Edmonton steps up team patrols to curb disorder around transit
Offences included loitering, trespassing, not wearing a mask, not paying fare
The City of Edmonton will launch new joint patrols to try to curb disorder around public transit as incidents continue to rise from the end of 2020 into the spring.
Transit peace officers and Edmonton police officers will pair up to monitor transit stations starting in May.
A report on transit security measures released Thursday shows disorder incidents and offences at bus and LRT properties increased over four months.
Offences on transit property rose about 30 per cent from 6,929 in December to 10,024 in March.
Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, branch manager of Edmonton Transit Service, said 80 per cent of those include loitering, trespassing, and riders not wearing a mask or not paying to ride.
The rest included incidents of smoking, liquor-related incidents, parking violations, littering and mischief.
Hotton-MacDonald suggested the increase can be attributed to more people reporting incidents, which the city has been encouraging.
"With every report that comes in we're really focused on having a responsive approach and an integrated approach with all the partners working together," Hotton-MacDonald said.
Edmonton police Insp. Angela Kemp called the joint patrols a problem-solving initiative among agencies.
"We're working together to help people in the system that are using transit for sheltering options and get them to the resources that they need to see," Kemp said.
"We also want to increase behavioural expectations of people using our transit systems."
Three peace officers will be paired with three police officers to identify problems areas and monitor known hot spots of criminal activity.
- City to review effectiveness of transit security measures
- 'Tensions are very high': Pandemic pressures heighten safety concerns for city transit drivers
The city started enhancing safety patrols in January, with a drastic dip in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and more people noticing disorder.
Ridership has been less than 50 per cent of what it was before the pandemic.
City council's urban planning committee asked for the report in March to see how the safety measures were working.
Coun. Bev Esslinger said some incidents during the pandemic have left people hesitant to use transit.
Esslinger told CBC News Thursday that she'll ask administration questions about the report when it's discussed at the next urban planning committee May 11.
Outreach pilot
The city is also launching a community outreach transit team pilot that will pair a peace officer with a worker from a social agency.
The city is asking $1.4 million over two years for the pilot, which Hotton-MacDonald hopes will start in June.
The teams will focus on helping marginalized people with information and guidance to find housing, social and mental health support services and connect to basics like food and clothing.
The outreach collaboration is based on a model used by Calgary, which Hotton-MacDonald said has been successful.
Security guards are placed at 21 transit centres and LRT stations.
Over 3,800 security cameras monitor the transit system.
People witnessing crime are encouraged to report incidents to the city.