CPE partnered with the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency to investigate the impact of fare evasion enforcement on public safety, racial equity, and public access. San Francisco, CA — The Center for Policing Equity (CPE) announces the publication of a new report, BART Fare Enforcement: Balancing Goals, Community Concerns, and Human Costs, in partnership with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). The report is a comprehensive assessment of BART’s approach to fare enforcement and its policies, and provides data-driven recommendations for improving BART’s current enforcement operations. CPE originally partnered with BART in 2016 to study the impact of policing throughout the BART system, culminating in a 2020 report with 12 actionable recommendations to address operational issues related to racial equity and use of force. Building on this partnership, BART engaged CPE in 2022 for a deeper investigation into the impact of fare evasion enforcement on public safety, racial equity, and access. 

As we near the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, today’s verdict in the Tyre Nichols case is a gut punch—not because we didn’t know the system was designed with the ability to brutalize the most vulnerable, but because once again, there is no accountability in the face of its naked cruelty. Tyre should be alive today. His death wasn’t just about a few officers—it was the result of a policing culture trained and authorized to use force without consequence. When the Trump administration recently revived calls to “unleash” law enforcement in an executive order, it wasn’t just rhetoric, it was permission. Permission for the kind of abuse and impunity this case lays bare. Our hearts are with Tyre’s family and with every community still waiting for justice and real safety.