Skytrain Safety Safety, Skytrain

GAClone

Just read an article on News1130.com

"BURNABY (NEWS1130) - TransLink is defending it's actions to increase public safety along SkyTrain routes in reaction to a recent assault, and criticism from the group 'Families Against Crime and Trauma' (FACT), which says TransLink's board is not taking ridership safety seriously.

FACT is upset with the lack of uniformed transit police officers patrolling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at high-risk stations. Ken Hardie with TransLink says there's nearly 24-hour security along the SkyTrain line in one form or another, aside from the time when the system shuts down.

Hardie says TransLink has no plans to have 24-hour transit police patrol, and no promise of 24 hour police patrols at SkyTrain stations was ever made. He says it was a consideration, but it's been decided that it wouldn't be the best use of resources.

Last week, an 18 year old girl was swarmed at Nanaimo Station by group of six suspects, all 13 and 14 year olds. Vancouver Police arrested the teens, but are still trying to put a case together, and so far say there's not enough evidence for charges.

FACT president David Toner says the latest assault is just another example of TransLink's security shortfalls. Toner is also upset with what he calls 'outdated surveillance equipment', which in this case did not properly record the swarming attack. "They're relying on the video system to be the protection...the safety net of the public, when we all know that that alone doesn't enough provide a strict deterrent. They've got to get those uniformed bodies on the platforms and in the stations if they really want the ridership to be protected."

Toner is concerned the perpetrators will never face charges. He says TransLink has a duty of care to its riders, and should be held legally responsible for the failure to take any effective measures to provide safety to the public.

Ken Hardie says in the most recent case, they're trying to follow up to see what exactly happened, and where it happened. "This incident took place outside the field of view of the camera. By law, the cameras can be focused only in certain areas."

Hardie says the transit authority is in the middle of switching all surveillance equipment from analog to digital and expects the project will be complete by the fall.

Hardie maintains the safety at SkyTrain stations is not necessarily the issue, but instead says it reflects on general safety in the community. Hardie says very few violent incidents actually start on the SkyTrain system.

TransLink has posted a list of safety tips on their website."


are we living in an environment of fear? how can Translink be defending the skytrain like that? i dont usually take the skytrain, but from my experience, there are barely any safety enforcements around, the only being 1 or 2 officers occasionally checking for passes or paid tickets...

it is also a scary thought how a couple 13 and 14 year olds ganged up on an 18 year old...how are people supposed to defend against that? no way can you win a 1 on 6 battle no matter what the age is...

besides, their surveillance equipment is old, even they admitted that in the article. and what's this BS about cameras only being allowed by law to be focused on certain areas? it's not a washroom...so what areas are off limits anyways...?

thoughts anyone?

shutterbug

IMO, it's difficult without invading privacy, i.e. surveillance everywhere.  The station is so open, any suspects can escape in any direction.  So few people take the skytrain during nightime so it's not cost effective for them to put and guards around.  Translink is useless, depending on them to do something is a joke...

Better get your friends, parents, etc to pick you up from the station during nighttime.

GAClone

i guess you're right. invading privacy...that's a classic for Canadians...but IMO the skytrain is a public area, so i think surveillance is a must. talking about legal areas that can be under surveillance or not is absurd. but i can understand the guards part. if that's the case, then there really isnt anything that you can do about it.

just dont travel at night time =P lol haha just kidding

bugspray

I dont see why anyone want "privacy" at a skytrain station. What exactly do you want to do in private?
If they want to install more cameras and increase the length of the tape(right now its only 2 hours) I'm all for it.

I think they should have at least 1 guard at each station. A month ago, I was riding the skytrain at around 11Pm and was harrassed and threatened by a black guy. I got off the train at broadway and alerted the skytrain cops there. They grabbed the guy and I told the cops "he screamed and yelled at me and waved his fists in front of my face". So they kicked him off the train and was questioning him when I took the next train. But they never contacted me again and I dont know what they actually did afterwards.

fm9610

The problem is Skytrain's 'honour' fare system. I bet none of these trouble makers ever pay to get on the train. You can always see the weird ppl after the daily rush hours. It is the same everywhere when you are outside the train station, even in HK. Just that HK always has more ppl than us any time, any where and therefore harder to commit a crime.

shutterbug

The honour system doesn't work anymore la...it's not like we're still in 1986 la...it's stupid that we're still relying on that...

bugspray

yeah, that's why they used to call Vancouver a village.  honour system indeed.