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1/14/2020
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Bob Powers last week named Ed Alvarez chief of police and tasked him with immediate changes to increase officer presence on trains.
Yesterday, Alvarez dedicated a newly created team of 12 BART police officers to be stationed on trains and platforms during nights and weekends. The officers will supplement a future deployment of 10 police staff — known as ambassadors — tasked with preventing and deescalating problems on trains.
The ambassador team is part of a six-month, $690,000 pilot program that begins Feb. 10 to enhance safety and security in the San Francisco rail system, BART officials said in a press release.
Alvarez also has been tasked with determining the feasibility of creating fixed post assignments for officers at key stations.
A 22-year veteran of the BART Police Department, Alvarez previously served as interim police chief and deputy chief of the support services bureau.
“Alvarez knows the system and has a vision for safety that includes short-term and long-term strategies to grow the department into a fully staffed, progressive agency serving diverse communities,” Powers said.