DART News

Dallas' DART makes big hire to step up security aboard trains and TRE

They're adding security for the trains and the platforms.

Photo courtesy of DART

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has beefed up its security team. According to a release, the transportation agency has added more than 100 contract Transit Security Officers (TSO) who will provide service on DART’s light rail vehicles and platforms, as well as the Trinity Railway Express (TRE).

The 100 temporary officers will be on the job for a year, joining a staff of 252 budgeted, AKA permanent, DART Police Officers and Fare Enforcement Officers (FEO).

The new TSOs will focus on DART Code of Conduct violations and any unlawful activities on DART property. According to Fox 4, DART police have seen an increase in crime. There are 164 trains total.

The TSO program is scheduled to be fully staffed by mid-August, but security officers can already be seen patrolling DART vehicles.

The project uses Ridership Improvement Funds approved by the DART Board of Directors to improve security, cleanliness, and reliability for riders across the 13 service area cities.

The program is part of a series of planned security improvements that DART will deploy over the next several months, including technology enhancements, physical deterrents, and partnerships to improve safety throughout the system.

The goal is safety, says DART chief of police Charles "Charlie" Cato. (He used to be "Charles" when he was police chief for Mesquite but DART rolls more casually.)

"Having a visible presence on as many of our vehicles as possible will be an important deterrent to misconduct, and I hope it also demonstrates our continued commitment to our customers to keep them safe," Cato says.

traffic transportation

Homeless News

Downtown Dallas homeless service Stewpot lands bigger better space

The Stewpot

It's official: The Stewpot, a community program that serves the homeless, has a new home. According to a release, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas — the organization that oversees the Stewpot — has acquired the CitySquare Community Center building at 1610 S. Malcolm X Blvd. where the StewPot will soon reside.

“This new facility will allow us to better deliver our programs and continue to support the 12,000 people served annually by CitySquare’s Neighbor Resource Center and Food Pantry programs,” said Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot.

The Stewpot is a community ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Established in 1975, it began with a concerned group of church members who started preparing lunch for the congregation's homeless and hungry neighbors.

It serves those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Its programs have tripled in size in recent years, and the ministry has outgrown its current space at 1835 Young St. across from the church.

When CitySquare announced earlier this year that it would cease operations and sell its property by the end of the year, First Presbyterian leaped in to make a bid on the space. Members voted on Sunday, December 8 to approve the acquisition. The closing is scheduled for Friday, December 13. The Stewpot will begin moving into the new space later this month.

As a part of the acquisition, The Stewpot will continue two of CitySquare’s core programs: its Food Pantry and its Neighbor Resource Center, which helps people with housing options, SNAP, WIC, healthcare, financial assistance, and mental health services.

The property is a mile from The Stewpot’s current facility on Young Street, across the street from the church. With this acquisition, The Stewpot will move its operations and offices, while continuing to serve more than 1,000 meals daily at The Bridge downtown.

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