ORINDA — In the wake of a stabbing at the Lafayette BART station that rattled this suburban community, the transit agency’s police chief sought to reassure residents during a recent presentation to city leaders.

Criminal activity at BART stations largely reflects the communities where they are located, Chief Carlos Rojas said during the Oct. 17 City Council meeting.

“The crime that you see in San Francisco, at the San Francisco stations, is indicative of the surrounding area,” said Rojas, who joined the department in May.

“So if you take it down and narrow it down to what we see here in Orinda, I can tell you this is the safest station with the least amount of calls for service in our entire system.”

Rojas noted that only two cars have been stolen from the station’s parking lot this year, but he did not provide any information about how that number compares to other stations.

BART has not fulfilled an Oct. 18 public records request for information on all crimes reported at the Orinda, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, North Concord and Pleasant Hill-Contra Costa Centre stations.

At least 24 BART police officers are on duty throughout the transit system daily, plus eight K9 officers and seven officers that the Department of Homeland Security pays who are assigned to the transbay tube, according to Rojas.

Although the police department is budgeted for 208 officers, currently there are 39 vacancies, he added.

“Our challenge comes down to our visibility, not only on the trains, but on the platforms,” Rojas said.

The Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek stations form one policing beat. Currently, the beat officer travels from station to station checking the parking lots and walking the platforms. Rojas said he would like to have officers assigned to a station — a “fixed” deployment — in addition to a mobile unit that provides backup.

By the beginning of next year, BART police will have its second dedicated zone commander in place serving the area from Orinda to Pittsburg-Bay Point. The position increases accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, according to Rojas.

The chief said the stabbing at the Lafayette station was an aberration. Most violent crime on BART property involves scuffles during robberies of cell phones and laptops, Rojas said.

However, there has been an increase in the number of reported rapes and sexual assaults this year, according to statistics the transit agency released in the summer. Overall, violent crimes were up by 41 percent in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2016.

One resident urged Rojas to ensure passengers’ safety. Another said he has reported young people partying and drinking from mason jars on the trains between the Walnut Creek and Orinda stations and asked if police ever catch anyone.

Rebecca Saltzman, BART board president, encouraged riders to use the “BART Watch” app to report crime.

“It’s really important for BART riders to be involved in this process, since no matter how many BART police we had, they can’t be everywhere at every time,” Saltzman said.