Toronto Mayor John Tory is asking Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to grant TTC enforcement officers the power to direct traffic and tag and tow vehicles disrupting transit routes.
Tory wrote a letter to Wynne Monday, saying the recommendations would help alleviate congestion in the city.
“I regret the fact that we have to ask the province for permission on this, but what we want to do is very simple,” Tory said.
“We want to allow transit enforcement officers to keep traffic moving when there are transit disruptions.”
On Dec. 20, the TTC gave the recommendations the green light, however the Toronto Police Service Board and Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services must give final approval.
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If approved by the province, there would be approximately 50 transit enforcement officers that would be granted the enhanced powers, which Tory said could also provide an opportunity for the TTC to save money.
“Transit enforcement officers are less expensive than a highly-trained police officers and there aren’t enough of them to do the more important things we need them to do,” Tory said.
Mike McCormack, head of the Toronto Police Association, said while he doesn’t know the specifics of the letter, he has some initial concerns around allowing transit officers to direct traffic.
“You’re talking about cost-saving issues, where TTC special constables get paid roughly the same amount that Toronto police officers are getting paid,” McCormack said.
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“I don’t understand what the cost benefit analysis is from this and what’s the impetus and how necessary it would be to have transit officers directing traffic.”
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Special constables with GO Transit and OC Transpo in Ottawa are allowed to perform similar enhanced duties.
“It’s basically the same power and authority,” said Mark Cousins, Chief Special Constable with the TTC.
“It just has to do with specific locations. GO has very specific locations in which the track at grade level crosses a roadway as opposed to the TTC which uses most city roadways. We would have more opportunity to go out there and direct traffic.”
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