TTC deploying 80 additional staff to focus on safety amid rash of violence
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is adding dozens of staff across the system daily in an effort to increase safety as it grapples with recent violent attacks that have left many riders shaken.
In a news release issued Friday evening, the TTC said 80 employees, including maintenance and transportation managers, will rotate throughout the subway system during peak service effective immediately.
"Managers will be highly visible and will conduct system cleanliness as well as health and safety audits," the TTC said.
The new measure is being implemented in the wake of a rash of violence on the TTC this week that saw two passengers, including a 16-year-old boy, stabbed and several employees attacked, one of which was shot with a BB gun.
The TTC said its CEO, Rick Leary, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, TTC Chair Jon Burnside and union leaders met on Friday to discuss how to enhance safety on the transit system.
Officials also discussed possible long-term actions that could be taken to prevent crimes from happening on the TTC. In the news release, officials were also said to be considering bringing in experts from the housing and mental health and addictions sectors to address the matter.
"The TTC must be safe for everyone – passengers and transit employees. We're continuing to work with the TTC, Toronto Police, and TTC union leadership to make sure we are immediately addressing safety concerns," Tory said in a statement.
"As a transit agency, we find ourselves faced with complex societal challenges that are not part of our core business. They require creative, comprehensive and outside-the-box solutions," Leary said.
On Thursday, Toronto police announced that 80 extra Toronto police officers were being deployed throughout the system in an attempt to increase security and deter further incidents.
"In collaboration with our transit and city partners, we are taking immediate action to address safety issues on the TTC with a highly visible presence throughout the system, to support TTC Special Constables, and to ensure that both passengers and transit employees feel a sense of security," Demkiw said.
The TTC said the deployment of more staff is just one of the significant steps it is taking to address safety. They include hiring additional constables, increasing Streets to Homes workers in hotspots in the systems, and adding more station supervisors and chief and mobile supervisors on the subway to audit station security regularly.
The transit agency added that it is also in the process of ensuring all of its chief and mobile supervisors are trained in de-escalation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.