City of Calgary taking steps to improve transit system safety
Efforts are underway by the City of Calgary to increase safety along its transit lines.
Monday, the city announced a multi-pronged approach heading into 2023.
The city says it is actively recruiting new peace officers and enhanced security guards, as well as piloting a "transit ambassador" program.
The goal, the city says, is to add 141 more peace officers and 31 enhanced security guards to the system.
Meanwhile, transit ambassadors will be employees who serve to increase visible presence and report incidents, as well as take questions and direct passengers.
More staff will also be added at operations control, to better keep an eye on some 1,200 CCTV feeds.
Additionally, lighting will be improved on LRT platforms from city hall to Downtown West-Kerby, so some of those cameras are better able to capture events.
"We have heard from Calgarians, and want you (to) know we are working hard to make Transit in Calgary safer," said city manager David Duckworth.
"This is a highly co-ordinated, multi-agency effort involving the Calgary Police Service, Transit Safety, Community Services, 911 and Calgary’s many community social service partners, stepping up their collaborative efforts to increase safety for Calgarians."
Monday, the city also reminded Calgarians of its TransitWatch program, which "allows Calgarians to discretely report safety concerns through our silent text services at 74100."
"In addition, our CTrain stations, platforms and MAX Purple stations are all equipped with help phones," the city said.
"We encourage riders to report any safety concerns. In situations where they feel that their safety is threatened, riders are reminded to always call 911."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.