Over 100 new Transit Security Officers will be contracted out by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit to ride busses, light rail vehicles and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) as well as patrol platforms, a news release from DART said.
The security positions are expected to be filled by mid-August on a one year trial contract. DART currently employs 252 DART Police Officers and Fare Enforcement Officers.
“Having a visible presence on as many of our vehicles as possible will be an important deterrent to misconduct, and I hope it also demonstrates our continued commitment to our customers to keep them safe,” said Charlie Cato, DART chief of police, in a news release.
The increase in security personnel is just one quality improvement DART plans to make throughout the rest of the year. In April, DART announced plans for cleanliness improvements to the department’s busses.
The enhanced security numbers come as reports of crimes committed on DART vehicles have surged, FOX 4 reports.
The news outlet said they recently received a cell phone video that shows a DART rider openly partaking in drug use. Last month, security on the public transportation service was called into question after a video of a passenger being pistol-whipped gained social media attention.
Last year, DART police made nearly 1,000 arrests at its rail and non-rail facilities, FOX 4 reported, and arrests from the second quarter of this year are up compared to the same time frame as last year.
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