I just thought that I would add my 2 cents into the discussion.

The DART system would be a VERY dangerous system if it was not for the DART Police Department. Getting rid of the Department is not an option.

What is an option though, is changing the command structure of DART Police.

The DART Police Department would be a great Department if they were backed by the DART Board of Directors and had a strong Command Staff. Many times, the Department has asked for equipment and personnel and been denied. Why? Because they do not want the public to think that there is crime on the system and that it might make the police department look "too aggressive".

The DART Police Department is not perfect, no law enforcement agency is. But, many of the problems that DART Police has been subjected to dates back a few years ago when the Department decided to start hiring people and sending the to the police academy. In the past, you had to have prior police experience in order to work there. You had to have worked for another police agency and already be certified by TCLEOSE in order to get hired. This changed when DART hired an Assistant Police Chief and sent him to the police academy. What you say? Hire someone to supervise police officers with no police experience? Yes, and now he is the Police Chief. Dont' get me wrong, the Chief is a good manager and had quite a bit of military experience under his belt, but there is a difference between military and police work.

There are (were) many very good and experienced Officers at DART that wanted nothing else than to make the best Department in the nation. When you do not have the support from your Supervisors, Managers, and Board of Directors, morale declines and Officers leave. A big part of police work has to do with trusting your partner. If you cannot trust the people you work with, would you want to stay? You have to be sure that your partner "has your back" at all times. There are so many inexperienced Officers there now, that I had to leave because the trust was not there. I wanted to make sure that I went home at the end of my shift.

There have been comments about complaints on Officers. The Supervisors at DART Police would go out and "solicit" complaints on Officers in order to try and fire someone. Complaints on Peace Officer and Firefighters in Texas have to be made in writing, signed by the complainant, and a copy given to the Officer. DART's way of this was to go out, find someone to complain, have a Supervisor put it in writing, investigate, and then dicipline them. There was even an Officer fired for catching a murder suspect because there was not any buses running at the time of the arrest and also accused him of excessive force in pepper spraying a subject that was trying to break out the window on his police car.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-11-28/news/by-the-book/full

DART has problems. Major ones. Both in Administration and in the Police Department. There are still a lot of very good and qualified Officers there. Well, at least until they leave like everyone else is. Does DART care that there is such a high turnover rate? Does not appear so. The Police Chief does not even care because he will tell you flat out like he did in detail one day "If you don't like it, leave". You need to boost morale in the Department, not reduce it.

Things have to change at the Department.

Oh well, my 2 cents.