BART is rolling out a new plan that will allow it to ban passengers who
don't behave. The process started more than a year ago, when state
legislators passed a law giving BART that power.
BART already has something called a 'stay-away' order that
the transit agency can issue, but that needs to go through local
prosecutors' offices and can take a long time. This new plan gives BART
the power to make a decision and act right away."We are really wanting to send the message that if you are going to come onto our system and be unruly or violent, there are going to be consequences," said BART spokesperson Alicia Trost.
BART officials have had it with people who threaten their employees or try and sell drugs to their passengers. Starting next week, BART police will have the power to ban people from the trains and the stations.
"Not only is this for someone that is going to come and start a fight with a passenger or one of our frontline employees. It is also for those who are urinating on our system, graffiti, trying to sell drugs on our system. It's everything that is going to make the BART environment safer," said Trost.
If someone commits a violent criminal act, such as hitting a station agent, they can be banned right away. The new law requires a little more tolerance for the lesser offences.
"Repeat offenders who come onto our system and commit certain offenses more than three times in a 90 day period will now get cracked down on. They are going to be issued a prohibition order," said Trost.
Some BART riders have concerns that this goes a little too far, while others applaud the idea.
"When you are going to work and you are trying to do the right thing, you don't need all that kind of nastiness and noise," said Harold Day of San Leandro.
"I don't necessarily think it's fair," said Karla Sohol of Richmond.
"There is an appeals process set up to protect those passengers that really do rely on BART to get around," said Trost.
Article and Photos Sourced from ABC News:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=9083676
This is already in place in Sacramento in Fresno, where officials say it is working.
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