Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department (BART PD) has reported a decline in the number of trains impacted by unwanted behavior after enforcement activity increased as a part of the agency’s Safe and Clean Plan. A focal point of the plan has been a major boost in BART PD’s visible safety presence on trains and in stations supported by devoting additional resources to hire and retain more officers. In the first six months of this year, BART PD reported 10,359 enforcement contacts, which is nearly double from the 5,490 enforcement contacts reported for the first half of 2023.
As enforcement contacts have increased, the number of trains impacted by unwanted activity has been trending downward since mid-2023. The number of BART PD incidents causing delays has dropped from a high of 374 in May 2023 to 255 in August.
“Our presence deters crime and allows us to address problems before they turn into incidents that cause train delays,” said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. “I think this is very encouraging because it shows that our presence is a positive thing for on-time service and the safe and clean customer experience.”
More riders have been telling BART they notice the difference in safety since implementation of the new deployment strategy that emphasizes presence on trains and in stations. The last four consecutive quarters have been the first in BART’s history where the percentage of riders who reported seeing BART PD on their trips exceeded the department’s official goal of 12 percent. In the most recent quarter (Q4 2024), more than 19 percent of riders reported seeing BART PD’s safety presence.
BART PD is continuing to recruit more officers to boost its visible safety presence to bring more safety gains to our riders. The department currently has 17 openings for sworn officers. BART PD offers competitive pay including a hiring bonus of $15,000 for lateral transfers and academy graduates.
