Mission Statement
It is the mission of the BART Independent Police Auditor to provide all members of the public with effective and independent oversight of the BART Police Department by conducting unbiased and thorough independent investigations and reviews of police department investigations, making policy recommendations to improve the performance of the police department, and maintaining continual communication with members of the public in the BART service area.
Duties
As defined by the BART Citizen Oversight Model (available below) adopted by the BART Board of Directors, the Office of the Independent Police Auditor is charged with a number of specific duties. Among them are the following:
- Accept complaints of misconduct against BART police officers
- Investigate complaints filed with this office that involve allegations of unnecessary or excessive use of force, racial profiling, sexual orientation bias, sexual harassment, the use of deadly force, and suspicious and wrongful deaths
- Review Internal Affairs investigations conducted by the BART Police Department, including those cases where the complainant has sought to appeal the findings issued by Internal Affairs
- Develop an alternative dispute resolution process for resolving some complaints
- Respond to the scene of officer-involved shooting incidents and monitor the ensuing BART Police Department investigation
- Develop recommendations to improve BART Police Department policies
- Maintain a regular program of community outreach
- Prepare annual reports for the public and the BART Board of Directors
How to File a Complaint
If you believe you are a victim of, or a witness to, misconduct by the BART Police Department and would like to file a complaint with the OIPA, you can do so by mailing, calling, faxing, emailing, or visiting the office. Contact information is listed below.
For your convenience, the Office of the Independent Police Auditor’s Complaint Form is also available below. Although an OIPA Complaint Form is not required to initiate a complaint, a completed form will contain much of the information that is needed to conduct a thorough investigation.
You can also file a complaint with the BART Citizen Review Board by making a public comment at one of their meetings. Or you can file a complaint with the BART Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs by calling (877) 679-7000 ext. 7029 or emailing ia@bart.gov.
Community Forum
The Office of the Independent Police Auditor thanks everyone who attended the community forum in April 2012. We were encouraged by the honest, thoughtful, and engaging conversations brought forth by the attendees. We hope you will stay tuned for the next community forum as we continue our efforts to reach out to all areas of the BART District.
Office Staff
Independent Police Auditor: Mark P. Smith
Independent Police Investigator: Kobia D. West
Contact Information
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)
Office of the Independent Police Auditor
300 Lakeside Drive, 14th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
mail: P.O. Box 12688, Oakland, CA 94604-2688
phone: (510) 874-7477
fax: (510) 874-7475
email: oipa@bart.gov
web: www.bart.gov/policeauditor
Download the BART Citizen Oversight Model (.pdf)
Download the Office of the Independent Police Auditor’s Complaint Form (.pdf)
Download the Office of the Independent Police Auditor's Informational Brochure (.pdf)
