Surrey transit hubs see increased police presence amid spike in violence

Safety concerns on transit Police are adamant the transit system is safe despite a series of violent attacks on buses and SkyTrain in recent days.

Police are now stepping up patrols at transit hubs in Surrey after a series of violent attacks on buses and SkyTrain.

The latest altercation claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy, which is now raising concerns about safety on transit.

There was a noticeable increase of officers outside of Surrey Central station Thursday morning, but riders shared doubts that was a suitable strategy.

“It’s not enough. They've got to have more patrols. Maybe hide a couple of undercover transit cops on the bus,” said one commuter who did not want to be identified.

“Not on the buses, not on the SkyTrain. I see them standing on the platform a lot, but I don't see much on the actual train,” said another man.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police Chief Dave Jones acknowledges there has been a surge in violence, and says they are monitoring the situation closely.

He says none of the recent incidents appear to be connected.

“We do look at that both from an anecdotal from bus drivers, other personnel, passengers and of course, we look at it from our own data that our members are collecting, allowing us to shift resources and dedicate the time and attention to those areas or individuals that we need to,” Jones told CTV Morning Live. Jones is encouraging riders to report suspicious activity using transit police's live texting system at 87-77-77.

Ethan Bespfleg was stabbed and killed after an altercation on a bus Tuesday night near King George station.

Homicide investigators believe he was targeted and call it an isolated incident.

“Recently, we've seen this spike, if you want to call it, as to what has occurred in these recent events in a short period of time. But I would still rate it as and we look at it from a statistical point of view, is that it is a very safe mode of transportation,” said Jones.

However, the 17-year-old's death came just a day after a man was stabbed at Columbia station in New Westminster.

Earlier this month, a man was charged with terrorism in connection to the Islamic state after allegedly slashing a bus rider’s throat in Surrey.

The union that represents transit operators says it's been consistently calling for increased security and police on buses and SkyTrains.

"I've personally talked with Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming about the need to see increased transit police on those buses and saying that we can't afford it is like saying we have to put buses on the road without tires,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s Western-Regional Director.

“It's part the system, we have a world class system here. People need to feel safe in the world class system. We can't risk ridership going down and we can't risk our members getting hurt or members of the public getting hurt,” he added.

Despite the series of attacks, Surrey RCMP say crime is down 14 per cent this year in the city. CTV News has reached out to TransLink and the public safety minister for comment.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kevin Charach and Kraig Krause