Reporting crime, harassment, and suspicious activity or requesting a welfare check:
- Call BART Police Dispatch: 510-464-7000
- Download the free BART Watch app available on the App Store and Google Play
- For non-emergency needs you can text BPD at 510-200-0992
- Use this online link to communicate with police dispatch
BART Commitment to Progressive Policing and Fighting Racism
The BART Police Department has been actively focused on implementing progressive and equitable policing practices for more than a decade. BPD is working to strengthen relationships with the diverse communities we serve. A critical part of this initiative is the successful launch of BPD’s Progressive Policing and Community Engagement Bureau. You can download a brochure for the new Progressive Policing Bureau here.
The process of reform is never complete. BPD is committed to continuous improvement through policy changes and ongoing training that exceeds industry standards. This has created a culture of accountability and responsibility in the department. A critical part of those efforts is listening to community concerns and being responsive to calls for reform.
The BART Police Department is Hiring!
The BART Police Department is now offering a $15,000 hiring bonus for laterals and academy graduates ($5,000 upon hire and $10,000 upon completion of the Field Training Program).
Check out our employment section. Or learn more here!
BART PD is a progressive agency and has been on the forefront – and in some cases the model approach – to training in the areas of fair and impartial policing, bias-based policing, crisis intervention, cultural competence training, and de-escalation training.
The annual training provided to BART police officers exceeds the standards set by California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). POST requires 24 hours of advanced officer training every 24 months, and BART police officers are trained for a minimum of 24 hours every year.
In fact, BART PD was the first California agency to have POST-certified instructors for Fair and Impartial Policing training. BART PD proactively gave the training to its officers before it was required. POST recognized the training curriculum as best practice, and has since adopted the training with input from the Museum of Tolerance as statewide training for police officers.
All BART police officers undergo crisis intervention, community-oriented policing, and fair and impartial policing training. In addition, BART PD was one of the first police departments in the State of California to deploy body-worn cameras to all uniformed patrol officers.
Additionally, BART PD is participating with Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) as a pilot agency to develop de-escalation training to be used throughout the country.
BART Police Crime Data
There are three ways for you to access BART Police crime data.
BART PD is now sharing reports of Part 1 crimes with the website CrimeMapping.com. The site processes crime data with an advanced mapping engine to show where crime has occurred within the BART system. Users can search for crimes that have occurred at the stations they use or what has happened over a larger area. The service is free and available to everyone. CrimeMapping.com is a component of BART PD’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Integrated Law Enforcement System (RAILS).
BART PD offers a daily crime log email. Sign up now.
You can also download monthly reports from BART's police chief. These reports contain various data about BPD including updated numbers on Part 1 crimes committed within the BART system. You can look at the latest chief's reports here: https://www.bart.gov/about/police/reports.
BART Police Ambassador Program
Ambassadors are non-sworn, unarmed members of the BART Police Department who boost our visible safety presence in the system by patrolling trains and stations. They receive de-escalation and anti-bias training. They wear easily identifiable uniforms distinct from those of Community Service Officers or Fare Inspectors. They are equipped with radios to report safety and security concerns or biohazards. They observe and report and will call upon a sworn officer when enforcement is needed. The Ambassadors are part of BPD's Progressive Policing and Community Engagement Bureau.
BART launched a pilot ambassador program in February of 2020 to increase the presence of uniformed personnel on trains to address customers’ concerns about safety and security. The BART Board voted unanimously in January 2020 to move forward with a six-month pilot program that included ten Ambassadors. Upon the successful completion of the pilot the BART Board in October 2020 approved continuing with the program on a permanent basis.
Public Comment for the Accreditation Process
The BART Police Department invites the public to offer comments, commendation, and other information regarding the Police Department’s quality of service or other information relevant to the accreditation process on the CALEA public access portal.
Click the image below to access the portal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: CALEA is not an investigatory body; therefore, the public comment portal should not be used to submit information about matters requiring follow-up or investigation. Additionally, there will be no response to comments submitted through the portal other than an acknowledgement of the submission; however, the information will be considered in context of its relevancy to compliance with CALEA standards and the tenets of CALEA Accreditation.
BART Police Explorer Program
The BART PD Explorer Post 413 is currently recruiting young men and women from the ages of 14 to 18 to join the Police Explorer Program. The Explorer Program is a voluntary organization which helps the youth from the community to be trained by police officers in aspects of law enforcement, leadership, and community service. Explorers perform a wide variety of non-enforcement duties to assist BART PD. Explorers come from all communities in the East and West Bay and work in the Bay Area communities.
Participants may also recieve credit for schools, which require community service hours for graduation.
For more information, please email [email protected].
Download the Explorer Interest Card
Vision, Mission and Core Values
Vision Statement
To be the leader in innovative policing, establishing BART as the safest transit system in the nation.
Mission Statement
The mission of the BART Police Department is to ensure a safe environment within our transit system, reduce crime through a highly visible police presence, and proactive enforcement of the law, and to promote public confidence by working in partnership with our stakeholders and the communities we serve.
Core Values
Integrity
We inspire trust and carry ourselves in a manner that demonstrates the highest levels of honesty, ethics, and moral conduct.
Service
Service Placing service above self, we work in partnership with the community serving with pride, courage, and compassion.
Accountability
We take ownership of our duties, remaining answerable to the public and accountable to the laws, rules, policies and procedures that govern and guide us.
Professionalism
We are committed to conduct and performance reflective of the highest standard of personal and organizational excellence.
Diversity
We acknowledge and embrace the diversity in our communities we serve and strive to ensure diversity is reflected in all levels of our organization.
BART's Social Resources Programs and Homelessness Action Plan
The national homelessness crisis can be visible in BART stations and on trains as unhoused individuals and destinationless riders use BART for shelter. Increasing rates of homelessness and related quality-of-life issues on BART present us with unique challenges as a transit system, and highlight a pressing need for action and understanding from us, our riders, and our partner agencies in the communities we serve.
We are developing a Strategic Homelessness Action Plan and we have a coordinated approach to connect homeless people who seek shelter in our system to services and resources.
Read more about our social resources efforts.
Obtain a Law Enforcement Pass
The Law Enforcement Security Enhancement Program (LESEP) came about as a result of BART's Inter-Departmental Task Force on Fare Evasion in an effort to reduce Fare Evasion in the BART System, which is a major problem. LESEP is part of our strategy to reduce these losses by providing authorized, secured BART system access to active, full-time, sworn Officers and District Attorney Investigators from pre-authorized SF Bay Area Law Enforcement Agencies. As part of LESEP, authorized Officers will receive BART ID cards also known as LEO passes, which allow BART riding privileges. Note: These passes are ONLY valid for BART trains.
To be eligible, a Peace Officer must have the authority to carry a firearm while off-duty AND be employed with one of the participating agencies. For more information on how to apply for the pass and to see the list of participating agencies, click the LESEP details link below.