'Acts of aggression' increase on Saskatoon Transit, violence against drivers drops
Saskatoon Transit is reporting an increase in passenger aggression.
Mike Moellenbeck, director of Saskatoon Transit, said "acts of aggression" can be classified as an intent to do harm, but physical violence hasn't happened.
"Types of incidents where windows are being banged by an individual, or a barrier is being hit," Moellenbeck said.
While passenger-on-passenger incidents have increased, Moellenbeck said violence against bus drivers has dropped.
"Largely due to the barriers that are installed," he said.
The information about bus violence was revealed during budget deliberations, when the mayor asked for an update on the new support officers, hired by the fire department, to focus on Saskatoon Transit safety.
The support officers were hired in July. Their goal is to keep the peace and connect vulnerable people with social services they may need.
The support workers are trained in de-escalation and can call police if needed.
Since the program began, they have ridden city buses 220 times and patrolled transit terminals 350 times.
According to city data, the officers have had to call for police assistance about 12 per cent of the time.
"What we'd say in a nutshell is that we think that the fire support officers have been extremely effective, as far as the people that have been hired are doing what we expected them to do, and they're doing a great job," City Manager Jeff Jorgensen said, during Monday's budget deliberations.
City administration said more data on transit safety will be available at the end of the summer, once the program has been operational for a full year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate the end of the Assad family's half-century rule
Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Canada 'falling so consistently short' on defence spending has hurt standing on world stage, but improving: U.S. ambassador
U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen says while Canada's defence spending is going in the right direction, the federal government's persistent failure to meet NATO targets has been damaging to the country's reputation on the world stage.
Most Canadians would avoid buying U.S. products post-Trump tariff: Nanos survey
A majority of Canadians would be hesitant to buy U.S. goods in response to the proposed American tariff on products from Canada, according to a new survey.
Longer careers in hockey are linked to greater risk of CTE: study
The largest study ever done on the brains of male hockey players has found the odds of getting a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries increases with each year played.
Canadians turn domestic for holiday travel, with weak loonie discouraging U.S. trips
After turning abroad for holiday vacations last year, more Canadians are keeping their travel plans in-country this Christmas season due to squeezed budgets, lower domestic fares and a decisive end to the post-pandemic boom in overseas travel — and now a slumping currency.
Search for UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer yields evidence, but few answers
As the search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer goes on, investigators are reckoning with a tantalizing dichotomy: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma.
Renovations underway to return one of the last Quonset-style theatres in Canada back to former glory
Community members in the small town of Coleman, Alta. are eagerly waiting for the grand re-opening of the historic Roxy Theatre now that renovations have started.
Groups launch legal challenge against Alberta's new gender-affirming treatment law
A pair of LGBTQ2S+ advocate organizations say they've followed through with their plan to challenge Alberta's three transgender bills in court, starting with one that bars doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16.
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.