Ammiano: 'I Want More than Lip Service' from BART

By: Shoshana Walter

Updated Sept. 29, 2011, 8:09 p.m.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano questioned BART's commitment to reforming police procedures Tuesday at a State Assembly Public Committee hearing in Sacramento.

Ammiano, the chairman of the committee, called BART's Board of Directors "negligent." He also said it is troubling that BART’s new independent police auditor, Mark Smith, has yet to hire staff, including an investigator. Smith has been on the job for three months.

“I want more than lip service. I want the real thing. I want accountability,” he said.

In addition, both Ammiano and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner criticized the transit agency's response to recent protests against the BART police shooting of Charles Hill on July 3. That shooting, which remains under investigation, sparked a series of demonstrations at BART stations. In response to a planned protest on Aug. 11, BART shut off cell service on the platforms at its downtown stations.

“I think the decision to cut off the cell phones, and there were various responses that were really not appropriate, indicated to me there is not good understanding by BART and the department management about how to deal with these crowds and protests,” Skinner said.

BART police chief Kenton Rainey called the arrests of reporters during a protest earlier this month “regrettable.” He also said the department has set up a better complaint system.

Rainey said BART is considering equipping officers with lapel cameras, which would allow police to record their interactions with suspects and the public.

Skinner said the onus is on BART to change it’s “corporate culture," emphasizing the importance of having non-police personnel on the Citizens Review Board. Both Ammiano and Skinner told retired Berkeley Police Chief Douglas Hamilton, who spoke during public comment, that he should not be on the Board.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Douglas Hamilton as Dash Butler.