While I understand that your mindset is coming from an outsider looking in viewpoint, dissolving the department would only compound the problems that you are talking about. If anything, a change in philosophy might be good. I don’t have the answers to everything, but I do see the issues from all sides.

Again, dissolving the department would increase the crime. The reason that you can not see that is because you are working on a limited basis of knowledge with regard to the full scale of what departments do. That doesn't come from spreadsheets and data collection. That comes from getting out there and really looking at what a department does and seeing the product that they produce. Ownership is only a part of why we are as successful at keeping the vast majority of crime down. Look at the older days of transit system policing. It did fall under the cities. And when that was in effect, trains had graffiti all over them and thugs really did control the trains. We are a far cry from those days. The reality is that if we take steps backward, based on your proposition, we will go back to the 60s and 70s way of life on public transportation. Granted, it is not a perfect system with absolutely no crime to speak of, but then again where does that exist? Highland Park? Plano? University Park? Lake Dallas? Even the most higher paid and the most "High Society" areas have crime. It is a credit to their departments that they are not being run over by criminals.

Sorry, went off the edge there. What I am saying is that public transportation had that type of policing before, and it was known that you didn't ride after dark. That is not a slap at the cities, just a reality that the transit system is not their highest priority unless there are major crimes happening. That is just reality. Add to that the jurisdictional issues that the system runs through different cities and counties. Logistically, that would be a nightmare for them. Again, what may look good to you on paper and graphs does not necessarily work when it is in play.