Winnipeg mayoral candidate Don Woodstock wants plainclothes police officers on city buses
CBC
Winnipeg mayoral candidate Don Woodstock says if elected, he would like to replace transit supervisors with police officers.
The campaign promise to beef up security on transit buses is partly inspired by Woodstock's almost-10-year career as a bus driver himself, and recent assaults on drivers.
His announcement comes one day before a rally hosted by the transit union in support of safer conditions for drivers.
An initiative he is calling Operation Safe Ride would result in 10 transit supervisors replaced with plainclothes police officers.
"We do not need to wait on a mother, a father, or a son to be killed or maimed to jump into action. We are looking at prevention," Woodstock told the media on Wednesday.
Transit supervisors cannot arrest or intervene if a passenger is violent or aggressive; they can only contain the situation and call 911.
The mayoral hopeful says the general public will feel safer knowing that there might be a plainclothes officer on the bus with them, which would also keep passengers from misbehaving.
Woodstock doesn't believe that having officers on buses would result in incidents escalating.
"If they feel that a plainclothes officer will make it escalate … I beg to differ, as a driver in the seat for nine years," he said.
In his experience, he says "the whole mood changes" when transit drivers call police for help.
While Woodstock vows to make transit safety a priority if elected, a mayor cannot direct police operations.
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