BPD fare inspections lead to opportunity to help family

BART police brought some holiday cheer this morning to a grandmother and her two grandkids. Officers met Cynthia and her grandkids during proof-of-payment inspections at Embarcadero Station. They talked and built a connection over the last few months. They soon learned Cynthia’s daughter suffered a stroke about a year ago and Cynthia is filling the void by taking her 5-year-old and 9-year-old grandkids from San Francisco to Richmond every day so they can continue to go to their school. That’s when Fare Inspector Javier Fregoso along with Officers Donny Davis and Shanna Holmes came up with their plan. They gathered donations with the help of the BART Police Officers Association and surprised the family with gift cards, toys, and BART swag. The donations were a great surprise to the family and put smiles on the faces of the kids. Regular fare inspections in downtown SF are allowing BPD to build better connections with the communities they serve and, in this case, share some holiday joy.