28°c Partly cloudy
18°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
City considers transit cops
Current staff can't detain offenders
WINNIPEG Transit has been asked to figure out whether it can expand the role of its inspectors to provide more security for bus drivers and passengers.
Council's public works committee voted Tuesday to hold off on approving a report about safety on buses until transit officials explore the idea of granting more power to 13 supervisors who currently have the task of responding to incidents on buses.
In effect, the city is being asked to consider creating transit cops.
The committee asked transit in April to develop a strategy to keep drivers and passengers safe in light of concerns about the number of assaults against bus drivers. An average of 63 assaults have been recorded every year since 2009, when the city began including incidents in which drivers were threatened or spat upon, said Winnipeg Transit director Dave Wardrop.
In response, Winnipeg Transit recommended changing camera angles on buses to better capture incidents of assaults against drivers.
On-board surveillance cameras do not record the bus driver's compartment, which means cameras may miss some assaults.
A report published last month said expanding camera angles would produce more evidence to investigate assaults when they occur.
That tactic did not go far enough for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, whose advocates appeared before the public works committee on Tuesday to ask for more security measures.
David Sauer of the Winnipeg Labour Council suggested Winnipeg Transit install decals warning transit riders of the potential fines for assaulting drivers -- a move taken by transit services in other cities.
Sauer also recommended expanding the role of transit inspectors, who don't have the power to detain offenders. Those inspectors are not represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union, but by the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers, or WAPSO, which had not been consulted about such a move.
As a result, the public works committee -- councillors Dan Vandal (St. Boniface), Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge), Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) voted to set aside the bus-security report until October and asked transit to speak with WAPSO.
Hiring enough inspectors to cover all of transit's operating hours may cost more than $400,000 in staff and vehicle costs, Wardrop said.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 4, 2012 B1
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 30 articles for today)
Run to be named after crash victim
6:20 PM 0Winnipeg’s annual Empower Run is changing its name in memory of a race organizer killed in a car crash.
The run, ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Glover quits quarrel over election costs
- Bar closing at Royal Albert
- Métis ready to ring bell again
- Kids of St. Ignatius make Sweet gesture to beloved crossing guard
- Blogger found in contempt of court
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Ex's Mach 3 an adrenaline accelerator
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Downtown Shark Club's first weekend sets record
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Glover quits quarrel over election costs
- Kenyan wins Manitoba Marathon
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- UPDATE: Now with FAQ: Keeping the e-party going without the party-crashers
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Daycare provider charged with abandonment
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- Métis ready to ring bell again
- Kids of St. Ignatius make Sweet gesture to beloved crossing guard
- Province's new approach to teaching math long overdue: readers
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Ex's Mach 3 an adrenaline accelerator
- Blogger found in contempt of court
- Toilet contents need help escaping
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- A day in the life of 13,380 Manitoba Marathon participants
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Teachers support adding sexual-orientation themes to all curricula
- The crime fighter's revolution
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- City's first urban reserve born
- On board with the Snowbirds
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.