Standing with BART’s Chief of Police, General Manager, and a police oversight official, Simon said they are pledging increased and continued anti-racism training for BART police officers as well as the goal of putting a lot more money toward unarmed ambassador team members who focus on intervention and mental health.
“If there is a man who is houseless, and he has no clothes and he has no shoes, we are in conversations and in some agreement that his first interaction may need to be with an outreach worker,” said Simon, “not a man or a woman trained to take down a soldier.”
Last week, BART’s Police Chief banned the carotid hold for his officers. The suggested budget change would also put a lot more money into the BART Police Oversight Team.