Safety for the riders and operators of LA's Metro has been an issue for years, well before today's "sick out" by Metro bus drivers.

But the string of attacks have grown especially violent in recent months ... a bus driver was stabbed, another one was the victim of an attempted rape, and then there was a bus hijacking in downtown LA.

Up until late March of this year, Gina Osborn was Metro's chief safety and security officer--she talked with KNX News today.