With rising crime at Edmonton transit stations, unions want police and city to act

Two unions representing thousands of transit workers are sounding the alarm over safety concerns at Edmonton transit stations, calling on the city and police for more action.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 569 and Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 30 say Edmonton peace officers are understaffed, overworked, and not supported by police.

“They’re dealing with weapon related calls, small mobs of people, it’s a very stressful job,” said Steve Bradshaw, the president of ATU Local 569. “They need some support, they need the police there with them, not just responding to call-outs but there as part of the patrol team.

“It’s very troubling for the riding public, the people who work there. Operating staff, cleaning staff, security, very troubling for virtually everybody.”

Bradshaw says peace officers are limited to the bylaws they are able to enforce, so they often have to call Edmonton police for assistance.

In a statement, Edmonton Police Service says it “has not reduced patrols in the LRT, and is committed to using the resources available to address both proactive and emergent situations. The suggestion that EPS officers are ignoring criminal activity is baseless.”

Transit crime rising in Edmonton 

Transit crime has been on the rise since the city removed the loitering bylaw in 2021, according to EPS.

Between July and December 2021, EPS responded to 1,432 calls for service in the transit and LRT system. Of those calls, 313 were in December.

Police also say the severity of violence of each offence is three times higher on the transit and LRT system.

“The EPS agrees the model for safety in the transit system needs to change,” continued the police’s statement. “The EPS has been calling for change for over two years, and continued in these efforts when addressing City Council in December 2021.

“While police officers cannot be in every transit location 24/7, the City of Edmonton has dedicated peace officers and commissionaires, and the EPS will provide support as required.”

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The City of Edmonton says it requested extra support from EPS in response to staffing shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we have peace officers and police officers working together as a team it just makes everything go so much better,” said Bradshaw.

The city will be adding two more transit peace officers to provide support to the community outreach transit team, which began in September with the aim of building relationships with individuals within the transit system to increase safety and reduce harm.

“Security guards patrol and monitor the environment to respond and support transit riders, and they also have a direct connection to the ETS Control Centre to get emergency assistance as required,” the City of Edmonton said in a statement.

“Calls to the Transit Control Centre increased by more than 400 per cent by having security guards in place. More reporting means more awareness and more ability to respond to help keep people safe.”