Ford calls police presence on Toronto transit a 'Band-Aid' solution, calls on city to hire more officers

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the boostin police officers on Toronto transit in the wake of recent violence is a "Band-Aid solution" and is callingfor the city to hire more police officers.

The premier's comments come a day after policeannounced more than 80 officers would, in a paid overtime capacity,be at Toronto Transit Commission locations to reduce victimization, prevent crimes of opportunity and enhance public safety. The move followsa series of violent cases on the TTC, including stabbings, BB gun shootings and an alleged swarming.

"We need full-time police officers because right now, we're really relying on the existing police officers to come in and signup for the callbacks," Ford said Friday.

"It's not a full team there, that's what we need."

People in crisis 'are not criminals,' advocate says

Somehave criticized the expansion of police presence on transit, calling it a temporary measure that won't tackle the root causes of violence in the city and could hurt vulnerable populations.

Diana Chan McNally, a harm reduction case manager at the non-profit All Saints Church, worried that messaging conflating violence on the TTC with unhoused individuals taking shelter on transit could make thema target for police. People experiencing homelessness people already account for many police interactions, she said.

Chan McNally said she's afraid the increased police presence on transit will lead to more deaths like the case of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, who was shot by police officer James Forcillo while standing alone holding a small knife on an empty streetcar in July 2013.

"People who are experiencing crisis are not criminals, they need support," she said.

Gary Kinsman, spokesman for the No Pride in Policing coalition, argued the expansion of police on transit could give officers leeway to "intimidate, scare, threaten and perhaps do violence to Black, Indigenous, racialized and homeless people."

In June, former interim Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized to the city's Black residents as the servicereleased race-based data showing Black people faced a disproportionate amount of police enforcement and were more likely to have an officer point a gun at them than white people.

In a Racial Equity Impact Assessment submitted to the TTC board in April 2021, researchers found that Black and Indigenous people were overrepresented in TTC enforcement incidents, charges and cautions between 2008 and 2018. The TTC then introduced anti-bias training for transit constables and fare inspectors focused on Black and Indigenous transit users.

Mixed reaction among riders

Reaction among riders Friday was mixed.

Damira Pan, a transit user, said she has witnessed violence on system in the past and said having extra officers at subway stations made her feel safer.

"It is a good idea," she said after getting off a train at adowntown subway station on Friday morning. "I am always looking out for officers in case I am concerned about my safety."

Pan said the presence of police is especially needed during rush hours, when subways, buses and streetcars can get particularlycrowded.

Seungbin Yoo, another commuter, said a visible police presence on transit could prevent violence, including potential hate crimes.

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Many TTC riders are on high alert after several violent incidents in recent months. Chris Glover walks you through some tips to keep yourself safe.

He said he has been feeling unsafe using transit since the COVID-19 pandemic began because of his Asian features and theanti-Asian sentiment that surfaced around the pandemic.

"I feel very unsafe to use especially the streetcars at nights," he said.

Jaime Wilson, a transit rider, said having more police in the system doesn't help address potential underlying causes of violence, including homelessness and mental health issues.

"I don't think it is the solution," she said. "The solution is housing, mental health resources, addiction resources, warm
spaces."

Wilson said despite the recent violence that's come under the spotlight, she thinks the city's transit system is generally safe.

"I don't think having police presence is necessary. They are not going to be everywhere, it costs a lot of money, and I don't think people are satisfied with that solution," she said.

Move not mean to be a 'fix-all,' says TTC chair

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents Toronto transit employees, also said the underlying causes of violenceneeded to be addressed.

• More police 'not enough' to solve violence on TTC, says union boss

"ATU Local 113 calls on all levels of government to work withthe TTC at tackling the root causes including housing affordabilityand mental health as part of the broader issue of safety on public transit," it wrote in a statement Friday.

"Without addressing the problem at its core, we won't have a transit system free from violence."

LISTEN |TTC Chair says officers will patrol transit and 'build relationships' with unhoused people:

Toronto Mayor John Tory has said increased police on the TTC isone part of addressing safety issues and the city will continueinvesting in mental health and addictions treatment and anti-violence programs.

Earlier this month, Tory announced a proposed $48.3-million increase to Toronto's police budget, which would in part go toward the addition of about 200 officers, as well as programming aimed at addressing youth violence.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw has said the increased police patrols on the TTC will be filled by off-duty officers who will be paidovertime, so on-duty officers can still respond to priority calls.

Police have said they will be using their own data, as well asinformation from the TTC and communities to adjust officer
deployment locations and times.

Demkiw has also said the increase would address requests for the force to improve its lagging response times, boost its presence in the downtown core and build on its neighbourhood policing program.

Speaking to CBC Radio's Metro Morningon Friday, TTC Chair Jon Burnside said whether the move will actually reduce crime "remains to be seen."

"I don't think anyone is under the illusion that this is a fix-all. This is a temporary it's a short-term, hopefully short-term solution, or something that might help the problem. But longer term, obviously, we need to understand exactly where the problem is originating. I would suspect that in the random type attacks, it has more to do with mental illness and we need a national strategy to deal with that."

"Let's be clear: [the officers] can't prevent every occurrence. But I think they will have an impact and reduce that number, help to make things safer and also help to make people feel safer."