Violence on the TTC persists despite increase in police presence

A little more than two weeks after Toronto police boosted their presence on the city’s transit system, a TTC subway station has become the scene of yet another violent attack.

Police allege on Sunday evening, a woman was slashed in the face at Spadina Station after a verbal dispute with three strangers. Surveillance video captured one of the suspects wielding a six-inch knife with a jagged edge.

The case is the latest in a string of violent and, at times, seemingly random incidents on the TTC that have prompted police to add 80 more officers to patrol the system on any given day.

Toronto police tell CityNews officers are dispatched to areas with the highest demand based on their own intelligence including “volume of calls received, where they’re coming from and when,” read a statement. “By doing so, we are enhancing the TTC’s security presence on the transit system, and ensuring that people are not only safe, but feel safe as well. A visible police presence supports both.”

But the number of attacks involving people who don’t know their assailants has raised alarm among some commuters and staff alike.

“The issue of randomness is the very worrisome part of it,” said Dariusz Nowotny, president of CUPE Local 5089, the union representing TTC special constables.

Nowotny told CityNews between eight and 10 of its officers are on patrol per shift – not nearly enough to cover 75 stations.

“On one day, we may have two officers in the east end and another day two officers in the west end. So, you’re looking at two, maybe four officers extra per day,” said Nowotny. “If you were to look at the ratio of officers per users, we have probably one of the lowest in North America.”

Nowotny said special constables deescalate situations that don’t make the news every day.

But he adds there is uncertainty regarding enforcement after two officers involved in an altercation with a streetcar passenger in 2020 were fired.

“That led to a very chilling effect on how the work is being performed on the frontlines.”

Since then, he said the TTC’s directives to its special constables have changed multiple times.

“The safety of customers and employees is paramount to all the TTC does,” read a brief statement from the transit agency. “We remain committed to working with our City of Toronto partners and unions on ways we can all make the TTC as safe as possible.”

“Even though we have 85 officers right now divided between four shifts, we can do much more than we are doing right now,” explained Nowotny.

Nowotny added the union was scheduled to meet with the TTC, Toronto Police and the mayor this Friday to discuss safety on the system.

But he is unsure if the latest talks will go ahead as planned, since John Tory’s sudden resignation.