BART top cop will face tough problems

Carlos Rojas, who is expected to become Chief of Police for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) within the next two months, will have his work cut out for him. He will be dealing with what appears to be an emerging crime problem: Old West-style ambush train robberies.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, “A recent string of robberies on BART trains took a frightening turn when dozens of juveniles swarmed an Oakland station over the weekend and commandeered a train car, forcing passengers to hand over bags and cell phones and leaving at least two with head injuries … BART did not immediately publicize the incident—the first of its kind in recent memory—after it occurred around 9:30 p.m. [April 23] at the Coliseum Station.

“According to a police summary reviewed by The Chronicle, witnesses said 50 to 60 juveniles flooded the station, jumped the fare gates and rushed to the second-story train platform. Some of the robbers apparently held open the doors of a Dublin-bound train car while others streamed inside, confronting and robbing and in some cases beating riders. At least two victims suffered head/facial injuries requiring medical attention. The teenagers were able to retreat from the station and vanish into the surrounding East Oakland neighborhood before BART officers could respond. The train that was hit was held for about 15 minutes as authorities investigated the crime and tended to the injured.

“A series of robberies on BART trains in recent weeks has prompted the agency to increase patrols, though this was apparently the first takeover-style heist … The agency has struggled to contain fare evaders, and is in the midst of installing surveillance cameras in train cars. Why? Because The Chronicle reported that most of the existing cameras were decoys.”

Rojas, described by BART as the agency’s “first Latino Chief of Police,” appears to be cut out for the job. According to an agency press release, he is “a recipient of multiple law enforcement Medals of Valor, and is bilingual in English and Spanish. He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Chapman University, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, Long Beach, with additional professional training at the FBI National Academy. Rojas brings 27 years of extensive experience and leadership in community policing. He comes to BART from the Santa Ana Police Department, where he served the past five years as chief. He is an advocate and educator in community-oriented policing practices, having taught the practices to national police forces in Central America and mentored college students.”

“The police department has been moving in the right direction, and I am confident that our new chief will accelerate our efforts to increase the visibility of police officers on our trains and in our stations,” said BART General Manager Grace Crunican. “I have asked the new chief to focus attention on our police recruitment practices to ensure the department is able to hire a full complement of officers.”

Rojas’ appointment is contingent upon successful completion of psychological exams and a satisfactory background check, which could take up to 30 days to complete. His start date is still to be determined but will likely be sometime in late May or early June, BART said.

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