This browser does not support the Video element.
BART increasing police patrols on trains
BART police are more than doubling the presence of sworn officers in trains to address riders’ safety concerns and quality of life issues during operating hours. Zak Sos reports
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - You may spot a few more BART officers along your commute.
As part of a plan to beef up the number of officers announced last month, BART is more than doubling its police presence on train cars beginning on Monday.
It's all part of an effort to bring its ridership numbers back amid ongoing concerns about crime on its trains.
BART says there will be anywhere between eight and 18 more officers on patrol per shift.
Most of those officers being pulled from vehicle patrols.
Prior to this, the system had just 10 officers working per shift.
The officers will join a team of unarmed safety staff already deployed on trains last year.
"I think it's completely necessary," said Jessie Jones of Walnut Creek. "There's obviously a shortage of officers. Every time we've called the police, we've had to deal with bart, the response times have been ridiculous. We've had to deal with an issue here in Walnut Creek, we won't get a response until Embarcadero."
In addition to police, BART has also hired more cleaners, increased the number of times train cars are cleaned per day and boosted the number of crews on overnight deep cleaning.