Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced “immediate action” on the city’s ongoing transit crime spree at a press conference on Monday..Gondek announced a series of measures to tackle the CTrain’s ongoing issues, where platforms have seen a rise in crime while drug dealing and violence has deterred commuters away from the transit system..Effective immediately, the number of security guards has been doubled to 16 across the network with the city council aiming for 24 by the end of April..Furthermore, overnight patrols have been increased from four nights a week to seven, while peace officers will be redeployed to areas of concern along 7th Ave..Improvements will also be made to infrastructure across the network; announcements will remind passengers about increased surveillance at CTrain stations, which will be subject to increased cleaning going forward..In addition, a rapid response unit will be created to repair infrastructure damaged by vandalism, while benches in loitering hotspots will be removed to indicate a “no-waiting” zone..At a press conference on Tuesday, chief for public vehicle standards with emergency management and community safety Aaron Coon asked Calgarians to report concerns to the city where he insisted that the transit network remained a “top priority” for officials..Calgary Police Service Chief Mark Neufeld added that “troubling behaviour” had persisted since the height of the pandemic, a time in which some who lived in homeless shelters moved to the transit system when social distancing was enforced throughout the city..“We now must address this behaviour that impacts our public spaces,” he told reporters, adding that CPS officers would be engaging in enforcement action against troublemakers where appropriate..“While our officers are leading with support and compassion, make no mistake that enforcement is a critical component of the equation to public safety," said Neufeld..“There are no illegitimate users of transit, but there are illegitimate uses of transit.”.“Our expectation is that public spaces remain safe for those that are using them for their intended purpose. Anyone who jeopardizes that safety, will be dealt with accordingly.”
