Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department

Bay Area Rapid Transit District Police Department
Current patch of the BART Police Department
Former patch of the BART Police Department
Common name	BART Police
Abbreviation	BARTPD
Agency overview
Formed	1972
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	California, United States
Size	2,667.49 sq mi (6,908.8 km2) (land area in 4 counties)
Population	4,082,982 (4 county area)
Legal jurisdiction	San Francisco Bay Area, California
Governing body	BARTD
Operational structure
Headquarters	Oakland, California, U.S.
Officers	206
Unsworn members	90
Agency executive	Kevin Franklin, Chief of Police
Divisions	5
Facilities
Stations	50
Website
www.BART.gov

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The BART Police (BARTPD), officially the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department, is the transit police agency of the BART rail system in the U.S. state of California. The department has approximately three hundred police personnel, including over two hundred sworn peace officers. The chief, Kevin Franklin commands the agency's law enforcement, parking, and community relations services. BART Police participates in a mutual aid agreement with other Bay Area law enforcement agencies. In 2011 and 2012 the department came under national scrutiny due to several officers involved in fatalities of the rail system's patrons.^[1]

When terrorism began to be treated as a more active threat after the September 11 attacks, BART increased its emphasis on infrastructure protection. The police department hosts drills and participates in counter-terrorism working groups. The agency has an officer assigned full-time to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Furthermore, a command officer is designated as a mutual-aid, counter-terrorism, and homeland-security liaison. BART's police dogs are certified in explosives detection.

The stated goal of the BART Police Department is to build a more community-oriented police force that is tough on crime and strong on customer service. Zone commanders and their personnel form working partnerships with BART riders, employees, community groups, educational institutions, and businesses. The goal is to ensure that personal safety, quality of life, and protection of property remain among BART's top priorities for the stakeholders in its community.