Calgary approves public transit safety strategy, pending budget's green light
CTV
A public transit safety strategy for Calgary was unanimously approved by city council on Tuesday, amid ongoing concern over crime along our train lines and bus routes.
A public transit safety strategy for Calgary was unanimously approved by city council on Tuesday, amid ongoing concern over crime along our train lines and bus routes.
"The safety strategy provides better response times, so that when Calgarians are encountering issues, they're resolved much more quickly, but it also allows us to control areas effectively and in a more co-ordinated fashion," said Sharon Fleming, director for Calgary Transit.
"It also ensures that these officers are available in the system at any one time."
The strategy has been given the thumbs-up, but it is still subject to council's approval of its $15-million price tag as part of November's budget adjustment process.
However, with a one-time operational budget of $8.7 million approved by council in June, the city has already begun work.
At its core, the plan aims to take a multi-disciplinary approach to deploy integrated teams of uniformed Calgary police, transit peace officers and security guards at high-risk locations.
The hubs where increased patrols are set to be implemented include the Westbrook, Downtown and Whitehorn LRT stations.
