Is violence decreasing on Metro Vancouver transit? Police, union disagree

Transit safety concerns linger after teen's death Thursday marks one year since the tragic death of 17-year-old Ethan Bespflug, who was stabbed while riding a bus in Surrey.

It’s been one year since dozens of recommendations were made by the Canadian Urban Transit Association about how to improve transit safety and security, but transit police in Metro Vancouver and the union representing operators disagree on whether incidents have decreased.

Jon MacMull, the director of communications with CUTA, said some of the recommendations introduced last year include investing in enforcement staff and "taking a community outreach approach to dealing with vulnerable individuals people who are unhoused or need help with mental health."

MacMull said he's encouraged that some recommendations have been met, but the association is still pushing to make changes to the law, including calling for an amendment to be made to the criminal code to create stronger sentencing for assaults on transit workers.

“They’re on the frontline getting people where they need to go and we want to make sure that assaults on these individuals are not tolerated, it would be a strong signal to ensure safety and security on our transit systems,” MacMull said.

According to Metro Vancouver Transit Police, violence on transit in the region has decreased in the past year.

“Stats say and my experience is that crimes against persons, and crimes against property has decreased,” Const. Travis Blair told CTV News Vancouver.

Blair says crimes against people are down 22 per cent and crimes against property is down 28 per cent.

But Balbir Mann, president of Unifor Local 111, which represents transit operators, disagrees.

“I don’t know how they could say that, they’ve never been on the buses, our members want them to ride the buses,” he said, when told the numbers were decreasing.

Mann says so far this year nine transit workers have been assaulted compared to the same time last year when seven assaults were recorded.

“They’re getting verbally, physically abused for you know, the bus being late, the bus being overcrowded,” said Mann.

The union is calling for more transit police and security on board buses.

Transit police say they’ve hired 20 additional community peace officers in the wake of several violent incidents that unfolded in 2023.

“We have staff and personal on the sky train and buses as well, anyone in a uniform just lets the public know there’s someone they can go to,” Blair said.

Anyone who feels unsafe while riding transit can calll 604-515-8300 or text 87-77-77 to reach a transit police officer.