Public Safety
Transit Safety
People Feel Unsafe on Transit – Just 39% of people would feel safe riding the train at night (2024 Fall Survey City of Calgary). Not acceptable.
Reduced Fare Enforcement – Has resulted in massive revenue loss from fare evasion and this is a major contributor to social disorder on our transit system.
Making Transit Safer – We have seen some results from the increased presence of Transit Peace Officers on the system (something I advocated for strongly). We need to continue to increase the presence of Transit Peace Officers, continue to increase fare enforcement, and further (more seriously) explore the potential benefits of fare gates in our transit system.
Fare Gates – Could greatly reduce fare evasion and improve safety for users of transit. A recent report by Calgary Transit on fare gates lacked thoroughness and seriousness. The report falsely claimed fare gates do not improve safety and did not account for the potential for increased revenue from fare evasion. Real results from Vancouver’s installation of fare gates shown below.
Vancouver Example: TransLink's closed system implementation in 2016 saw:
- Crimes against persons decreased by 12%
- Mental Health Act Apprehensions declined by 21%
- Sexual offences declined by 6%
- Fare infractions fell by 29%
- Transit revenue increased by $41 Million
- Public perception of safety increased by 20%
I firmly believe that our public transit system must be safe and secure for all users traveling to their destinations. In recent years, reduced fare enforcement has resulted in significant revenue losses. More concerning is the drastic rise in social disorder within the system, which has made many passengers feel unsafe. This issue is largely attributed to individuals using the transit system without a specific destination and without paying a fare. Since my election, I have advocated for the City of Calgary to consider and research the potential impacts of installing fare gates, in addition to increasing fare enforcement. Our efforts have yielded some positive results, with Transit increasing investments, hiring a substantial number of Transit Peace Officers, and recently announcing a renewed focus on fare checking.
Through our advocacy, we successfully prompted City Administration to prepare a report on the costs and benefits of installing fare gates at our city’s transit stations, even considering a pilot project at select locations. However, the pilot project concept was impractical, as stations equipped with fare gates could easily be bypassed by individuals entering the train at stations without gates. Unfortunately, the report prepared by the City Administration regarding fare gates lacked credibility, as it purported that fare gates would have no measurable impact on safety. In Vancouver when TransLink implemented a closed system on their transit system in 2016, they immediately saw results. Crimes against persons decreased 12%, Mental Health Act Apprehensions declined 21%, sexual offences declined 6% and fare infractions fell 29%. Furthermore, the report by City administration stated that fare gates would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, without accounting for the increased revenues from reduced fare evasion. In Vancouver, when the fare gates were installed, transit revenue increased by $41 Million between 2016 and 2017 and public perception of safety increased 20%. I believe there is a strong business case to invest in a partially closed transit system as it could pay for itself over time.
This all reflects a lack of thoroughness and seriousness on the part of City Administration in researching fare gates and the associated costs and benefits. We still need to have a serious look at the prospects of fare gates given that the city's efforts to date lack credibility. I will continue to advocate for a greater emphasis on fare enforcement and an increased presence of Transit Peace Officers throughout our transit system.
Safety in Public Spaces
Lack of Enforcement – The number one problem in Calgary is the lack of enforcement of existing laws.
Repeat Arrests – Police frequently arrest the same individual multiple times in a single day.
Complicating Factors – Several issues contribute to the enforcement problem:
Court backlogs due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal policies related to bail, sentencing, and failure to appoint federal judges.
Processing an arrest can take several hours.
Social Disorder – Results of this decreased enforcement have been devastating and have led to a massive rise in social disorder in Calgary.
Leadership – We need to show leadership and advocate loudly when policies from other levels of government prevent our police from processing arrests and keeping offenders in custody.
We are facing a significant issue in the city and across the country regarding law enforcement. While it is challenging to comprehend all the contributing factors, we have conducted several ride-alongs in Ward 13 and have observed firsthand that police officers often refrain from making arrests or issuing summonses when they witness violations of the criminal code. Challenges with court backlogs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and certain federal policies related to bail, sentencing, and the failure to appoint federal judges are complicating the situation. As a result, police frequently find themselves arresting the same individual multiple times in a single day. From what we have learned, processing an arrest can take several hours.
These complicating factors appear to be leading to a decline in the enforcement of existing laws. Although I have yet to hear the Chief or any other representative from the Calgary Police Service address this issue publicly, there has been a noticeable decrease in enforcement, particularly concerning open drug use in public spaces. The consequences of this decreased enforcement on social disorder in recent years have been devastating. We must enforce existing laws, and I will continue to urge our police to do everything within their power to increase the level of enforcement. I will also be advocating strongly to other levels of government to reform policies that are hindering our police’s ability to enforce the law.
Mental Health and Addiction Strategy
Rise in Social Needs – In recent years, we have seen an explosion in issues relating to mental health, addiction, and homelessness, largely driven by economic issues and the lack of available supports.
Lack of Spaces – The closure of psychiatric facilities in recent decades, insufficient treatment spaces, and a decline in public housing has led to many with mental health and addiction issues living on the streets. This has a dramatic impact on social disorder in our city.
Progress Being Made – The Province has made significant progress and is actively working to address many challenges. Large increases in treatment spaces, the potential for forced treatment, and a focus on recovery from addiction are all positive steps. More secure facilities for the homeless and specialized care for more socially complex individuals can make social services more accessible, and these are areas we need to improve, primarily under the direction of the province.
The City’s Role – The City’s primary role in relation to social services, mental health, and addiction is to ensure the lands are available for the required resources. The city also utilizes partnerships with non-profits to provide services for those in need. We have strayed too far as a city into the area of social services, as this work should be undertaken by the provincial government. We need to maintain focus on providing the required land for these services and advocate for the services needed to be provided by the provincial government.
As a society, we have simply not done enough to address mental health and addiction issues. These challenges date back decades, particularly with the closure of psychiatric facilities across the country. These facilities were deemed inhumane, and their replacements within existing hospitals (which offer very few permanent beds) have resulted in individuals with serious psychiatric conditions often being left on the streets. Additionally, we drastically underserve those in need of addiction treatment. The number of available beds and addiction treatment professionals is far from sufficient to meet the needs of our communities. The province has made significant progress towards addressing the shortage of treatment spaces, but much more work remains to be done.
We also need to adopt more innovative approaches to the types of housing available for those in need. In recent years, we have closed several trailer parks throughout the city for various reasons, displacing many residents without offering a viable alternative for affordable housing. I believe we should consider modern replacements for trailer parks with social services provided on site. The city can clearly make these types of lands available, and the province should prioritize this form of housing, as social services and housing primarily fall under their jurisdiction.
Additionally, we must consider providing specialized assistance for individuals with more complex social needs. Many individuals refuse to utilize the Drop-in Center due to safety concerns, and others decline treatment despite posing a risk to themselves and those around them. We should explore the establishment of more secure facilities for drop-in services and the province is exploring the potential for mandated treatment for those who pose a risk to public safety and to themselves. The City’s role in this matter is to ensure that land is made available for these purposes, and we must improve our collaboration with the province to secure these essential resources.
