Our primary demand is to disband the BART Police department. The BART Board must abolish the BART Police, fully divesting BART of any police power over the communities it serves!
Specific demands in the response to the killing of Charles Hill (updates in parentheses):
1) The release of the platform video. (following a very successful mobilizaton at civic center, on 7/11, BART released this video earlier than expected)
2) The release of the police reports and a full public investigation into the shooting.
3) At a minimum, the shooting of Charles Hill was unjustified. The officers must be held accountable for what their roles in this incident, which is why a public investigation is so important. At a minimum the shooter should be fired and prosecuted.
Specific demands in the response to the killing of Fred Collins (updates in parentheses):
1) The release of the police reports and a full public investigation into the shooting. (unlikely at this point)
2) Accountability for any officers guilty of misconduct (unlikely at this point)
3) Specific training and changes in policy for managing contacts with emotionally/mentally distressed individuals. (the BART police claim to have done this, but the killing of Charles Hill suggests that there has been zero progress here. more reasons to disband them as soon as we can)
Specific demands in the response to the murder of Oscar Grant (updates in parentheses):
1) A full, competent, successful prosecution and conviction of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle. (We got the prosecution, but are quite disappointed with the outcome. We realize the 'justice' system is a poor vehicle for achieving actual justice, especially when the perpetrator of a murder is a police officer).
2) An independent investigation of the other BART officers present during Oscar's murder! Each individual officer involved must be named, along with a list of possible or probable violations of police policy and procedure, as well as any potential criminal liability. Upon completion of the investigation, all officers suspected of procedural violations must be fired immediately, and any officers suspected of criminal wrongdoing must be fully charged and prosecuted by the District Attorney. (We got several investigations, but they were not public and/or did not cover most of the issues we were promised they would address.)
3) Suspension of all officers present during Oscar Grant's murder, for the duration of any investigations into their conduct. (All the officers were suspended, with pay, but have been reinstated. Accountability remains elusive here)
4) BART employees who are already known to have engaged in cover-ups, procedural wrongdoing, and abuse of authority must resign, or be fired immediately. This includes:
- BART Police Officer Tony Pirone, who was videotaped violently assaulting Oscar Grant prior to his murder, as well as participating in the cover-up that followed. (He was finally fired, following an No Justice No BART action at Embarcadero BART, but then they rehired him! This just goes to show what a problem we have.)
- BART Police Chief Gary Gee, who attempted to cover-up the murder, and who has repeatedly failed to protect both the public and the public interest. (This coward was allowed to quit, like everyone else. BART never fires anyone, they allow them to quit so it looks better)
- BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger, who has failed in her role as supervisor of the BART police, and is complicit in the cover-up of Oscar Grant's murder. (This coward was allowed to quit once it became clear that she would be fired if she stayed. She got a golden parachute as a reward)
5) The BART Board must implement and fund economic development and youth programs to repair relationships with communities of color! (Still waiting...)
6) Protesters arrested during mobilizations for justice for Oscar Grant must be released immediately and all charges against them must be dropped. (Ongoing demand...)
7) Tom Orloff must resign as District Attorney before March 14th or we will begin his recall! (He eventually resigned...)
