August 27, 2024
As the back-to-school season approaches, the City of Edmonton, in collaboration with Edmonton Police Service (EPS), is proud to launch the "Here to Help" campaign. This initiative is part of the City’s Enhanced Transit Safety Plan, aimed at ensuring a safe, welcoming and supportive transit experience for riders, including the anticipated 22,000 students returning to transit.
Over the first few weeks of the school year, additional Transit Peace Officers will be stationed at key LRT stations and transit centres across the city. These officers will be patrolling and engaging with riders during peak hours (7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.) to assist students and other transit riders, ensuring a smooth transition back to school.
“Transit Peace Officers will have their boots on the ground, ready to support riders as part of the 'Here to Help' campaign, which is a key component of our enhanced transit safety plan. We encourage riders to approach uniformed officers for assistance whenever needed. Their presence ensures every rider feels safe, supported and connected as they navigate the transit system,” said David Jones, Branch Manager, Community Standards and Neighbourhoods.
“It’s important to ensure new and returning students have the knowledge and tools they need to navigate transit with confidence and ease,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, Branch Manager, Edmonton Transit Service. ”We are pleased to support youth riders through enhanced outreach activities in helping them establish transit as a lifelong preferred travel mode.“
The campaign will also see the continued deployment of the Community Outreach Transit Team (COTT), a partnership between Transit Peace Officers and outreach workers from Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, who provide additional support to individuals in need. This includes assistance with housing, mental health, substance use support, and financial concerns.
This fall and winter, ETS will have more security personnel and safety measures across the public transit network than in previous years. As ridership has exceeded 2019 levels, there are more eyes on the system than ever before. With more natural surveillance, safety is enhanced for everyone.
The City of Edmonton encourages all riders to approach uniformed staff for help and take advantage of the safety tools available, including calling or texting the Transit Watch phone number (780-442-4900), which can be used to report safety concerns like harassment, disorder, or suspicious behaviour. In cases of emergency, dial 9-1-1.
Additional security measures for riders include nearly 4,000 security cameras across the service, blue emergency phones on all LRT platforms and at transit centres, as well as red alarm buttons, red pull handles and yellow alarm strips on all LRT trains. These tools connect riders directly with the LRT operator who can assist and connect with additional resources as needed.
This campaign is supported by the Edmonton Police Service’s Transit Community Safety (TRACS) Teams, who continue to work to decrease crime, victimization and disorder in transit spaces citywide.
“As students head back to school, we are committed to working with our partners at the City of Edmonton to ensure students and transit users have a safe commute,” said Inspector Jared Hrycun, Edmonton Police Service’s Crime Suppression Branch. “As always, TRACS teams will be stationed and patrolling at key transit hubs throughout the city with Transit Peace Officers to provide riders with resources, assistance and support.”
In addition to this campaign, Transit Peace Officers, EPS officers, ETS staff and security personnel are here to help year round, providing support where it's needed most.
