For the third time since November, there have been fatal shootings involving one of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit stations or carriers.
On Tuesday, February 7, three people were shot at the Arapaho station in Richardson. Recently, there have been incidents at the MLK station and the Pearl station in Dallas as well.
What should commuters think about DART?
The expansion of public transportation in Dallas has created some problems while alleviating others. Reaching into the northern suburbs in the past decade, commuters have had the option to use rail or bus transportation into the downtown area.
This is a big plus for downtown businesses, the hospitality industry, and enormous corporate infrastructure in the Dallas economy. Residents can easily find the positives in DART's expansion, especially if they have lived in Dallas long enough to remember when there was no public transportation in Dallas at all except some short-run shuttles in the downtown area.
On the negative side, of course, are the hazards that convenience and mobility present in terms of security. DART has officers posted at the major stops, and surveillance cameras are everywhere. But, security cameras do not perform a preventive function like some people expect. They can be invaluable for investigative purposes, but as the recent spate of violent crimes indicates, surveillance cameras are helpless when it comes to dissuading a criminal who has the intent to commit violence.
How might DART improve its security?
For DART to improve its reputation as a good public service to the Dallas area, more will have to be done. The cost to riders and taxpayers will not be welcomed, but public mobility and public safety must go hand-in-hand.
Whether it is more cops on the street, metal detection at the bus entry, armed undercover officers on buses, a tighter ticketing system, or greater public awareness of how to detect possible incidents before they occur, DART must offer its riders the assurances of safe travel and do more to shield their customers from such incidents.
A public safety solution requires public support.
It should be clear, however, that DART is not the cause of crime; rather, it is the extension of problems that exist inside and outside the city of Dallas. Crime in Dallas is not static. It is mobile, and DART is simply the vehicle of its mobility.
Law officers and DART officers work under threats of severe budget cuts, public disfavor at times, and a public that is tired of taxes. What needs to be done takes more money, and money better spent on improving the technology to detect crime before it happens. It takes an aware public, corporate sponsorship of preventive measures, and responsible accountability of public officials to make DART safety a top priority.
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