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BART Police unveils new zone geographical policing structure

BART Police unveils new zone geographical policing structure

BART Police Department (PD) unveiled its new Zone Geographical Policing Structure, which breaks the current zones down into smaller, easier to manage areas that are more compatible with its existing span of control.

“A Zone Lieutenant will now be in command of one of the five patrol zones, where a team of patrol Sergeants, Police Officers and Community Service Officers will be responsible and accountable for providing 24/7 service to their areas within the BART District,” BART PD Chief Kenton Rainey said.

“This new Zone Geographical Policing Structure is one of many measures BART has initiated as recommended by the NOBLE Audit Report to improve the BART PD management, morale and oversight,” BART Board Director Tom Radulovich said. The NOBLE Audit Report was published in 2011 and provided recommendations to improve the BART PD.

The new Zones are:  Zone I: (All Oakland Stations), Zone II (Contra Costa County and City of Berkeley stations), Zone III (Alameda County stations from San Leandro to Dublin/Pleasanton), Zone IV (San Francisco stations), and Zone V (San Mateo County stations).

BART PD expects this re-structure to improve Police services by identifying problems for more diligent responses while enhancing its Community Oriented Policing Problem Solving (COPPS) program.  COPPS is an organization-wide policing philosophy and management approach that promotes community, government, police partnerships and proactive problem solving to reduce a jurisdiction’s crime and social disorder.

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The successful implementation of COPPS will improve the quality of life for BART customers and the communities it serves by:

      Effectively using BART employees’ talents and resources to help solve problems;
      Creating positive, productive relationships between the Police and BART riders;
      Reducing crime and social disorder; and
      Promoting greater job satisfaction for law-enforcement personnel