YRT beleaguered by assaults, common with transit agencies across Canada

How will York Region region handle transit safety concerns?

Yorkregion.com
June 5, 2023
Brian Capitao

An increase in the amount of transit assaults across the country has become a matter of national concern -- so much so that the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) has put out a list of recommendations for transit agencies nationwide.

In June 2022, CUTA formed a safety task force to address the rise of violence on transit systems. News of the prevalence of violent and sexual assaults on the TTC and York Region Transit (YRT) have been making headlines for months.

“YRT takes the safety and security of travellers very seriously. Our dedicated transit enforcement and security team offers security, customer assistance and fare enforcement services throughout the system,” said Kyle Catney, director of transit operations in an email.

YRT touted its closed-circuit television program as integral to its safety response. This is part of what’s referred to as “enhanced vigilance.”

“YRT has a very robust closed-circuit TV (CCTV) program that provides passengers with additional safety and security; YRT's CCTV program has proven valuable in security protection and risk reduction,” said Catney.

But on opening weekend, Canada’s Wonderland was yet again plagued by “unruly behaviour,” prompting York Regional Police to relaunch its Operation Beehave program previously used to combat swarming robberies last year.

“Special constables are assigned to various security roles in response to areas that may require additional support. This includes special events, including Canada's Wonderland and other system impacts reported by the public or proactively assigned,” said Catney.

It's a measure that’s a deterrent but not a blanket solution, according to John Di Nino, ATU Canada president.

“We have talked about things like enhanced vigilance on the public transit systems. We’ve spoken about and said very clearly that we're not suggesting that policing is the only way to go here, but we definitely need to increase the visibility on those systems to deter some of those assailants and to deter those acts of violence,” said Di Nino.

Di Nino recounts how YRP’s reactive measures to a person in crisis left something to be desired, while he was preparing for a news conference outside Vaughan’s Metropolitan Centre subway station.

“As I walked into that subway station, there was an individual in crisis. And so, it was blatantly apparent that they were in crisis. Whether it was medical, whether it was addiction related. So I called the agency for assistance, and they had two York region police officers. And the only thing that happened in that intervention was that individual was asked to pick up their belongings and put them on a southbound train and sent them on their way. That's not the kind of support that people who are living in crisis need,” said Di Nino.

According to an IPSOS poll conducted for Global News, 38 per cent of the residents polled in the GTA 905 said they would be more alert and aware of their surroundings on public transit.

It’s a problem that has commuters second-guessing usage.

“I just don't like to be naive. I also don't want the people who I'm riding with not to be naive. Just keep your eye out,” said 23-year-old Timothy Kalio, a York University student from Toronto.

Kalio said he was previously accosted by another rider who called him slurs in front of his friends.

“He just started saying racial slurs and whatnot towards me,” said Kalio, explaining he was the only Black person present at the time of the incident. “I didn't really let that get to me. I just walked it off.”

It’s incidents like this that have passengers like Kalio in favour of more policing in the subway system.

“It'll be good and safe for everyone if we have more police presence,” said Kalio.