'Immediate' steps being taken to improve public safety on CTrains

The City of Calgary says a compilation of added personnel and design changes have been implemented at all CTrain stations to help boost public safety.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek made the announcement on Monday morning, saying that Calgary isn't alone in these sorts of issues.

"The incidents we are seeing along our transit corridors in recent months are unlike the things we have experienced in the past," she said. "This is the case in cities across the country."

In order to contend with this unusual jump in violence, Calgarians will soon see a lot more officers on patrol and some other changes to CTrain services.

The personnel changes include:

• An increased presence of security guards – from eight to 16, with plans to boost that to 24 by the month's end;
• Overnight patrols, which are paired with police officers and community peace officers, will be conducted seven days a week instead of just five;
• Moving peace officers away from low-concern areas to those that are of higher concern, such as stations on 7th Avenue; and
• Peace officers will be "proactively" sent to locations where suspicious behaviour or gatherings are observed, to increase uniformed presence.

Just last week, Calgary police announced hundreds of charges against 40 people in connection with drug trafficking on CTrain lines.

Several weapons, including knives and a handgun, were seized by investigators.

WATCHFUL EYES

Calgary police chief Mark Neufeld says undercover officers continue to ride the transit, keeping a watchful eye out for any other criminal activity.

That's because police have been told the public safety problem in Calgary "persists."

"More needs to be done," Neufeld said.

"An analysis of crime and call data confirms that despite significant efforts, we're still experiencing increasing levels of violence, property damage and crime on our transit properties."

Calgary police chief Mark Neufeld discusses a recent spate of violence in the city

Neufeld says assaults on transit have increased month-over-month in 2023 – an average of about one assault per day over the first three months of the year.

"Nearly 10 per cent of these are assaults on peace officers, with the majority being transit officers."

Neufeld says the recent seizure was a "veritable pharmacy" of drugs.

"We're not talking about individuals who had amounts for personal use, we are looking at large quantities with high street values, but moreover, the weapons that were seized.

"We seized 21 knives, two machetes, two hatchets, one can of bear spray, a BB gun, one Airsoft pistol and one potentially a real firearm, the status of which we're waiting to confirm with testing."

Officials say riders will also see some changes to how the CTrain service is run and maintained. This means cleaning schedules will be increased, a "rapid response" system will be put in place to repair damaged infrastructure quickly and efficiently and benches will be removed from certain areas to prevent loitering.

The city says there will also be announcements whenever a certain location is under investigation.

Some regular transit users aren't confident these changes will be enough.

"At least three or four times a week, I have to text the helpline because there's somebody passed out, doing drugs on the train or there's something else going on," said Todd White, who often goes to Lions Park LRT Station.

Nicole Shea, another transit rider, says she has written to the mayor about her concerns.

"It's not just about transit," she said. "Every time you go out, there are poor and homeless people everywhere. They have nowhere to go."

ROOT CAUSES

Aaron Coon, Calgary's chief of public vehicle standards, says peace officers on Calgary Transit respond to almost 60,000 calls for service each year and the additional help will make sure riders feel safe.

However, he recognizes that the city needs to have compassion as well.

"Not all of the issues on the transit system could be solved through enforcement actions," he said. "These people that are accessing our transit, some need more help that just enforcement.

"So, every day, our peace officers are working with our social partners to create connections for our vulnerable population. We have an incredible outreach team, including partners with the Alpha House, and they serve more than 300 Calgarians each month."

Last year, the city committed $5.9 million to pay for additional enforcement officers, as well as increased CCTV surveillance and upgraded lighting on platforms.

Gondek is also looking to the province to provide additional financial support to help ensure all CTrain riders are kept safe.

"We're trying to address all the root causes but, again, it's hard to do with one order of government, so we are definitely seeking partnerships to ensure we can support the people that need supports and we can use enforcement for the folks that are engaging in criminal activity."