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LRT Safety

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I have seen a few discussions pop up on other social media forms out there and one thing that has come up repeatedly throughout the course of the pandemic is safety. There have been a few stabbings during this time. The city committed more dollars for contracted security, but this seems to be more or less a useless solution as they don't have any enforcement powers. I think we need either more peace officers regularly patrolling the LRT itself and/or dedicated transit police similar to what Vancouver has. Thoughts?
 
We need to address the opioid crisis and implement much more bold visions on harm reduction and housing first policies. Anything else is just a bandaid and there will continue to be violent crime on the LRT until these deeper issues can be tackled. Assign more EPS officers to transit in the meantime and save the expense of creating a whole new law enforcement branch.
 
I agree with the above, as it would help reduce vagrancy and other issues that are becoming big issues on transit (and prevent ridership). I know a lot of people that don't ride ETS because they are 'scared of the homeless people'. resolving homelessness would make ETS less of a rolling shelter and a more pleasant place to be for everyone.
I don't think solving homelessness would end crime on trains. they're large, public, anonymous places that people can easily meet unnoticed and do god knows what on. If you want to make an illicit deal, sell drugs, meet up with someone sinister, or any other shady goings-on, meeting up on a train or in an LRT station is a perfect place to go. To this end, i think changing to a ticket gate system would be a potential solution. having a physical barrier between platforms and the entrances would make it inconvenient to just casually meet up with someone on a platform to 'make a trade' or whatever. it would also prevent platforms from becoming easy places to lurk and wait for people.
I don't have solid numbers on this, but i do think that making the station platforms and trains on the other side of a physical payment barrier would reduce their use as a location for illegal activity.
 
We need to address the opioid crisis and implement much more bold visions on harm reduction and housing first policies. Anything else is just a bandaid and there will continue to be violent crime on the LRT until these deeper issues can be tackled. Assign more EPS officers to transit in the meantime and save the expense of creating a whole new law enforcement branch.
While I agree drugs are an issue, they aren't the only issue as @cliffapotamus pointed out. The reduction in volume has enabled more downtrodden folks to frequent the system for sure, but also other nefarious activity to increase as well. It doesn't matter if it is drug, gang or other criminal activity, the contracted security is not equipped to handle any of those situations. They just double what the public would already be doing - calling the police.

As the LRT network grows larger, the city is going to have to figure out a better solution for ticket enforcement and security as a whole with staff that can actually take action. Whether it is a section of the EPS or Peace Officers doesn't matter.

I think there is more attention and awareness on harm reduction and housing now than there was before, but it will not happen overnight. Security on the LRT still needs to be part of the incremental and integrated solution and is not a bandaid.
 
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Turnstiles as a bandaid solution are brought up now and then.

I know Translink in Vancouver was resistant to Turnstiles for years until they finally brought them in with the smart card system, but transit users were very relieved to have them installed. I don't know if it improved safety per se, I never looked into stats on that but the system feels more controlled at least.
A number of the newer/smaller LRT stations here aren't really compatible with turnstiles, but I think a partial install in "problematic areas" or the largest stations wouldn't be a bad avenue, it would force people that want to loiter in the system to go to inconvenient places to board the system and reduce loitering in stations.
 
~Paquette said security guards are acting as observers for transit system, but they do not intervene.

“Is it that we need eyes on transit? Or do we need action on transit?” he asked.

Paquette suggested something should potentially be changed.~
🤬
 
~Paquette said security guards are acting as observers for transit system, but they do not intervene.

“Is it that we need eyes on transit? Or do we need action on transit?” he asked.

Paquette suggested something should potentially be changed.~
🤬
In all fairness, her experience was quite different from the one I had a few months back.
I was at Southgate station's platform, taking some shots for the RM Transit video about Edmonton and one guy decided I was somehow taking pictures of him and whatnot. Clearly as high as a kite, confronted me and tried to intimidate me. I ended up calling the security guard, to avoid any extra confrontation and risks and the security guard not only put himself between me and the crackhead almost immediately, but actually went all the way escorting him out of the station, then came back and took a statement from me and asked if I wanted to call the cops or anything.

I wonder which one of the situations was the outlier.
 
'Why has our LRT system become a playground of violence?'

Zero consequences
Little care or respect for others
Also lack of actual services for the people that need it.
The number of people now in the tunnels and the lack of security have allowed problems to increase.
Even I stopped walking through the tunnels.
 
A university student heading home on the LRT recently shared this with EPS. That open drug use with effluent is occurring in a closed environment such as the LRT is very disturbing.

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I think the Police should review their crime incident data for each station. It could be drug possession, trafficking, and types of drugs. If need be, transit peace officers could have naloxone kits. Also, gang activity could also be monitored. Do this for each of the stations and report the time of day. I agree, turnstiles should be installed at the underground stations, for a start.
 

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