By Erin Kelly
OC Transpo and the Ottawa Police Service have teamed together to deal with safety concerns along the transitway says Gord Diamond, transit director for the City of Ottawa.
The two have partnered to further ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, particularly at night when the majority of violent incidents have taken place, says Ottawa Police Acting Supt. Charles Bordeleau.
Bordeleau has been put in charge of overseeing the transit security project.
He says Routes 85 and 97 have caused the most concern in the past year, with the majority of reported incidents taking place on these routes, particularly with gang “swarmings.”
Since February of last year, there have been four incidents of violence, two of those in Centretown.
“We’re putting a plan together to look at the safety protocols on buses and along the transitway,” explains Bordeleau.
“Officers have gone out to see what sorts of safety recommendations are needed and OC (Transpo) has been extremely co-operative with these suggestions.”
The partnership includes increased patrol along the transitway with OC Transpo security and police officers.
The affiliation of the two agencies has sparked debate as to whether armed police officers should ride on high-volume bus routes.
Bordeleau says the police see this approach as an inadequate use of resources.
He says police have the authority to travel along the transitway to monitor it as they would any other public place but will not patrol buses on a regular basis.
“We’re ready to support OC Transpo in any way needed, but it really isn’t necessary for us to ride along on buses,” says Bordeleau.
“They do have the tools needed to ensure safety and we’ll help out when and where needed.”
Diamond agrees there is no need for police to ride the routes. He says one of the main ways to ensure safety is by keeping a “visible presence” on the buses and at stations.
He says that by constantly having the buses and stations patrolled, passengers will feel more at ease when using public transportation.
“By keeping the police and our own security moving throughout the transit during our blitzes, we are creating a reassuring presence for passengers,” says Diamond.
Some passengers feel an observed “visible presence” may be more effective.
“Never ever have I seen someone on the bus when I’ve been on,” says Meghan Kelly, a first-year University of Ottawa student who regularly takes the Route 97 through downtown at late hours.
“I know I would feel safer just seeing someone there…after all, who’s going to help me if something happens? That drunken guy passed out in the back?”
Kelly says she would feel more comfortable to see uniformed officers aboard the bus.
Diamond suggests that one reason riders may not be able to immediately identify the OC Transpo security is because some of them are riding in plainclothes.
Anita Hogan, who rides the Route 95 daily, says security officers should be visible to give reassurances of safety.
“It really can be intimidating riding the bus at night, especially alone,” says Hogan.“I know I would feel so much better if I was able to see someone in uniform riding the bus.”
Diamond stresses that the OC Transpo is one of the safest transit systems in North America with only seven incidents last year that required police assistance.
However, as Diamond says, “even one is too many.”