Bay Area Rapid Transit to upgrade security
By SSN Staff
Updated Tue January 29, 2013
OAKLAND—Bay Area Rapid Transit will soon begin major upgrades to its police communications center and computer systems, according to a report from a San Francisco CBS affiliate.
The BART board of directors approved the expenditure of about $2 million of the $3.1 million coming from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Transit officials said the upgrades will allow central command to respond faster to crimes. During 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.
“Abroad, transportation systems are a huge, huge target for terrorists, so we have to be on constant watch, constant vigil to make sure that nothing takes place,” Kenton Rainey, BART police chief, said in the report.
Last week, BART directors also approved a $2.7 million contract to buy 100 wireless communication devices to install on railcars, which will enable the streaming of live video to BART security and control centers, the report said.
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