The Mewata Armoury hosted a graduation ceremony for 10 new transit peace officers, and 12 new community safety peace officers, whose job is to tackle the public safety issue on Calgary transit systems and in communities and help keep locals and tourists safe.
“They will be tasked with enforcing bylaws, assisting citizens and contributing to the overall well-being of the city’s residents and visitors.” The city said in a statement Friday.
The city’s Transit Public Safety team and the Community Safety team say they plan to recruit a lot more peace officers this year to deal with the uptick in social disorder, with the end goal being a reduction in violent incidents occurring on buses, CTrains and in communities.
“I always knew I wanted to help people from a young age and felt that the scope of law enforcement resonated the most with me, out of all of the emergency services, due to the focus on keeping the peace within my community,” said Liam Denty, class leader for the transit peace officers.
“I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned over the last few months and engage with the public daily as a peace officer.”
The graduates have diverse backgrounds and experience. The city hopes they create a unique viewpoint, protect and advocate for Calgarians with compassion to bolster a positive influence and build healthy relationships with the communities they serve.
“Starting my new role as a community peace officer, I am most looking forward to continuing the great work previous officers have done before me. Growing up as an immigrant to Canada, I witnessed first-hand the importance of law enforcement in maintaining order and protecting the vulnerable,” said Khoi Pham, class leader for the graduating community peace officers.
“I’ve always felt drawn to a career where I can contribute to the greater good,” Pham added.