A Los Angeles Police Department commander who has supervised San Fernando Valley operations for two years has been tapped for a new assignment: buses and trains.
LAPD Valley Bureau Deputy Chief Robert Green confirmed Friday he’ll leave his post March 18 for a new command, where he will establish a transit services bureau to take over the policing of all buses and trains within the city of Los Angeles.
“It’s a chance to start a brand new bureau and bring together all the aspects of what I like about policing,” Green said. “Restorative justice, gang intervention, working with the L.A. Unified School Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. So it’s an exiting challenge to make an impact on transportation.”
Green, 58, said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck signed off on his new assignment but the deputy chief will remain in his current role as commanding officer of the Operations-Valley Bureau until LAPD Cmdr. John Sherman takes over in mid-March.
• RELATED STORY: Metro approves big change to policing on L.A. County’s trains, buses
“I’m very blessed,” Green said, adding he has gotten to work some “unbelievable assignments.”
His next one will be a big one, as the LAPD takes over from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to patrol Metro’s subway, light rail and bus network in the city.
While the multi-agency contract to patrol Metro was approved by the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Feb. 23, the creation of the bureau must still go before the Police Commission, Public Safety Commission and the L.A. City Council, Green said.
By a 13-0 vote, the authority ratified a five-year, multi-agency contract worth $645.7 million to police the agency’s 1,400 square miles. That includes 2,200 buses and six rail lines. The LAPD will patrol bus and rail lines within the city of Los Angeles.
For the first time since 2003, LAPD will have the largest law enforcement presence in the expanding transit system, the third-largest in the country. LAPD will add 168 officers on trains and buses that make up about 60 percent of Metro’s routes.
The transition from the Sheriff’s Department to the LAPD will be completed by July 1, Green said.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has praised the contract that brings $369.3 million to the city.
Having the LAPD patrol Metro buses and rail lines within the city brings a familiarity that can offer “better coverage, quicker emergency response times and stronger accountability,” he added in a statement.
LAPD Chief Beck said in the same statement that his department will play a large role in protecting millions of people “who expect accessible, dependable and safe public transportation.”
It’s been a steady rise through the ranks for Green, who started with the LAPD as a Police Explorer in the Venice area in 1975 before entering the police academy in 1980.
In 2007, according to his biography, Green was promoted and assigned as commanding officer of the 77th Street area, where he became involved in gang intervention and relationship-based policing. In 2010, Green was promoted to commander before becoming deputy chief in 2012 and then Operations-South Bureau commanding officer.
He was assigned to be commanding officer of the Operations-Valley Bureau in January 2015, where his biography states he oversaw the largest bureau in L.A., with seven geographic areas, the Valley Traffic Division and specialized units.
LAPD Capt. and commanding officer of the Valley Traffic Division Beverly Lewis sent out a Tweet at 1:18 p.m. Thursday that reflected how much Green would be missed.
“Thank you @LAPDChiefGreen for your leadership and support of the men and women of Valley Traffic Division. You will be missed.”
Green said he won’t forget his time in the San Fernando Valley.
“It’s a great assignment,” Green said, adding he would miss his fellow police officers and the general community. “I really enjoyed my time in the Valley. There’s tremendous support for public safety in the Valley and great communities.”
LAPD Sgt. Jack Richter worked for Green in the South and Valley bureaus years ago and feels the deputy chief will be a great fit.
“I use the trains and subways myself and I couldn’t think of a better person to head that up,” Richter said. “He’s just a natural leader and got great organizational skills and cops will follow him anywhere. You know if he says ‘hey I need this done’ it’ll get done.”
As for his successor in the LAPD’s Valley command, Green said of Sherman:
“He’s very talented, very experienced and he’ll jump right into the position with very little transition.
Staff Writers Susan Abram, Brenda Gazzar and Elizabeth Chou contributed to this report.
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