DART police chief addresses recent string of violent incidents
DALLAS - For the first time on camera, the chief of DART police is addressing an alarming string of violent incidents happening at its stations and in its trains.
DART says that it gives more than 200,000 rides per day. So that’s a lot of people and a lot of opportunity for crime.
DART Police Chief Charles Cato joined the department in 2022 and has overseen the force during a time of increased crime.
[REPORTER: "Do you feel like people riding DART truly feel safe every time they get on a train?"]
"I think it depends on who you ask and when you ask them," he said.
DART has seen about a 25% increase in reported crime last year compared to the prior year.
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DART reports 25% increase in crime for 2023
FOX 4 obtained crime statistics from DART that show a significant rise in crime on its trains and at its stations last year.
Last year, the department responded to 169 robberies, a 34% increase, and 747 assaults, a 21% increase.
Crime numbers for this year have not been made available.
Earlier this month, FOX 4 reported about a 50-year-old woman who was beaten in the head with a rock and a glass vase at a DART station allegedly by 26-year-old Charles Murray, who’s also accused of beating someone on a DART train with a hammer.
We’ve seen video of a woman pistol-whipping a man on a train, drug use and other crimes.dart
"I look at each one individually and see where we could have intervened. Is that a place where we could have intervened and how could we have changed that outcome for the future?" Cato said.
The department is also down 40 officers right now.
"That’s one of the reasons why we sought out a contract for the transit security officers, the TSO contract," Cato said.
Last year, DART hired 100 transit security officers to ride trains and assist DART police.
In November, a security officer was assaulted by a rider during a dispute about paying the fare, according to DART. The officer shot the suspect in the arm.
Next month, Chief Cato will present data to DART’s board of directors on the security officer program. Then, the board will decide whether to renew the contract for a second year for $9 million.
The chief says she’s in favor of extending the contract.
"I believe that we’re seeing a return on investment in our response times and our calls for service," he said.
DART says increased ridership will lead to increased ride reports. Also, more officers spotting crimes will increase reports.
[REPORTER: "You call it a good system, but is it safe to say it’s an imperfect system?"]
"I don’t know of any perfect system at all," Cato said. "I mean, if there is, let me know because I’d like to see it."
Curtis Lee rides DART to school and work. He says he intentionally sits near the conductor to avoid issues. He says he would not feel comfortable if his fiancé and toddler rode it alone.
"I can protect myself. Believe me, she can protect herself, too," he said. "It’s just, what do we have to protect ourselves against on any given day?"
FOX 4 requested DART crime data for the first few months of this year, but we are still waiting to receive that data.