City of Saskatoon putting community support officers on buses to help curb violence

A recent stabbing on a bus and escalating violent incidents on transit routes have prompted the City of Saskatoon to rampup support on certain bus routes.

An 18-year-old man wassent to hospital after he was stabbed on a bus travelling on Broadway Avenue Wednesday evening.

In response, the city has decided the Saskatoon Fire Department will take over the community support officerprogram, whosefoot patrol teams offer outreach services.

Right now the city has six CSOs whopatrol the downtown, Riversdale and Broadway areas.

Pamela Goulden-McLeod, the city's director of emergency management, saidanother six officers will be hired. Part of their duties will includepatrolling buses on high-incident routes.

Goulden-McLeodsaid the safety officers will work with the fire department to make sure they have the proper training.

"[CSOs] are really good at engaging with individuals and helping de-escalate situations, and helping get people the services they need," she said.

"If somebody is agitated or upset, sometimes they're identified and our CSOs can then intervene and start having conversations."

Regular bus rider Deborah Underwood said she doesn'tfeel safe anymore at the bus mall or at the main library.

"I see more homelessness, more drug addiction," Underwood said.

On one of her recent rides, Underwood said the bus driver had to call an ambulance because of an overdose.

"More security might help, but what about the underlying issues?" Underwood asked. "I don't have an easy answer for that."

Leah Havoshitakes the bus to get to school and said she has seen an increase in violence.

"I do remember having to hide out at the [downtown] library over there because there was people running around with BB guns shooting at people," she said.

She is worried about young people having to take the bus by themselves and said having more security is a good idea.

"I just want to feel safe taking the bus."

Goulden-McLeodsaid riders will notice the uniformed officers on the buses.

"They will be on specific routes at specific times," she said, adding the routes could change from week to week.

The needs facing communities across the country are complex, said Goulden-McLeod.

"They require different levels of government in partnership, they require all kinds of community partners working together," she said. "And this is just another way to pull those all together and get them working more efficiently."

Police are still searching for the assailant in the Wednesdaystabbing incident.

The victim is believed to be in stable condition.