Maybe, it's just me... But, how much of this has to do with BARTD doing its own policing, instead of contracting out, with local agencies...?

I have done work on transit technologies for security needs, and wonder why more of this is not in use, and more effective. I also have never been impressed by the "presence" or "visibility" of the police on BART, either.

LACMTA has had good and bad experiences with contracting, in the early years (90's) LAPD did a terrible job, the LA Sheriff's got the contract (after a really good job for Metrolink's commuter trains), and things improved dramatically. 9/11 increased training, surveillance, and coverage on the LACMTA systems, and LA now contracts with both LAPD and LASD, and there are almost always cops visible whenever I ride the Metro.

There is a fairly low crime rate on transit, in general. There is occasional violent crime on the LACMTA system, but not as much as there appears to be on BART. And, on the LACMTA there are also a lot of very notable apprehensions and convictions, due to pro-active policing and good surveillance. So most folks aren't that concerned about crime, per se, on LACMTA, as much as with the homelessness problems on trains, at, and around stations. Which isn't so much a crime problem (although the mentally ill homeless do commit lots of petty and nuisance crimes, and the visible lack of "order" creates conditions where more crimes are more likely to occur), but is really more of a public health/mental health issue, which we are not dealing with very well at all, as a society.

Maybe, BART needs to look at a new policing policy, and may need to "expand" it's base of available personnel by "contracting" with local PD for additional patrol strength? And, (though I will probably be vilified by some on both fringes for saying this...) just maybe, it would be better to take some of that unused industrial or commercial land, down along Alameda, and at least keep these folks in orderly camps, with toilets, showers, laundry facilities, with maybe some mental health care available, rather than having them urinate in the train car, while babbling to themselves....