Some BART riders may be reluctant to report crimes because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. That’s why on Thursday, officials from the transit agency unveiled BART Watch, a free app that lets users discreetly report crimes on trains.
“It’s an app that is sort of like texting police,” said BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost.
The app lets users take a picture or send a text to BART police rather than call 911 or rush over to an intercom at the end of a train, something that BART officials said riders often won’t do out of fear for their safety.
The app is available for iOS and Android devices and works in English, Spanish and Chinese, Trost said.
Text alerts can be sent anonymously, and if users are out of cell phone range, their text will be stored and sent whenever service returns.
When reporting an incident in the app, riders can choose from options like crimes in progress, disruptive behavior, robbery, unattended bags and vandalism.
Riders can also opt to get alerts on the app, telling them about emergencies like a lost kid.
The app was created by ELERTS Corp., which created similar apps for other major U.S. transit agencies, including the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.