Twenty-one safety officers will monitor buses and bus stops around the city
By: Danna Bianca Carreon
Some Red River College Polytechnic students say they will feel safer with the presence of Winnipeg Transit safety officers patrolling city buses and bus stops.
A team consisting of 21 safety officers and two supervisors started patrolling Winnipeg Transit bus routes last week. The officers completed six weeks of training in January. The program included mediation, conflict resolution, de-escalation techniques, and material on assuring empathetic responses to people dealing with mental health problems.
Community Safety Team leader Bob Chrismas said in an interview with Global News last month that the safety officers will be “dressed in highly visible uniforms marked with ‘safety officer’ on the sides—yellow and navy with reflective striping and shoulder flashes, so it’ll be clearly visible.”
He said the team will intervene in situations where individuals are sleeping on the bus and causing disturbances, but will not necessarily deal with crime.
Arshpreet Kaur, a Business Information Technology student at RRC Polytech, takes the bus daily to and from campus. She said she does not feel safe whenever she uses public transportation.
She remembers when another passenger threatened her with a sharp object.
“‘We’re gonna beat you. We’re gonna kill you. Go back to your country,'” Kaur said, recounting some words the passenger said to her when she was on the bus.
In another incident, Kaur said, a teenage girl said disrespectful words to her and her friends when they were on their way to Garden City.
Kaur said having a safety officer on buses and at bus stops will make her feel more secure.
“Somebody’s going to be there,” Kaur said. “If there are [threatening] situations, they could help us.”
Other students at RRC Polytech agree with Kaur.
Tanvir Singh and Jaskaran Singh, taking Business Information Technology, said it’s good to have safety officers on buses and at bus stops.
Jaskaran Singh talked about a time when he took the bus around 11:30 p.m. He noticed two people staring at him, making him worry for his safety. He said he decided to change seats. The two passengers changed seats as well and sat behind him.
Jaskaran Singh approached the driver, who told him that if he needed to get off the bus, he would help by driving away quickly so the two people could not follow him.
“The Community Safety Team will help ensure Winnipeg Transit buses and shelters are safe spaces for both drivers and riders,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a Jan. 10 news release.
