Seeking feedback on the BART Police Department. What do you like, not like or want?
I have applied for the Deputy Police Chief position on the BART Police Department. Since I am from the Los Angeles area, I have very little experience on BART and certainly not enough to know the culture of the ridership. I am very interested in what your opinions are on the police service you receive as a BART customer. Tell me the problems, tell me the successes, and tell me what you would change or keep the same. I may not be selected but I do know much of this information will get presented because the assessment process will include that opportunity. Thank you.
Dear prospective Police
Dear prospective Police Assistant Chief. I'm a peace officer and travel BART 75% of the time, and other than the deplorable cleanliness of the cars, security is a big issue. Just last Thursday I was on a train where a purse snatcher successfully made off with a womans bag, at the height of the evening rush hour. Now granted there was nothing anyone on the train could do, it happened in seconds and the perb was faster than a deer in hunting season, but it got me to thinking. How often do I see an officer on a train, and how often do they actually patrol the platforms. Well in the last year I've seen one officer on a train, possibly 2 if you count the one that was going to a problem at a station, but only one checking the cars. Then you have the platforms, where most of the action takes place, and my answer would have to be none, unless they were dealing with an incident. It makes one wonder where they all go. Take my home station of Pittsburg, they park their car in one of two places, they hang out at the turnstiles, but never on the platform, or anywhere near the drop zone, where the traffic is the worst of any station, a little traffic duty would go a long way. So what do they do all day, I have no idea, they just aren't on my train, my stations, or my platforms.
Get more police on the
Get more police on the trains. There just aren't enough to deal with the homless, drunks, gangbangers and
just plain crazy people that populate the system.
My comment is exactly the
My comment is exactly the same as CQC7B's. We need more officers on the trains. I too have been on the trains where thieves make off with back packs, purses, etc. Many times, our T.O. has not been able to get a BART police officer around the midnight hour to assist on a Friday night. Just last night, we had two guys fighting with each other on the train and, of course, they both had to sit next to me before they started fighting. Two guys sharing one seat that is because BART is bent on running five-car trains after 11:18 train departs Montgomery.
Start cracking down on fare
Start cracking down on fare evaders, and start blocking off easy loopholes that allow fare evaders to sneak into the system.
Those who commit crimes on BART also tend to be fare evaders --- if you crack down on one group, it will diminish the size of the other.
So you want to be a DPC of
So you want to be a DPC of BART PD. I'm sure you have a thick list of qualifications as a police manager somewhere. Regardless of your prior service, the main thing with any law enforcement agency is identifying essential "Quality of Life" issues of the jurisdiction. If you improve on the QoL for all BART patrons - crime will slowly drop (hopefully) and you'll be a hero. ;) Here are some hints on QoL issues: fare evaders including discount ticket users, the homeless sleeping on the trains AM/PM, eating & drinking on the trains, intercepting and dealing with loud and obnoxious/boisterous behaviour on the train, and use CompStats to effectively deploy police assets at various stations and trains to address specific crime problems.
Come up here and ride the trains for a day or two. Hang out at Powell St. Station, Civic Center, Hayward, del Norte, Pittsburg, Coliseum, Fruitvale at various hours. Check out the neighborhoods. Get some creds about the challenges of transit/urban/suburban policing. At least you're asking. Up in these parts, SoCal reminds us of BayWatch. Good luck. Basel, a BART rider.
I got my flight yesterday and
I got my flight yesterday and will be there most of the day December 11th to ride all the lines, check out the stations you referenced and speak to as many officers and hopefully passenges as possible.
Mr. Davis, I am curious to
Mr. Davis, I am curious to know which department you currently work for. BART let the citizens have some insight when they picked the chief. I wonder if they will have a say in the D.C. position too. Thanks.
I appreciate all the replies
I appreciate all the replies and they appear to mirror much of the issues brought to light in a recent study released on the BART PD (NOBLE Audit). Since you asked about my background, I am a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department. I have just about 24 years with them and became a LT when the Federal Consent Decree started. My position has been a patrol watch commander for all but one year of the nearly 10 as a LT. The divisions I have worked have been Rampart, Southeast, Van Nuys and Foothill. A patrol watch commander is responsible for all patrol operations during his shift, which usually can mean from 20 to more than 75 officers depending on what is planned. The divisions are generally about 250-350 sworn. The LAPD had to go through a decade of serious effort to change our ways and we are much better for it. There is still room for more improvement but most of the internal issues identified in the BART study we have implemented. However, the BART system itself is quite different than typical patrol operations involving a relatively small geographic area using patrol cars, which is what occurs in Los Angeles.
This is why I really want to hear from those who use BART regularly. I agree using the BART for a couple of long days would be good experience and that is my plan.
Talk to Dan Hartwig who is at
Talk to Dan Hartwig who is at BART PD. He is highly respected, both by the officers and the community, and has a good handle on all the nuances of the job.
Getting in a little bit late
Getting in a little bit late here.
I see marked patrol cars frequently parked at BART stations and PD substations. I have NEVER seen uniformed officers on a platform or train. Comparing this system to the Washington Metro system where I see uniformed officers on platforms, trains, and at turnstiles from time to time I am greatly disappointed.
The BART system travels through some violent and high crime areas, as well as some nice upscale areas. Between the property crimes at stations, in the parking lots and on the trains, the proximity of violent crimes to the BART right of way, and the street crime occurring in the stations, I would expect to see BART officers in stations frequently along with local officers.
Coming from a small agency, I understand the constraints of having to make do with what you have got, but I would expect the BART officers to provide the presence we are expected to provide and give the illusion they are everywhere the riders are.
The department received plenty of negative light from the Grant shooting which just further erodes their image in the eyes of the public. Frankly I think enough fear of the department that the sight of a marked unit at a station would deter crime would be a wonderful thing, but that is a discussion for a different day.
There are far too many grossly overweight patrol officers. These guys give the image of fat lazy BART cops who were unable to get on with any other department.
I would love to work for BART, I think patrol would be a blast and getting around the bay would keep me from getting bored. Best of luck Lt.
BART officers on platforms
BART officers on platforms and trains is relatively rare, but I have seen it at Bayfair. It is not
uncommon to see a marked unit parked in front of the station with the officers talking to the station
agents. Whether this does anything to deter crime is questionable.
I occasionally see officers
I occasionally see officers patrol trains and platforms, but I usually see them sitting in the SA both in Dublin chatting it up. The other time I see them is at Coliseum station leaning against the elevator ticket machine at which point they act all surprised that I am actually going to use it. (I know, I am probably a minority in actually using it)
BTW, that reminds of the favorite evader ploy there. They have a ticket, just in case, but it doesn't have enough fare. So if an officer is there they just add fare. No officer? Buh bye!