Media Contact:
Morgan Lyons
or Robin Stringfellow

May 20, 1998

DART offers reward

DART steps up transit security

A group of teenagers is reported to have harassed passengers aboard a train traveling between West End Station and Park Lane Station on the evening of Saturday, May 2. Due to a temporary shortage of officers available for weekend patrols, no officer was on board the train during the incident which occurred around 10 p.m.

To strengthen security aboard DART trains, the agency is taking the following actions:

• Reassigning officers and incurring overtime to guarantee a full complement of Transit Police, particularly during the evenings. This will provide for an officer on every train.

• Running one-car trains, rather than two-car trains, whenever possible. This will strengthen the visible presence of our officers.

• Working with the Dallas Police Department to fully investigate the May 2 incident and to step up enforcement of the city's teen curfew.

• Investigating the possibility of installing security cameras on board our trains.

"While the May 2 incident is the first of its kind, it should not have happened and cannot be tolerated in the future," Snoble said. "We believe the system is safe. Our 36-thousand daily customers believe the system is safe, and we are taking all necessary steps to make sure an incident of this type doesn't happen again."

Individuals with information about the incident should contact DART Transit Police at 214-928-6300.

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