Report shows violent crime up on BART

Last Sunday’s murder of Nia Wilson at the MacArthur BART station has once again raised questions about the overall safety of the transit system.

While opinions are mixed as to whether the transit system is safe, recent statistics show violent crime on the upswing. 

Last year alone, there were over 400 acts of violence. For the first six months of this year, overall violent crime is up 2 percent compared with the same period last year, with assaults up 28 percent.

One of the biggest complaints among riders is a lack of police presence.

One-hundred-and-seventy-five patrol officers are budgeted, but BART still has 21 vacancies despite hiring 27 officers in last year and a half.

BART board members say the board might have to consider another alternative.

Here are the full crime statistics:

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