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    1. Safety & Security

    BART PD reports drop in crime rate for second month straight

    March 13, 2020
    One reason for the crime rate decline is a decrease in cellphone snatch and grabs.
    Related To: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
    BART Twitter
    BART PD launched its ambassador program in February to increase the presence of uniformed personnel on trains.
    BART PD launched its ambassador program in February to increase the presence of uniformed personnel on trains.

    According to newly released numbers from the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Department (PD), BART’s overall crime rate for January and February 2020 is down 7 percent compared to January and February of 2019.

    Violent crime is down 16 percent over this same time.

    BART says a reason behind the recent decline in crime rate is a drop in the number of cellphone thefts.  There were 43 snatch-and-run cellphone thefts systemwide in February. That’s the lowest monthly total for snatch-and-run electronic item thefts since May 2018, BART says.

    The decrease in the crime rate comes after BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez launched a new patrol team in January comprised of a dozen officers who are exclusively focused on walking trains.  Also, in February, BART launched its pilot ambassador program to increase the presence of uniformed personnel on trains. The 10 unarmed ambassadors walk trains in teams of two, seven days a week from 2:00 p.m. to midnight.