

benefits

As a full-time sworn police officer with Metro DPS, you’ll receive a comprehensive and flexible benefits package designed to support you and your family. Through the Public Transportation Services Corporation, you can customize your coverage to fit your needs, whether that means enhancing your benefits, scaling back what you don’t need, or even waiving certain options for added credit. It’s a benefits program built around choice, value, and the people who keep Metro moving safely every day.

Retirement & Pension

  • PTSC Retirement Plan (Non-Contract Employees’ Retirement Income Plan)

  • Reciprocity with CalPERS (~700 CA public agencies)

  • Contributions (FY 2026):

    • Employer: 13.99%

    • Employee: 13.75% (portable)

  • Vesting: 5 years

  • Minimum Retirement Age: 52

  • Formula: 2.7% at 57

Medical Insurance

(Employee pays ~10%)

4 Medical Plan Options:

  • Blue Cross PPO

  • Blue Cross HMO

  • Kaiser HMO

  • Opt out of medical coverage and receive cash in lieu

Includes Vision (VSP or Kaiser Vision)

Dental Insurance

  • Delta Dental PPO

  • Delta Dental DHMO

  • Dental Health Service DHMO

  • Opt out of dental coverage and receive cash in lieu

Time Off With Pay (TOWP)

Accrued biweekly, can cash out at 100% when leaving.

Years of Service
Annual Days
Biweekly Hours
0-5 years
20 days
6.15 hours
6-10 years
25 days
7.69 hours
11-15 years
30 days
9.23 hours
16+ years
35 days
10.77 hours
PAID HOLIDAY

In addition to the TOWP benefit, employees also receive 12 paid holidays per year.

Tuition Reimbursement

After probation:

  • Undergraduate: up to $250 per unit

  • Graduate: up to $375 per unit

Life Insurance

  • Metro pays: 1x annual salary

  • Option to purchase up to 4x salary

Flexible Spending Accounts (Pre-Tax)

  • Healthcare FSA: up to $3,400

  • Dependent Care FSA: up to $7,500

401(k) & 457 Plans (Non-Matching)

  • Up to $24,500 each plan‍

  • Age 50+: $32,500 each plan

  • Roth options available

Transportation Benefits

  • Up to $260/month transit subsidy

  • $20/month bike incentive

  • Free rides on Metro buses & trains (employee + eligible dependents)

On-Site Perks at Metro headquarters

  • Credit Union

  • Fitness Center

  • Day Care

  • Cafeteria

Group of nine LA Metro security officers and personnel standing in front of an orange Metro Local bus with palm trees in the background.Smiling uniformed police officer walking through a hallway with patterned floor and golden walls.Smiling police officer in uniform assisting a woman with using a ticket vending machine at a transit station.Orange and grey Metro Local bus number 3984 turning at an intersection with palm trees and a Los Angeles street sign in the background.Smiling African American police officer in uniform standing inside a train station with a large clock and signage in the background.Two police officers talking to a man holding a ticket at a train station platform with a train in the background.Side view of four serious police officers in uniform standing in a row indoors.
Group of nine LA Metro security officers and personnel standing in front of an orange Metro Local bus with palm trees in the background.Smiling uniformed police officer walking through a hallway with patterned floor and golden walls.Smiling police officer in uniform assisting a woman with using a ticket vending machine at a transit station.Orange and grey Metro Local bus number 3984 turning at an intersection with palm trees and a Los Angeles street sign in the background.Smiling African American police officer in uniform standing inside a train station with a large clock and signage in the background.Two police officers talking to a man holding a ticket at a train station platform with a train in the background.Side view of four serious police officers in uniform standing in a row indoors.

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