Winnipeg police say their new transit safety initiative has already borne fruit, with arrests occurring as early as Wednesday—the very day the project was announced.

Officers stationed at the Unicity Transit Hub made two separate arrests on launch day. In one incident, a 37-year-old man was apprehended as he attempted to board a bus to flee with goods stolen from a nearby business. The man was charged with theft under $5,000.

“It comes as no surprise to us,” said Supt. Brian Miln. “There’s a direct link to our transit strategy, as some individuals involved in retail crime use transit as a means to leave the area after committing shoplifting and theft inside retail outlets.”

The second incident involved a report from a transit driver who witnessed a man smash a bus window with his elbow. Police patrolling the hub quickly tracked down the 35-year-old suspect, who was charged with mischief under $5,000.

Additionally, police found flammable liquid and a lighter on the man, items he was banned from possessing under the conditions of a release order. He was subsequently charged with failing to comply with those conditions and taken into custody.

Although the transit safety initiative has only been in place for a few days, Miln said public response has been positive so far. “We’ve had a couple of people reach out to us through various means—emails, phone calls, etc.—who are very pleased to see a police presence on buses, saying the initiative is very welcome and overdue.”

The campaign was launched in response to a record high number of violent crimes recorded on transit buses and around bus shelters last year—more than triple the numbers reported in 2019. Authorities say this troubling trend is continuing.

The ramped-up police presence involves both uniformed and plainclothes officers and will focus on routes and stops flagged as problem areas to enhance safety for transit users.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11436989/winnipeg-transit-police-arrests-day-one/