City selects WPS veteran officer to head Transit security force

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This article was published 25/09/2023 (787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service has been selected to lead the city’s long-awaited transit security force, as bus drivers and passengers continue to be threatened or victimized by violence.

Effective immediately, Robert (Bob) Chrismas will head the new “community safety team,” which will patrol Winnipeg Transit buses and stops to curb the reported surge, while also addressing other social concerns.

Chrismas said Monday he expects the team will focus more on outreach than enforcement.

“It’s not so much about enforcing or taking somebody off a bus, but more (about) seeing what they need and trying… (to) connect them with resources… I don’t think we’re going to enforce our way out of people having to squat in bus shacks when it’s 40 (C) below. We’re going to have to take a different approach.”

Chrismas noted he’s visited vulnerable people living in bus shacks, both on the job as a WPS officer and volunteer bringing coffee. “I think it’s tragic when people have to resort to that.”

After 34 years with the WPS, most recently as a staff sergeant helping patrol the streets, Chrismas said he is now retiring from the service.

He said it’s not yet clear when the public will start seeing the planned 24 new community safety officers on buses because training requirements and job descriptions are still being determined.

When the program launches, the officers won’t have guns or tasers but will be equipped with handcuffs and some protective gear, such as slash-proof gloves, said Chrismas. They will also be able to arrest and detain people.

“This is all about community safety. That being said, being out there and doing this role, they’re going to have to be highly trained in self-defence and trauma-informed, compassionate force, where needed.”

Chrismas has completed a doctorate in peace and conflict studies and a master’s degree in public administration. He has also written about multiple community safety issues, including first responder mental health, sex trafficking, reconciliation and policing, and has volunteered for the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council.

A City of Winnipeg news release says the new security force will account for the role mental health and addiction plays in many Transit safety incidents, with officers trained in self-defence, security, and de-escalation techniques.

The union that represents Winnipeg Transit drivers welcomed the new leader.

“You have someone (who is) seasoned in law enforcement and dealing with the situations that occur on the transit service. So they won’t be coming (in) inexperienced — that’s a big plus,” said Chris Scott, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.

Scott stressed there’s an urgent need to make buses safer. According to ATU data, there have already been 201 security incidents reported this year, as of Sept. 25, up from 130 throughout 2022.

The 2023 figure includes 80 physical assaults on drivers.

“It’s so frequent. I know in the last two days, I believe I’ve received three emails with regards to operators being threatened or attacked. The September long weekend… in those three days (we had) seven notifications of (different) assaults. It’s frightening,” said Scott.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, who campaigned on a promise to add a bus security force, said he feels confident the team will address the root causes of crime and help those experiencing homelessness and/or addiction.

“I believe Bob Chrismas has the right mix of experience and education to ensure that we have a safety service that is a blend of empathy and enforcement where necessary. I envision this group of safety officers calling 211 (a health and social services resource) as often as they call 911,” said Gillingham.

The mayor said he’s still “hopeful” the new safety officers will be riding buses by the end of this year, but ensuring a successful program is the top priority.

Gillingham said the province is “actively working” on a training program for the officers but hasn’t completed one yet.

A provincial spokesperson said Manitoba Justice can’t comment on the matter this close to the Oct. 3 provincial election.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee, said highly trained staff are needed to make buses safer.

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“(On the bus), you’re in a confined environment and de-escalation techniques, I think, are going to be critical,” said Lukes.

The Waverley West councillor said she expects it may take until January to start the patrols.

The city’s 2023 budget includes $5 million for the new safety team.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.