BART sees 15% overall crime drop

OAKLAND, Calif. - BART officials on Wednesday said that crime overall has dropped 15% since the same period last year.

That trend includes a violent crime decrease of about 10%, officials said, adding that ridership is increasing at the same time.

For example, there were only 12  electronic thefts and robberies reported across the entire system in August. That’s the lowest total for any month since 2021 when ridership was much lower than today, BART officials said.

"The drop in criminal activity on BART is happening as we have been going all out to implement our Safe and Clean Plan," BART General Manager Bob Powers said in a statement. "Our riders have been loud and clear that they want us to step our game up when it comes to their safety and the cleanliness of our system. We have more work to do on behalf of our riders, but these numbers indicate our commitment to maximizing our visible safety presence is paying off."

BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin credits some of the crime drop to officers being "more visible than ever."

He said BART police are able to contain small issues before they become big ones.

BART police reported 13,016 total enforcement contacts through August, up from 7,791 for the same period in 2023. They patrol a system that spans five counties and includes 50 stations with 131 miles of track. 

The decrease is crime is being seen elsewhere, too.

In August, major metropolitan areas, including Oakland and San Francisco, are experiencing an overall 7% drop in violent crime this year. Oakland has seen a nearly 30% drop in homicides compared to the same time last year.