At the beginning of the school year, the City of Edmonton increased transit security and provided awareness of proper transit use.
Photo supplied by the City of Edmonton.
The City of Edmonton re-launched the “Here to Help” transit safety campaign to help educate and empower students to navigate transit safely as they return to school.
In a collaboration with Transit Peace Officers, the Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Transit Service, the campaign runs from the beginning of September until Sept. 19. During this period, additional transit peace officers will be stationed at high-traffic transit hubs and LRT stations during busy periods to provide a presence and assist those in need.
In addition to an increased peace officer presence, transit staff will also be available at various transit stations to provide information and resources.
“And so our objectives are to provide a safe, welcoming transit experience, educate new and returning riders on transit rules, and ensure a visible presence of our officers to deter unwanted behaviour and assist those in need,” said Brooke Hilborn, deputy chief of community standards for peace officers.
Hilborn added that the campaign hopes to build connections with uniformed officers, boost students’ confidence when navigating the transit system, and raise awareness of available transit safety resources.
Among the resources is the back-to-school transit safety toolkit, a guide to safe behaviour that students can access. For example, the toolkit recommends riders move closer to transit operators or to another group of people if something feels suspicious.
While the campaign lasts two weeks, transit peace officers are regularly available to educate riders on transit bylaws, conduct fair inspections, and maintain safety.
“So a campaign like this really is in complement of our regular deployments,” said Hilborn. “And to do something like this, it takes a lot of coordination, but also we see a ton of value in it.”
Outside of the campaign, transit patrols sometimes involve outreach. In partnership with the Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, transit peace officers are paired with outreach workers to provide additional support related to financial, housing, mental health, and substance use resources. The outreach program currently has seven teams that operate in transit spaces.
If students feel unsafe on transit, call transit safety watch at 780-442-4900.
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