How safe do BART’s over 4,000 cameras make riders?

Q I was riding BART from San Francisco International Airport to Castro Valley recently when around 10:30 p.m. someone grabbed my iPhone and ran out the door at Glen Park. When I arrived in Castro Valley, I reported the theft to BART police. The officer informed me that I was “lucky” because an hour earlier a man had his face punched and his phone stolen at the Hayward station. The issue is not “luck” but patron safety.

Since then, I keep reading accounts of robberies and assaults on BART and at BART stations.

So Mr. Roadshow, how safe is BART? Will BART release any crime figures about robberies and assaults? Are they increasing? Decreasing? What times and what stations are more dangerous than others? What is BART doing to increase public safety? — Larry Bieber

A Here is what BART is planning to do: • Installing platform emergency call boxes at all stations.

• Expanding its digital camera network.

• Hiring 10 additional officers to bolster proof-ofpayment enforcement.

• Though the transit agency has ended mandatory overtime shifts, officers who volunteer for overtime are being assigned to patrol trains.

• Hiring over 40 more cops with new hires getting a $10,000 bonus.

Is it working? BART has hired more than a couple dozen officers over an 18-month period, its best hiring period in four years.

Other stabbings occurred at the Hayward and Warm Springs stations.

Q

I reported the time, station and car number to the BART police involving the theft of my cellphone. Do you think they will actually review camera footage? — Larry Bieber

A Yes. When a rider reports a crime like a cellphone theft and files a police report with information such as time and location of the theft, BART will pull video from the train or station.

It has a network of more than 4,000 cameras, which has proven to be a useful tool for investigators.

But be aware of your surroundings just as you would in any other public place.

Put cellphones away. Be especially careful when getting off BART where thieves like to swipe bags or purses as passengers have their backs to other riders.

Also, download the BART Watch app so you can easily message BART police. Those texts go directly to BART’s dispatch center.