And it’s not just about COVID. Since the province abolished warrants and possible jail time for some minor offenses in 2017, transit safety groups have cut back on issuing tickets they know likely won’t be paid anyway. Instead, they’re aimed at education, but it’s a “work in progress,” says Will Fossen, public safety and law enforcement manager for Calgary Transit. “We are more about education. We will use enforcement when necessary,” he said When CBC Calgary launched this series on transit safety, hundreds of Calgarians joined our text messaging app to share their experiences. In terms of enforcement, there are two views. Some riders are concerned about the health and safety of those in poor condition who use drugs at the station. They worry about the criminalization of drug use and homelessness. Another large group of riders is concerned that the rules for respectful use of the crossing are not enforced, much less have enough of a security presence to prevent assault or more serious crime. They complained about peace officers ticketing people for jaywalking but not for drug use and rarely appearing on many station platforms, private security guards looking at their phones while on duty and police or peace officers turning a blind eye to toll evasion. Some riders even sent in photos. Superintendent Will Fossen says TransitWatch received more than 13,000 messages in 2021. (Mike Symington/CBC) Many people struggled with both of these concerns. “What you see a lot is peace officers sitting in vans at train stations. You never see them ticketing or removing people from shelters,” said Johann McCuaig, a transportation rider and former security officer for local nightclubs. followed by a text message with an interview. People who use drugs know this, he said. “It’s perfectly acceptable to use drugs in front of them … and there’s no arrest.”
Step away from ticketing
When we brought these concerns to Calgary Transit, Fossen described how his team’s role has changed in response to the opioid crisis. He says his officers now spend much of their time providing a frontline response to the crisis. From February 2018 to February 2022, peace officers administered 1,440 doses of Narcan to people on transit property. “That’s an average of about 30 a month in that time frame. That’s something we’ve never done before,” he said. “Originally, Narcan was introduced to protect officers from accidental exposure to fentanyl, and now it has become a life-saving tool.” They also check people who may be at risk more often. This is clear in the number of “use of force” reports they file – every time an officer puts their hand on someone to wake them up, they have to record it. “Whether it’s ‘Sir are you okay?’, waking someone up or handcuffing them when they’re under arrest [it’s classified as use of force]. That increased during the pandemic because we had to move people who had nowhere else to go.” Calgary Transit says 20 security guards are stationed at LRT stations across the city each day to provide a more “visual presence” to people who would rather talk to a person than use a help button. (Lucie Edwardson/CBC) As for the contract security guards that some riders are unimpressed with, Fossen says they are not on his team. They were brought in as part of a special initiative to provide a more “visual presence” to people who prefer to speak to a person rather than use a help button. Each day there are 20 contract guards at different CTrain stations in Calgary. Their role is to report incidents to the transit operations control center before they become a problem. Dispatchers then send peace officers, police or other emergency services. Ultimately, Fossen would like to see these security guards have more training and responsibilities and be more integrated into the security team. “This is something I’ve been pushing for for two years,” he said.
It calls for an increased enforcement presence
Commuters who wrote to CBC Calgary want to see change, which for many includes addressing the root causes of addiction and homelessness, in addition to enforcement against crime and disorder. Many said they wanted security to be more visible and proactive – even on trains – although some worried they might be too harsh or aggressive with people who are already struggling. CTrain rider and information technology worker John Marini said he’d like to see dedicated transit peace officers at troubled stations during rush hour — not security guards with no rule-enforcement authority. Johann McCuaig, a commuter in Calgary, says it’s not just drug use that makes people feel uncomfortable, but also crimes such as threats, thefts and assaults. (Submitted by Johann McCuaig) “If there’s increased security, it’s like where? I’ve seen security guards in Marlborough in the afternoon, but they’re walking around chatting to each other, with their hands stuck in their pockets and looking down at their feet.” McCuaig said he wants increased security because it’s not just people who are uncomfortable around people who use drugs. “There are a lot of wonderful people who are addicted to drugs and they are wonderful people who unfortunately live on the streets. They deserve help. But there is [also] a giant group of people who are predatory criminals who drive up and down the train tracks through neighborhoods and go after people’s property to fund their addiction.”
“We don’t have the tools to deal with it”
Some transportation officials also want to see change. One bus driver, who CBC News agreed not to name because he’s worried he’ll face retaliation on the job, said operators feel equally uncomfortable and unsafe. Recently, a passenger on the bus told her that a man with a knife threatened riders in the back of the bus. They expected him to do something about it, but all he’s trained to do is call dispatch. “The bus customers were a bit stressed and worried and they should be … We’re not trained to deal with it and we don’t have the tools to deal with it on the job,” he said. “I’m at the whim of auditors telling me what to do. When they’re not there to see the situation, it’s hard for them to realize the seriousness of it.” As for the union representing transit peace officers, it says if Calgary Transit wants to get serious about enforcement, it must first address chronic staffing issues. Calgary Transit says it has 113 peace officers. “[But] we haven’t seen them in full force in a long time. And that’s been one of the complaints, certainly from my members … there are a lot of cases where they’re on understaffed shifts,” said D’Arcy Lanovaz, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 38. “You can only have about three or maybe four officers for the whole city on some of these shifts, so they’re overwhelmed out there.” He says the union is advocating for the city to hire transit peace officers until their ranks reach 140. “That’s the number we need out there if we’re going to adequately staff public safety.”
Transit security
This is a community-driven project investigating safety issues in Calgary Transit. We wonder what will happen to Calgary’s net zero and transportation plans if the drug use, squalor and disorder continue. Has it changed the way you or your children travel around town? Add your mobile number to register and let us know.
