More officers on the way as Calgary Transit safety concerns are raised at town hall meeting
Residents in Kensington attended a town hall meeting Monday night to vent concerns with city officials and law enforcement surrounding public safety on transit and in the community.
“I've been doing this job for 20 years and we've always been fairly lucky with our level of social disorder and crime has increased as a result of COVID,” said Annie MacInnis, executive director of Kensington Business Improvement Area.
One resident voiced his frustration to Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, likening the city’s LRT system to “a meth lab.”
Sgt. Ian Stewart, with Calgary Transit, says officers are dealing with a number of disorderly conducts including fires.
“People setting fires within shelters or the vulnerable populations are setting fire to keep warm,” he said.
“We are well aware of it. We have good strategies in place to try and deal with those in the extreme cold weather.”
Stewart says there are transit ambassadors located at stations, to speak with riders.
Fourteen are on a morning shift another 14 in the afternoon and evening.
More than two dozen corporate officers have been contracted out by the city to help bridge the gap, but hiring people has been an issue.
“We are working our way towards putting extra officers on the street,” said Stewart.
Several more officers will be on the street by the end of February and even more come the summer.
A report from Vibrant Communities Calgary draws connections between the city's safety problems on its transit network and a lack of shelter space for unhoused Calgarians.
At the Sunnyside train station last year, officers were alerted to more than 600 disorder calls,with nearly all having officers dispatched to.
Of the total incidents, 55 per cent saw officers intervene before needing to be called.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek says dealing with transit safety is a complex problem.
“We need to make sure that we are addressing issues of desperation quite often and that we are addressing mental health and addiction issues but at the same time there is a criminal element as well,” she said.
“So separating all of those things out takes some time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
LIVE UPDATES Critical infrastructure 'successfully protected': Jasper park officials
Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been 'successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.'
Canadian Olympic Committee removes women's soccer team's head coach over drone scandal
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
Yukon woman narrowly escapes bear attack, credits hair clip
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'I was just shocked': Jasper lodge owner on seeing property destroyed by wildfire
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
U.S. authorities have arrested 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: 'I will not be silent'
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.