Rails Beset By Youth Crime

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit system has worked to cultivate a

polished, corporate image of an expanding light rail network that is

safe, secure and clean. But a three-month investigation of crime on

the DART rails by CBS-11 shows a gritty reality at sharp variance with

that public image.

An examination of public records and interviews with 19 police

officers show that DART has become a battle ground for roving gangs of

youths who intimidate and assault passengers, disturb the peace and

sometimes commit heinous crimes. Gangs of kids take over rail cars and

savage them with rocks and fists. Alternative school children, whose

passes are paid for by the Dallas Independent School District, fight

turf wars on moving trains and at stations. Youths have terrorized the

elderly, sick and weak, according to records backed by interviews with

passengers and police.

"These kids are drug smokin', cursin, foulin', half-dressin', talking

bad, getting put off the bus. You name it you just about see it all

here," said Lester Fowler, a 74-year-old retiree who rides the rails

daily.

Almost everyone CBS-11 has interviewed, including juveniles and random

passengers, acknowledge that youth-generated crime and disturbances

throughout the DART rail system is a major problem.

And, while reporting this story, CBS-11 News witnessed two incidents

involving young people that drew a police response. One 19-year-old

suspected of dealing drugs to alternative school kids at the Dallas

Zoo station led police on a lengthy foot chase before he was arrested

at gunpoint.

Presented with CBS-11's findings about youth, DART Police Chief Juan

Rodriguez denied that youth crime, or crime in general, has been a

problem.

"We don't have a crime problem," Chief Rodriguez said. "We have a safe system."

Chief Rodriguez's perception apparently is not shared by many of his

subordinates on the streets, nor by some DART board members. Two DART

board members, responding to citizen complaints, grew so concerned

they recently met with Dallas school officials to explore whether the

district could help with the problem. The DART board members were told

DISD could not help, one DISD official said.

All 19 police officers interviewed by CBS-11 enthusiastically

volunteered, with little or no prompting, that youth-generated crime

is a top problem on the rails and that that they can't contain it

because they are short-staffed.

"They curse. They talk loud. They fight...every day. This is every

day," DART Police Officer Norma Gonzalez emphasized.

One sweating, out-of-breath officer who helped arrest the suspected

drug dealer spontaneously commented to a CBS-11 photojournalist: "This

is DART, every day. We don't have enough officers."

Currently, 146 DART officers cover 45 miles of rail, 130 bus routes,

and all HOV lanes in 13 cities spread over 700 square miles. Of the

146 officers, about 70 are assigned to patrol the rails.

Officer Chris Hunt, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge

80, said DART has not filled more 30 vacant positions left open from

high rates of turnover caused by low pay and bad morale. He said at

least 70 more officers are needed to control crime rates that have

risen steadily every year since DART opened in 1996. Between January

2004 and February of this year, more than 3,700 crimes were reported

at DART rail stations alone. Another 1,142 crimes were reported on

moving trains, records show.

"They are trying their best with the manpower they have to quell the

problem, but sometimes the lack of manpower sort of hinders us," Hunt

said. "We have a problem retaining people more than we have in hiring

them. Officers go to other agencies."

Chief Rodriguez, who was the first officer hired by DART and is

retiring in February, said the department has enough police officers

to meet public safety needs now and would only consider adding new

officers as rail expansions require.

CBS-11 has learned that much of the juvenile crime is caused by

students of alternative and charter schools near rail stations.

Wearing colored t-shirts and DISD identification badges, students

typically congregate in noisy, frightening crowds before and after

school at stations. Much of the violence, disturbances and crimes

against other passengers occurs on the platforms but tends to move

with the students as they fan out across the rail system. CBS-11 has

identified the five most crime-ridden DART stations and has been told

that juvenile crime is behind the numbers.

They are the West Transit Center on San Jacinto Street, the West End

on Pacific and Ackard, CityPlace on North Central Expressway and

Lemmon, the 8th and Corinth station, and Mockingbird Station, the

system's crown jewel. Several years of police call sheets obtained

through the Texas Public Information Act help illustrate the problem.

They include frequent references to crimes committed by youths, among

them:

-- "Daughters...attacked by 15 young ladies...a problem at this

location daily after school."

-- "About 7-8 boys...harassed customer and attempted to rape her..."

-- "Jumped by teens...elderly patrons are scared."

-- "..A group of teenaged boys robbed and assaulted caller's husband..."

-- "A group of about 30 teenagers got off the train and had a boombox

that was on really loud. Several followed customer and an elderly lady

as they walked away...harassed customer and the elderly lady...asked

for money then became hostile when customer said he had none."

-- "…There were kids that threw rocks and shattered a light rail

window…a lady was hit in the head and bled.."

-- "…About 15 students from the Dallas Can Academy Fighting at the

Pearl Station…"

-- "…constant problem…students are harassing patrons…"

The same records show that passengers are demanding more police.

-- "...Where's transit? Transit police weren't available Friday,

Saturday or Sunday..."

-- "Request more transit police during the morning rush hours and

after school dismissals."

-- "Caller attacked by a group of youth...requesting additional

transit police presence..."

-- "Hispanic male teen was assaulted by several black youths...more

security is needed at station..."

-- "High school student was assaulted...there weren't any transit

police around..."

One DART station was so problematic that police four months ago

secretly implemented a highly unusual program to control students.

CBS-11 discovered the program by accident during the course of its

investigation. Students from several alternative schools who were

being bused to the Dallas Zoo station caused so much havoc that eight

police officers now greet them each day at about 3:30 p.m.

The police officers then herd up to 50 or 60 students at a time onto

the first rail car and board along with them. The officers segregate

non-student riders and direct them to other cars, including CBS-11

investigative producer Todd Bensman. When asked why, an officer

responded, with a wink: "It's safer."

Chief Rodriguez denied passengers were being segregated from students

in any special enforcement program for children but acknowledged, "we

have more officers around because we have extra passengers loading."

He said the effort was only to "help" students reach their

destinations.

"We have a safe system. Our officers are there for the protection of

the public," Chief Rodriguez said. "

But Dennis Meeks does not think so. Last month, Meeks was randomly

shot while waiting for a train at DART's Forest Lane station.

"We heard a loud bang from the area over there just to the west and I

was shot in the side," he said, showing a bullet wound that passed

through his side from front to back. "People scattered and everyone

was looking for a place to hide or go."

The shot came from a nearby gas station frequented by young people. No

assailant has been caught. Meeks has recovered from his painful

gunshot wound but says his perception of the system as a gleaming,

safe new citizen asset is forever changed.

"The DART system's good. But they need some more people working here

to protect the people," he said. "If there's going to be that sort of

stuff going on, then people should be safe."