8 new police officers to patrol Evergreen Line

More transit police officersare coming forthe long-awaited Evergreen Line which starts to rollthis Friday, despite earlier reports by TransLink that it would have to redeploy officers from other SkyTrain stations to monitor the new line.

"We have received information that there is money in the 2017 TransLink budget for an additional eight officers for transit police," said TransLink spokeswoman Anne Drennan.

"Our recruiting officers have been busy compiling lists of young officers from other departments and law enforcement agencies that have indicated interest to us, which means we would be able to hire them laterally.

In other words, we wouldn't have to spend either the time or the money with the full police academy training program."

Last Thursday, TransLinksaid there would be no additional police to patrol the 11-kilometre-long transit line and it would have to shuffle extra peak time personnelfromother SkyTrainstations.

That will still happen, according to Drennan, until the new officers are in place.

"Come Dec. 2,not only will we be redeploying in order to deal with Evergreen Line issues until such time as we do have these additional officers on,we will bring in extra people to work if necessary," she said.

TransLinkhas a policeforce of 167 personnel and the last time more officers were hired was for the opening of the Canada Linein 2010.

Need or no need?

Upon hearing the news last week that there would not be additional officers for the line, CoquitlamMayor Richard Stewart said he was surprisedTransLinkwould not beef up its forcefor a significant expansion of the existing system.

If theCanadaLine needed more police to protect itand keep passengerssafe, then so should the Evergreen Line, Stewart reasoned.

However, Jordan Bateman with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation disagreed, saying there's no need for TransLink to hire more police.

The new Compass card system and fare gates, maintained Bateman, meanpolice officers no longer have todeal with fare infractions and should now be available to patrol the new line.