An earlier version of this article said something like "BART did not immediately report the incident" (can't recall exact wording). This statement or any equivalent appears to be removed. It looks like newsdiff.org doesn't track sfgate.com, so I can't find the exact change. Regardless, the article originally indicated BART didn't report the incident to the public right away.
That leads me to say: sweeping this kind of crime under the rug will not help. Instead, it will lead to a repeat of the Goetz vigilante incident in NYC in the early 1980s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Subway_shoo...
http://nypost.com/2011/12/23/one-of-bernhard-goetzs-victims-...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-feldman/bernie-goetz-t...
That last link in particular contains a stunning statement:
> The crime rate in the dangerous subways plunged dramatically — so much so the authorities even held back the numbers — the truth hurt too much.
The ugly and frightening truth about vigilantism is that it works. Please note I hate the idea of vigilantism and hope with every fiber of my being that things do not come to that, but it at first glance appears that things are headed in that direction, which I am immensely sad and scared to see.
That leads me to say: sweeping this kind of crime under the rug will not help. Instead, it will lead to a repeat of the Goetz vigilante incident in NYC in the early 1980s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Subway_shoo...
http://nypost.com/2011/12/23/one-of-bernhard-goetzs-victims-...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-feldman/bernie-goetz-t...
That last link in particular contains a stunning statement:
> The crime rate in the dangerous subways plunged dramatically — so much so the authorities even held back the numbers — the truth hurt too much.
The ugly and frightening truth about vigilantism is that it works. Please note I hate the idea of vigilantism and hope with every fiber of my being that things do not come to that, but it at first glance appears that things are headed in that direction, which I am immensely sad and scared to see.