The constant drug use at BART stations and on trains is starting to become a huge problem.
After watching the clean-up at the Civic Center Station, more police patrols and outreach programs are needed to keep BART stations clean longer.
BART riders at Civic Center see lots of drug use during their commutes.
“I see people shooting up,” one rider said.
A now viral video is shedding light on the problem. It shows people slumped against the walls and doing drugs out in the open at the station.
On Thursday, the long corridor known for bad behavior was empty of people sleeping or shooting up.
That is mainly because BART police, San Francisco police, and the Salvation Army made their presence known.
And they got people help, who would take it.
“And we have already put several people with our staff on to transportation back to our programs right now,” Lt. Col. Cindy Foley said.
They even gave hot coffee to almost 750 people.
“I slept on BART for years in a paper box,” one person said. “Hey, hey but I am doing great now.”
“It is very nice to come through here and get a few things that you need,” another said.
BART is on a mission to clean up its stations.
“A lot of what happens at the street level goes underground, filters down to the BART station and on to our trains, and we cannot ignore it,” BART Stations Planning Manager Tim Chan said.
Underground, the Salvation Army tried to reach Asha Matthews, who tells KRON4 she’s been down there for about a month and declined any assistance.
She left the station, unclear on where she’d go next.
Handing out food and socks, BART admits, is just putting a band-aid on the problem.
Long-term solutions are needed, like affordable housing and rehab programs.
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