Winnipeg buses to get security cameras

Winnipeg Transit is beefing up its security at a cost of $3 million by installing five cameras on each of its 535 buses over the next two years to protect drivers and passengers. 

Winnipeg Transit director Dave Wardrop said the provincial ombudsman has been consulted about privacy concerns.

"It's not uncommon to see video surveillance and coverage in public spaces in a lot of places right now. And the cameras themselves are overt,"  Wardrop said Tuesday.

"They will be openly displayed, so people will be aware. And we will have signage, as well, indicating that there is video surveillance taking place on the transit buses."

The cameras will not be monitored, but Wardrop said the digital logs could be viewed to find evidence of an incident on a bus.

"By providing high-resolution video of activities on the bus, we provide a deterrent to criminal activity, and we provide a means for effective prosecution," he said.

The move comes a day after a city council committee voted to approve a pilot project for outdoor security cameras in the city. In about a year, street cameras will start rolling in select neighbourhoods to help clamp down on violence.