The Daily Californian published an article on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system’s recent installation of new Next Gen Fare Gates to crack down on “free-riders.” This $90 million effort to quell the practice of fare evasion was promoted as a way to not only reduce crime, but improve feelings of safety among riders. Unfortunately, these claims don’t hold up. According to the article, studies fail to find consistent correlation between increased fare inspection and decreased fare evasion...| Policing Equity
In 2018, several high-profile reports of Black men being killed by police in Missouri and New York eventually prompted the Berkeley Police Department to contact the Center for Policing Equity. The nonprofit, which conducts analyses on stop data, uncovered major racial disparities in traffic stops, searches, and uses of force. An article by Berkleyside reports that the department has declared victory after completing an 11-year initiative to address issues of racial profiling, and racial dis...| Policing Equity
Federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents have been the center of controversy as news outlets report officers carrying out raids in public spaces, often in plain clothes and with covered faces. More frequently, interactions between ICE and local communities are met with escalating hostility and violence. Community members report that ICE agents routinely carry out arrests without identifying themselves, which some say poses significant public safety risks. Hans Menos, a vice...| Policing Equity