BART Police Department

05/15/2026

A message from message from Chief Franklin:

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. As we recognize National Police Officers Memorial Day, we pause to honor the courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment of law enforcement professionals across our nation. National Police Week holds deep meaning within our profession. It is a time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities and to stand beside the families, friends, and colleagues who continue to carry that loss. Our own Sgt. Tommy Smith has his name recorded on the memorial wall in tribute to his sacrifice in service for us. We will never forget.

We honor the fallen through the way we serve each day — with integrity, professionalism, compassion, and dedication to the communities that place their trust in us.

I extend my sincere gratitude to every active and former member of the BART Police Department. Whether working patrol, investigations, communications, professional staff assignments, or leadership roles, each member contributes to the safety and well-being of the thousands of patrons, employees, and community members who rely on BART every day.

National Police Week is also a reminder of the importance of supporting one another. Behind every badge are friends and families that share in the sacrifices of this chosen profession. We thank the spouses, children, parents, and loved ones who stand beside our employees through the challenges and responsibilities of public service.

To all members of the BART Police Department: thank you for your service, your professionalism, and your continued commitment to keeping BART safe for the riders and District employees who depend on us each and every day.

05/05/2026

The FIFA World Cup 2026 games will bring fans from across the globe to the region and BART is gearing up to serve the crowds. We have posted our service gameplan on bart.gov/fifa listing the details of how to take BART to matches, watch parties, and fan zones.

BART will offer special limited-express service after midnight for evening matches and will also run long trains and have extra staff, security, branded wayfinding, and lighting to help fans and families navigate the system.

Preparations have included special emergency response coordination.

At the end of April, Fire Life Safety coordinated three days of exercises at Bay Fair Station to prepare for the upcoming games.

BART PD was joined by BART Transportation and BART Training as well as representatives from the Alameda County Fire Department, Oakland Fire Department, the U.S. Army, the Lawrence Livermore Radiological Assistance Program, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to bolster coordination and train in the use of Personal Radiation Detectors, carried by BART PD’s Capital Asset Protection team.

Credit: Incident Command Photography

05/05/2026

Yesterday, BART Police Department joined Governor Gavin Newsom, state and local law enforcement officers, and community members at the annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony, honoring California officers who lost their lives in 2025. Pictured is DC Patzer, Lt. Enriquez, and Ofc. Alexander

04/28/2026

Interested in learning more about becoming a BART police officer?

Join us for a recruitment open house at our BART PD Headquarters (101 8th St, Oakland) on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m.

Meet officers and staff and ask questions about working for BART PD.

The open house will include a panel of officers and interactive informational sessions.

For more information on working for BART PD, text JOINBARTPD to 510-288-3152 or visit JoinBARTPD.com.

04/24/2026

We want celebrated the Administrative Professionals who keep BART PD running and dedicate themselves to the hard work of keeping our riders in the BART system safe earlier this week on Administrative Professionals Day. We offer our sincere gratitude!

04/17/2026

BART Police Transit Ambassadors noticed Ms. Shrestha at San Bruno Station on Wednesday after a rider reported that she appeared to be confused and disoriented. Officers were able to get her transported to a local hospital for medical care and hospital staff later made the possible connection to the missing person case.

BART PD officers were able to confirm her identify with SFPD, who had the missing person’s daughter meet BPD officers at the hospital and the missing person was reunited with her family. We thank the rider who noticed Ms. Shrestha and alerted our Transit Ambassador.

**MISSING PERSON LOCATED**

Indira Shrestha was located by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Department. Ms. Shrestha appeared to be in good health and was reunited with her family. Foul play is not suspected at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD Missing Persons Unit Tip Line at 1-415-734-3070 or Text-A-Tip to TIP411, beginning the message with 'SFPD'. You may remain anonymous.

SFPD CASE # 260-209-468

04/15/2026

Five BART PD members took part this year in the Filipino American Law Enforcement Officers Association’s (FALEO) annual goodwill mission, the Philippine Exchange Training (PET) Program.

BART PD Sergeant and FALEO President Shaun O’Connor led the 24-member team, including Sgt. Bailey Thepkaysone, Sgt. Peter Tu, Officer Justis Miller, and Officer Amandeep Sidhu. Using personal time, they flew to the Philippines to provide training to local law enforcement as well as aid and scholarships to local youth!

The group provided supplies, toys, and monetary aid to six schools, including two orphanages for youth and an organization for orphaned, dependent seniors. They also recognized 48 top performing students with monetary scholarships and school supplies.

This year was also the first time PET conducted a Women in Leadership and Wellness training, facilitated by seven female PET team members, including BART PD Officer Amandeep Sidhu.

The training was a huge success. The PET team’s courses were attended by 1,000 female students from all ranks and backgrounds.

The team conducted training for over 2,000 police officers, security personnel, and civilians in crisis management, hostage negotiation, and domestic violence investigations.

“We look forward to an even bigger turnout next year!,” says Sgt. O’Connor. “All in all, this year’s PET team did an incredible job representing our benevolent organization, our law enforcement profession, and most importantly they were fantastic ambassadors to our country.”

04/14/2026

Have you noticed BART PD officers wearing these patches? They are just one way BART is celebrating Autism Acceptance Month this April!

For Autism Acceptance Month in April, 12 local youth on the autism spectrum spent an afternoon at BART Headquarters to record the very special announcements, which will play every 15 minutes at stations through the end of the month.

BART PD K9 Kygo made a special appearance at the event too, demonstrating their skills.

Participants and their families spent the entire afternoon at BART, not just to record the announcements, but to learn about the system directly from staff. Employees gave presentations and answered questions about the inner workings of the agency, while engineers and transportation staff set up booths around the room with cool equipment the kids could touch and explore.

04/13/2026

A message from Chief Franklin:

It is the start of Dispatcher Appreciation Week, so I want to express my gratitude and say, “Thank You” to our Dispatchers and Dispatch Supervisors for their dedication, resilience, and tireless work helping to keep the entire BART system safe and running smoothly. Dispatchers are the eyes, ears, and lifeline of our BPD employees who are working in the BART system, and they keep our employes safe as they respond to crimes and crisis situations. Our Dispatchers are the first people our riders and BART employees talk to when they call in need of assistance, and they ensure that our first responders get to emergencies as quickly and safely as possible. The workload is constant, and in 2025 our Dispatchers received and responded to over 70,000 calls for service, including almost 3,000 medical emergencies, and over 24,000 reports via the BART Watch App.

Our Dispatchers’ unwavering commitment to public safety, while also ensuring the safety of our BPD family and contributing to the effectiveness of our operations, does not go unnoticed. Working behind the scenes, our Dispatchers are truly unsung heroes worthy of recognition every day.

If you haven’t done so already, join me in thanking the entire Dispatch team for what they do each and every day!

Sincerely,
BART PD Chief Kevin Franklin

04/09/2026

In recognition of Property and Evidence Professionals Week (April 5–11), we extend our appreciation to the dedicated members of the BART PD Property and Evidence Unit.

The work of the Property and Evidence team is a critical part of our operations, ensuring the integrity, security, and accountability of evidence throughout every stage of an investigation. From careful intake and documentation to secure storage and timely release for court proceedings, their attention to detail and commitment to excellence directly support successful case outcomes. This role often happens behind the scenes, but it’s impact is felt across the entire department and within the communities we serve. Their professionalism, consistency, and expertise help maintain the trust placed in our agency.

We thank our Property and Evidence professionals for their hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to excellence.