Toronto police to boost presence on TTC following spike in violence
The Toronto police will be rolling out an increased presence across the TTC following a rash of violent, and sometimes random, incidents on the city’s transit system.
Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced the boost alongside Mayor John Tory, as well as TTC CEO Rick Leary, at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
“In recent weeks, we have been actively increasing our high-visibility patrols within the transit system. However, it is clear that more can be done to enhance the safety and security of transit users,” Demkiw said.
The move will see 80 police officers deployed on the TTC network daily, which Demkiw says will focus on reducing victimization, preventing crimes of opportunity, and enhancing public safety.
Thursday's news comes at the tail end of a week filled with violence on TTC property, including a woman who was stabbed by a stranger on a streetcar and left with life-altering injuries, two transit workers who were chased through a subway station by a suspect armed with a syringe, and a 16-year-old boy who was seriously injured after he was slashed on a bus.
Demkiw said the deployment will rely on callback shifts, which lean on off-duty officers for coverage in an overtime capacity.
The chief did not put a price tag on the measure but said the cost would be monitored on an ongoing basis.
On Wednesday, the president of the union representing some 12,000 transit workers in Toronto said violent incidents against workers and passengers on the TTC, as well as across the country, had reached “crisis levels” and called for the establishment of a national transit safety task force.
“The increase in violence is becoming more and more problematic…It’s only a matter of time, unfortunately, before these injuries become catastrophic and start to take lives. We need to act now, not tomorrow, now,” John Di Nino, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Canada, said in an interview.
Tory said he supports Di Nino’s request while underscoring that deploying more police to the TTC at a time of “some anxiety” is the right thing to do.
“It will be complemented by measures that I announced earlier this month as part of the city's budget which I trust will be approved, including an increase of 50 TTC special constables and a significant increase in the number of housing outreach workers on the TTC,” Tory said.
Earlier this month, the TTC Board approved a proposed $2.38 billion TTC budget that includes millions of dollars to hire new special constables to improve safety for riders and transit employees alike. However, some advocates have said the budget, which also contains a 10 cent fare hike and nine per cent service decrease compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels to address to $366 million budget shortfall, raises safety concerns.
For Leary’s part, he admitted that the TTC does not know what’s behind the recent increase in violence on the network, but that the root causes are “complex” and require a coordinated approach and response to address.
“We know the TTC really is a microcosm of what's happening across the city right now. And we recognize that there is a bigger society and systemic issue at play here,” Leary said. “The issue requires longer-term solutions and the TTC will be at the table with these experts [to address] crime prevention. mental health and addiction and homelessness.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.