TTC adds more employees to subway rotation after violence, rise in youth incidents

The TTC says it has deployed an additional 80 employees throughout the system each day as part of its response to the recent spike in violence.

The transit agency announced late Friday that additional management staff will be “highly visible” and rotate through the subway network during peak service hours, conducting system cleanliness as well as health and safety audits.

The increase in TTC staff comes in addition to more than 80 police officers who have begun patrolling the system in a bid to reduce victimization, prevent crimes of opportunity and enhance public safety.

The transit agency says discussions are ongoing as to what further actions could be taken to strengthen safety on the TTC over the long-term. Potential next steps include working with experts from other sectors such as the housing sector as well as the mental health and addictions sector.

Commuter reaction to the increased police presence appeared to be mixed with some welcoming the patrols, especially during the crowded rush-hour period while some advocates have criticized it, calling it a temporary measure that won’t tackle the root causes of violence in the city.

The TTC news came hours before Toronto police said it received reports of two separate incidents on the system Friday evening involving a group of young people.

Police say a man was assaulted by a group of young people on a TTC bus in the city’s east end and he was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Minutes earlier, the force says it received reports alleging a group of young people assaulted a man at a downtown subway station about a kilometre away.

Det.-Const. Michelle Flannery says police are currently treating the attacks as separate incidents and are appealing for witnesses to come forward to aid the ongoing investigation.