Does Saskatoon need dedicated transit police?

WATCH: Saskatoon councillors will weigh the option of having dedicated transit police when budget talks begin next week.

Robert Clipperton never imagined safety concerns on Saskatoon Transit would become such a dominant topic even five years ago, but today he says some people are afraid to take the bus and it’s time for the city to address it.

“I had one older woman who said that she was afraid to move to the back of the bus,” Clipperton, a member of advocacy group Bus Riders of Saskatoon, said.

“Part of it is perception, but you still need to deal with the perception.”

City Hall may answer the call, after all.

Earlier this month, city council’s transportation committee unanimously approved considering spending $1.6 million next year on nine Saskatoon Police Service officers and two patrol cars as dedicated transit police. The proposal will be part of council’s budget talks starting next week.

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The consideration is part of a budget that is already calling for a property tax increase of 8.23 per cent. That number will likely be reduced at the end of the deliberations as councillors work to find additional savings.

Calls for safer transit have been growing louder in recent years, with the city looking at a number of ways to enhance safety.

Saskatoon Transit currently has 14 supervisors tasked with supporting employees when there are incidents. Commissionaires patrol the downtown and Confederation Mall terminals and 12 community support officers from the fire department are also patrolling transit buses and business improvement districts.

Clipperton says with $250 million being spent on Link, the upcoming bus rapid transit program set to launch in 2028, some money can go towards safety.

“You want people to be comfortable that it’s going to be safe when they go on the bus,” Clipperton said. “Let’s get this dealt with and things working smoothly before we go full tilt into the BRT in 2028.”

A report before the transportation committee showed that the number of reported negative interactions involving a bus operator decreased from 2023 to 2024 and is trending lower in 2025.

Police support is necessary for 11 per cent of incidents that escalate beyond the scope of supervisors, fire community support and Commissionaires.

“I think we can say that some of the social ills that have taken over some of our streets in Saskatoon have naturally spilled over onto the transit system,” Clipperton said.

Last week, Winnipeg issued a news release saying its fare enforcement efforts are saving money. Transit inspectors and safety officers did 6,800 fare checks, resulting in 4,944 denied rides, 931 warnings and 359 riders who paid after being asked.

The city of Winnipeg estimates losses of $7 million and $10 million annually through fare evasion.

Saskatoon doesn’t enforce fare payment, as drivers are encouraged to avoid negative interactions.

City council will also consider adding $300,000 to launch a pilot project which will have Indigenous non-police workers, called peacekeepers, patrolling Riversdale and the downtown 12 hours a day, every day of the year as another way of having a safety presence on Saskatoon streets.

Budget deliberations begin on Nov. 25.