‘We give them second chances’: the frontline workers guiding riders through LA’s transit system

The pilot program was launched in September 2022 when public transport was struggling due to Covid and rise in violent crimes

In the 18 months Gilberto Morales has spent working for the Los Angeles Metro, the 23-year-old has administered Narcan to someone overdosing twice, helped riders who had fallen off train platforms and offered an ear to people experiencing mental health crises.

But most of the time, his days consist of surveying the stations in the Los Angeles transit system and helping riders reach their destinations.