name, etc., and continues to do that
for a period of time. If we’re unable—
after exhausting every possibility—to
determine who the person actually
is, we may call Canada Customs—
CBSA, Canada Border Security—we
may call them to see if they are
aware of who this person is but

it’s not to check for status. So |

find that very difficult to believe.”

We also asked Drennan
how transit customers could
make their concerns regarding
Transit Police known.

“With respect to Transit Police
and any problems with a Transit
Police officer they should call ... the
Professional Standards Unit, or PSU,
which was formally Internal Affairs.”

Drennan made it clear that
Transit Police and TransLink
affiliated security are two very
different things—even if they are
often mistaken for one another.

“It’s the most common
misconception, | think,” said
Drennan. “And it makes it difficult
sometimes because |’ll take a lot of
calls with respect to something that’s
happened ona bus, and they'll be
referring to a Transit Police officer.
And when | check into it | find that
the issue has arisen with a transit
security officer, or even—and this
one is always somewhat surprising
to me—say, a SkyTrain attendant,
or a Canada Line attendant. Now
their uniforms are very different
from police officers but people
still see them as people, persons
in authority ... With respect to
situations that are there, sometimes
whatever the complaint is borders
on the criminal—not very often,
but occasionally—and we will be
called in as police to investigate. But
we are quite separate from what
would be known as TransLink.”

        

 

Unfortunately, Drennan
noted, the assumption that all
authority personnel on public
transit are Transit Police may
have a negative impact on the
public’s view of their work.

“It is a lot of the time very
frustrating, and |’m not suggesting
for a second that transit security or
any of the attendants on the various
lines, etc.—that they are constantly
involved in issues or problems, but
with that number of people out
there dealing with the public on
a daily basis, millions of people a
day, issues do arise and very often
the issues do not involve us.”

We also asked Drennan for
a statement on behalf of the
Transit Police, going out to those
who spoke to the Other Press
about their experiences.

“| would like everyone to know
that Transit Police officers are on the
transit system to keep everyone who
uses our system as safe as possible.
There will be times where situations
will arise that are criminally-based,
and situations where people are
made to feel very uncomfortable,
where Transit Police officers are
required to investigate,” she said.
“Our focus is to keep you safe and to
investigate as thoroughly as we can.”

Drennan noted that anyone
who needs to contact the
Transit Police has the choice to
do so without calling 9-1-1.

“We have a text code: It’s
87.77.77. We have had this for
approximately four years now and
we find it’s an extremely successful
way for anyone using any part of
the transit system to get in touch
with Transit Police in real time, in
a very discrete manner. As you
well know, people are texting
all the time, so if something is

going on around you, if someone
is bothering you specifically or
bothering somebody else that you
can see, somebody is drunk and
disorderly, somebody is ill, whatever
the situation might be whether it
makes you feel uncomfortable, or
it’s putting somebody ... at risk, you
can text us and nobody will know
that youre actually making direct,
real-time contact with the police.
This allows us to deploy our officers
as quickly as possible to your next
stop, whether youre ona train ora
bus, so we can deal with the issue as
quickly as we can, and resolve the
issue as quickly as possible,
so nobody is continuing to
be uncomfortable or at risk.”
She also said that people
can contact Transit Police for ,
whatever issues they may be
experiencing that are making ©
them feel uncomfortable or
unsafe—it does not have to
bean

=

BUS STOP [

emergency.

“| really want people to know
that we’re there for them. There’s
no call too small. If you get in
touch with us we will deploy and
investigate to the best of our
ability. We will take you seriously
when you tell us there’s a problem,
and deal with it in the most
professional manner we can.”

   
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
   

 

 

 

 

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