The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) recently announced the selection of a new chief of police for their security arm.
Charles Cato, formerly the chief of the Mesquite Police Department, will become the chief of the DART Police Department on September 6.
In accepting the position, Cato explained, “I am honored to be entrusted with the opportunity to lead the dedicated women and men of the DART Police Department… Together, we will protect the communities we serve and the DART passengers that rely on our services every day.”
Before this, Cato served as a law enforcement officer in various roles for over 30 years, including time as the first assistant chief of police for the Dallas Police Department. In that position, he assisted in supervising and deploying 3,500 sworn officers.
The DART Police Department consists of “250 licensed peace officers, as well as 110 fare enforcement officers and 67 support staff.”
The current interim DART police chief, Matt Walling, said, “I’m looking forward to working with him to continue to build on the culture of proactive community policing and exceptional service that the DART Police Department provides throughout our service area.”
DART president and CEO Nadine Lee expressed, “We are very excited to welcome a compassionate leader and true public servant like Chief Cato to the DART team.”
“His exemplary background in law enforcement, as well as his experience in developing and expanding cross-agency collaborations, provides our police department and the entire agency fresh perspectives for enhancing security in the transit system,” Lee continued.
Several recent incidents have raised concerns over passenger safety, with a man being stabbed at a station and another being shot on a train, as reported by The Dallas Express. DART has also offered hiring bonuses of up to $5,000 to attract new police and safety personnel.
DART has warned riders to stay alert and be on guard against potential criminals. “Be aware of your surroundings and those around you,” they suggested, “Keep valuable items out of sight.”
