An open letter to my BART Representative

Below is a letter to my BART representative, Tom Radulovich, about the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man (how sad is it that that phrase is almost cliche) by a BART police officer on New Year's Day.

Dear Mr. Radulovich,

I am one of your constituents in San Francisco in your position on the BART board of directors. I voted for you in the '08 election because of your commitment to alternative forms of transportation. I am writing to tell you that I am horrified and saddened by the recent shooting of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer. I am shocked that this happened, and more shocked by how little action has been taken by BART in light of this incident. There is not a doubt in my mind that the officer who shot and killed Grant committed murder, and he should be prosecuted as such. There needs to be a full investigation into the training and day-to-day work of the BART police, there needs to be civilian oversight, and we as a public need to determine whether it is necessary to have BART police at all. I have been shocked to learn in the past week that this is not an isolated incident; that there have been questionable shootings by BART police before in which the assailant has gone completely or partially without reprimand. It doesn't even make sense that the BART police would need to carry guns. Regular police are able to enter BART if there is an incident; a separate and armed police force with no civilian oversight and a history of unchecked violence seems completely unnecessary and grossly irresponsible. It makes me feel afraid of riding the BART.

In addition to this, I am dismayed and concerned that BART shut down several of its stations on Wednesday night due to the protest. It is my understanding that this has happened before, during a youth protest in Fruitvale. I am deeply concerned that BART is denying its ridership their right to free speech and political assembly. As you live in the bay area and are a proponent of alternative forms of transportation, I am sure that you are aware that a large number of bay area residents do not have cars and rely heavily on BART as their only way to travel to certain areas. It seems to me that BART was trying to stifle criticism of the shooting by shutting down the station where the protest was happening. Furthermore, I cannot stress how much shutting down BART stations at night threatens the safety of BART riders. I happened to be in Oakland on Wednesday night for a separate event, and when I heard they were shutting down some stations, I was concerned about how I was going to get home that night. As a woman living in a culture where violence against women is par for the course, nighttime commutes can be stressful enough without this added inconvenience, especially in light of the recent attack in Richmond.

As a member of the elected body that oversees the BART system, I hope you take these concerns seriously. It is beyond clear that changes need to be made immediately for the safety of all BART riders.

Thank you,
Sarah Mcdonald

If you live in BART District 9 (San Francisco neighborhoods: the mission, the castro, parts of SOMA, the TL, the haight, western addition, etc.) and would like to write your own letter to Tom Radulovich, here is his contact info: tom@livablecity.org, or 415-344-0489. Or, find your BART representative at www.bart.gov/about/bod/index.aspx.