Busy first week for Transit safety officers

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This article was published 13/03/2024 (557 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Transit safety officers responded to more than 100 incidents in their first week on the job, said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.

Union president Chris Scott said such incidents could range from dealing with issues onboard buses, providing resources to homeless people and “a broad range of responsibilities” for the new 22-person team.

“What they deal with, and the fact that they can deal with it successfully, is a testament to the importance that the transit system needed a program like this,” he said Wednesday.

ATU representatives are headed to Ottawa next week to lobby the federal government for dedicated transit funding.

“We’re hoping the early successes of this program will demonstrate to the additional levels of government, being the province and the federal government, how effective this program can be without incurring the costs of a full-blown police department,” Scott said.

On Monday afternoon, two safety officers were assaulted on Main Street near Graham Avenue, after they were called to remove an “erratic” man from a nearby bus, police said.

Officers approached the man, who had walked off the bus and into traffic. One was elbowed in the head by the suspect, who had tried to bite the other, police said.

Neither was seriously injured. They held the man in custody before Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers arrested him.

The 29-year-old man was charged with two counts of assaulting a peace officer and on a prior warrant for failing to attend court. He was held in custody.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mayor Scott Gillingham expressed well-wishes for the two Transit safety officers involved, adding their actions prevented further potential injuries.

“Because the community safety officers were there, that didn’t happen or to continue to happen, on a bus or near a bus stop,” the mayor said.

“But our staff was able to be there, get the individual the help they wanted, have police involved in a case where police needed to be involved.”

Gillingham said it’s an indication the safety officer program, which was launched in February, following a 2022 mayoral election pledge, is valuable.

“It’s very unfortunate community safety officers were assaulted, but this shows that the program is working. This is why we set up this this program,” he said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca