Following One Year into DART Contract with Inter-Con Security, Arrests Associated with Unhoused Demographic Spike

Last year, DART employed 100 transit officers from Inter-Con Security to fill ranks patrolling its stations and trains. However, the change in police staff has coincided with an increase in both Class A offenses and arrests from data released around the same time last year. And while arrests have increased overall, one of the most significant jumps is associated with crimes connected to homelessness, with an increase of around 70% for criminal trespass and emergency detention.& This does not include increases in arrests on other charges that can bear some connection to unhoused residents, such as disorderly conduct, drug possession/use, and public intoxication.DART Headquarters at Akard Station in Downtown Dallas. | Photo by Sam JudyAdded to an existing force of 200 DART PD officers and 54 Fare Enforcement Officers, Inter-Con Security comprises roughly 30% of DART’s police force. Despite incorrectly stating in a press release that their contract with DART was signed for four years to provide unarmed officers (it was for 2 years and security officers are armed), Inter-Con seems to be in good standing with the transit agency. As its $15.3 million contract has passed its one-year mark, leadership of DART Police previously stated crime statistics would be...