Man assaulted by group of youths on TTC bus, separate robbery committed at Pape station

Toronto police are investigating after a group of youths allegedly robbed and assaulted a man at Pape Subway Station before another reported assault minutes later on a TTC bus.

Officers said the first incident happened around 5:45 p.m. in the Cosburn and Pape Avenue area. Officers received reports that one man was assaulted and injured on the TTC bus by a “group of young people.”

The man was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, and the suspects fled the scene. Toronto paramedics tell CityNews the man was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Investigators later tweeted that a different man was assaulted and robbed at Pape Subway Station around 5:40 p.m. by a group of youths. He was not injured, and the suspects fled.

Const. Alex Li tells CityNews that, at the moment, officers are treating the alleged robbery and the bus assault as two separate investigations, but it is possible that they are related.

The latest reported assaults come on the same day police boosted its presence across the TTC network. More than 80 officers are expected to patrol these locations to reduce victimization, prevent crimes of opportunity and enhance public safety.

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Commuter reaction was widely mixed, with some frequent transit riders praising the move, while others felt the presence of more police officers would do very little to detract people from committing violent crimes.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 (ATU), which represents Toronto transit employees, said the underlying causes of violence needed to be addressed.

“ATU Local 113 calls on all levels of government to work with the TTC at tackling the root causes, including housing affordability and mental health as part of the broader issue of safety on public transit,” it wrote in a statement Friday.

“Without addressing the problem at its core, we won’t have a transit system free from violence.”

Earlier this month, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced a proposed $48.3 million increase to Toronto’s police budget, which would, in part, add about 200 officers and programming to address youth violence.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has said the increase would address requests for the force to improve its lagging response times, boost its presence in the downtown core and build on its neighbourhood policing program.

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With files from Sharif Hassan and Tyler Griffin of The Canadian Press