Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco will soon begin major upgrades to its police communications center and computer systems so central command can respond more rapidly to crimes and disturbances, according to an article from CBS San Francisco.
Over the next two years, BART police units will be equipped with GPS systems, and alarms at critical access points will be linked to security cameras, which gives central command a real-time snapshot of security throughout the system, the article reports.
About two-thirds of the $3.1 million the BART board of directors voted Thursday to spend on the security systems comes from U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants and other state funding, CBS reports.
The system’s directors also approved a $2.7 million contract to buy 100 wireless communications devices which can stream live video to BART security and control centers, as well as improving Wi-Fi service for riders, the article says. Forty-four of BART’s nearly 700 cars already have similar devices.
BART will also adopt a system for tracking crime statistics at stations, on trains and in parking lots so command staff can better allocate resources.