Ten community safety officers are now patrolling the transit system in Metro Vancouver.
Transit Police announced Nov. 2 that the first wave of community safety officers (CSOs) had graduated that day from their 17-week training program and were going to begin patrolling the transit system with their assigned squads.
Community safety officers are a new category of frontline Transit Police employee who will supplement patrol police officers. They’ll provide additional uniformed visibility on the transit system and address low-risk incidents that don’t necessarily require the full powers and tools of a police officer.
"My classmates and I are excited to graduate after several intense months of classroom and field training,” Kevin Regush, CSO graduating class valedictorian, said in a news release. “We feel ready and excited to be deployed into the community, and are looking forward to helping everyone feel safe while they use transit in the Lower Mainland."
According to Transit Police, community safety officers will help deliver a “community-focused approach” to keeping transit safe. In addition to regular patrol duties, they’ll assist with tasks such as collecting video evidence, performing outside perimeter security at police incidents, providing support at major events and emergencies, and taking on other responsibilities.
The CSOs all have customer service experience, know first aid and have the skills needed to help address the social and policing issues found on and around the transit system in Metro Vancouver, said the news release.
“It’s exciting to see the community safety officers program come to fruition,” Transit Police spokesperson Const. Amanda Steed said in a news release. “Their status as peace officers will empower CSOs to enforce transit bylaws and the transit conduct and safety regulations, bringing a new level of safety to the transit system.”
Transit Police’s next class of 10 CSOs began their training on Nov. 6.
New West connections
Transit Police’s community safety officers program was raised, at a Nov. 8 forum on crime and public safety, as an example of the type of “tiered policing” that should be explored in New Westminster.
Shirley Heafey, who served on the New Westminster police board from May 2021 until May 2023, said the program is an example of policing that frees up sworn police officers’ time so they can focus on “the heavy lifting.” She said this type of program shifts some responsibilities to other well-trained workers.
Heafey was one of three panellists at the crime and public safety forum hosted by city councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas of the New West Progressives. Also on the panel was former New Westminster Police Const. Dave Jones, who left the department in 2019 to take on the position of chief officer with Transit Police.
Jones said that when he started working for the Transit Police, he was struck by the number of people who told him they didn’t regularly see police at transit stations. He said management spoke to the union about the concept of community safety officers, something that’s been done in a couple of Metro Vancouver municipalities.
“What we found is the police officers aren't resistant to it, they enjoy it,” said Jones, who retired from Transit Police in September. “The public wants that visibility, they're getting that visibility.”
