Gunpoint robberies of Toronto Transit Commission employees on successive days has the TTC and Toronto Police planning to ramp up security.
The TTC's special constables and Toronto Police Service officers will be making patrols of the subway system starting Wednesday night.
The triggering incidents took place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lawrence West and Yorkdale subway stations.
"No one was physically hurt in either of these robberies, and for that, we are all thankful," TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster said Wednesday in a news release. "To ensure future robberies, or robbery attempts, are minimized -- or eliminated entirely -- we are taking steps, today, to address this matter. My number-one concern is for the safety of our workers and our customers."
The TTC said that collectors have little cash on hand, as there are secure vaults in every booth.
Collectors are told to co-operate during robbery attempts and to worry first about their personal safety.
All subway stations are outfitted with CCTV cameras to assist police with investigations.
The TTC has 103 special constables. Some passengers have observed that the constables are rare visible.
"They're there. They wear blue uniforms ... you may not see them, but they are there," TTC spokesperson Brad Ross told ctvtoronto.ca on Jan. 22 -- the day of the Osgoode station shooting.
Some officers do ride the subway system at off-hours and others travel by car to be dispatched to hotspots, Ross said, adding they stay mainly to the core of the city.
Last week, federal funds were freed up that will allow the Toronto Police to hire an additional 36 officers to help with traffic and transit.
