Calgary Transit said its pilot project to put City of Calgary security guards on the LRT system, which launched in October, has prevented social disorder. .“We have started to see success,” said Calgary Transit Deputy Chief of Transit Public Safety Will Fossen in a Friday press release. .“Our security guards report issues before they become more serious incidents.”.A few Calgary residents told the Western Standard on February 20 they feel uncomfortable taking the Calgary LRT..READ MORE: Calgary residents say LRT unsafe because of homelessness, drug addiction.Calgary resident Matthew Gagnon said he has witnessed people smoking drugs at City Hall Station. .“I’m not too sure exactly what, but it’s pretty brazen,” said Gagnon. .The release said there has been a 53% increase in calls which require transit officer intervention since 2019. It added city security guards are an essential part of Calgary Transit’s safety strategy. .By adding security guards to the system, it has increased its presence and the number of patrols it can complete daily. They are meant to act as a visible deterrent for criminals, drug usage, and social disorder. .While transit officers focus on more serious behavioural issues such as active incidents and assaults, the release said the presence of security teams reassures customers and can conduct walkthroughs and check on people’s welfare. .“Bringing together sworn peace officers and security guards in a hybrid approach allows the City to better adapt and deploy the right resources to the right incident,” said City of Calgary Corporate Security Manager of Risk Monitoring and Response Rob Morris..“We’re hearing this approach results in better visibility, deterrence and prevention of incidents — including greater ability for guards and peace officers to address issues on Transit, even before they are reported by members of the public.”.The release went on to say Calgary Transit will be expanding the program to add more security guards and increase the presence across the system, with 14 in-house Corporate Security guards joining it last month. When recruitment is complete, a total of 31 security guards will be assisting transit operations across the city. .“This means our peace officers can be dispatched to service calls more quickly,” said Fossen.
