Toronto to provide additional TTC safety measures after series of violent attacks

After a series of violent incidents across Toronto’s transit system in recent weeks, the city says it is providing “additional safety measures.”

The city said it, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), “continue to prioritize community safety on Toronto’s transit system.”

According to the city, beginning this week, the TTC will have access to more than 20 Community Safety Ambassadors who will work directly with those experiencing homelessness and will “liaise with the City’s Streets to Homes workers to provide outreach services.”

“The outreach efforts focus on engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness to build trusting relationships, help address immediate needs and ultimately support the individuals in finding permanent housing,” a news release read.

The city said the TTC will also have access to over 50 security guards who will be “temporarily added across the system.”

The guards have experience dealing with underhoused people, and training in mental health first aid, overdose prevention, recognition and response training, and non-violent crisis intervention, the city said.

2:11 Divide growing over Toronto’s solution to TTC violence

According to the city, it is also supporting the TTC to ensure its chief and mobile supervisors have de-escalation training.

The city said the TTC has “already taken a number of significant steps to enhance safety,” adding 80 Toronto police officers across the system, increasing the presence of TTC special constables and hiring additional constables.

It has also increased the number of Streets to Home workers in the system and increased TTC transportation and maintenance managers.

The TTC has also added more station supervisors, chief and mobile supervisors, as well as assistant managers in stations to “audit station security.”

The city said the TTC has also deployed more uniformed TTC employees in the system and has improved and added more cameras in stations and on its vehicles.

The city said there will also be designated waiting areas on every subway platform with two-way communications systems that link directly to staff.

“The City will be working closely with the TTC to support and assist vulnerable people on the transit system get connected to services,” the news release read. “This may include finding shelter and permanent housing for people and providing mental health services.”

The city said there are “ongoing discussions” focused on improving safety over the long term.

“This includes working with experts from other sectors such as the housing sector as well as the mental health and addictions sector,” the city said.

In a statement, Toronto Mayor John Tory said the TTC “must be safe for everyone.”

“City officials have been working with the TTC to provide any required support to help keep our transit system safe,” Tory said.

“These immediate actions will help keep TTC employees and transit riders safe and the long-term work to keep our system and the entire city safe is continuing.”

Rick Leary, CEO of the TTC, thanked transit employees and the city.

“Thanks to the partnerships (with) City partners, we are working together to find solutions to these complex societal challenges that are not part of our core business,” Leary said in a statement. “They require creative, comprehensive and outside-the-box-solutions.”