The union representing 9,000 TTC employees wants to put the brakes on crime on the city's public transit system by replacing special constables with Toronto police officers, reports say.
Bob Kinnear, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, is questioning why the TTC is involved with policing, a local newspaper reports. He says policing the system should be left to the Toronto Police Service.
His call for beefed-up transit law enforcement comes after two recent shootings and a terrifying incident where three teens were pushed toward an oncoming train.
According to TTC statistics, crimes committed by passengers on fellow passengers were up to 1,925 crimes in 2007. That is compared to 1,609 in 2006 and 1,242 in 2005.
TTC spokesperson Brad Ross told the Toronto Sun that the increased violence is due to an increase in ridership. He said there has also been an increase in reported incidents and enforcement after the commission increased the number of special constables to 103.
In January, Toronto police announced it was adding 36 officers to cover the transit system. They'll be in place in May and June, and will they won't replace the TTC Special Constables.
