Montreal deploys safety ambassadors on metro network

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has deployed safety ambassadors on its public transit system to address growing security concerns.

The agency says that in the last few years it has received a rise in complaints from commuters about a lack of safety on its metro service – most related to homelessness and drug use.

“In the face of social issues that are becoming increasingly prevalent on our network, the STM’s strategy is to increase the visibility of staff and strengthen our ability to intervene,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors.

“The creation of a new team of safety ambassadors is a first in the history of the Montréal Métro and these new, dedicated resources will meet a very specific need for our customers.

“We want to ensure that everyone can get the help they need to navigate the network better and feel safer. By adding safety ambassadors to our security teams and other security measures, we believe we can effectively address this need.”

New role

The first group of six ambassadors is already out on the network at station turnstiles, and on platforms and metro trains.

Staff receive 80 hours of training for a variety of situations including supporting major events, providing customer assistance and identifying safety issues. They will also be equipped with Narcan, a nasal spray that can be administered to people overdosing.

The ambassadors differ from the Métro’s special constables – who are not police but have the power to make arrests for criminal offences on public transit.

According to STM security director Jocelyn Latulippe, there were 47,000 incident reports in 2023. That number has been steadily rising, with 42,000 reports and interventions in 2022, 35,622 in 2021 and 31,628 in 2020.

The move follows similar initiatives in other major North American cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia, and comes amid growing concerns about safety on public transport.

Resources

The US Federal Transit Administration recently published a new resource on its website to help transit agencies prevent crime on their networks.

The content includes a report conducted with the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center that examines passenger assaults on transit property and vehicles, and how agencies are working to mitigate and collect data on them.

The report found that from 2008 to 2022, the injury rate per 100 million passenger trips in the US has risen by almost 294 percent and fatalities rose 300 percent.

Numerous societal issues were found to have contributed to these increases, including homelessness, substance misuse and mental health crises. The report also noted that many assaults begin as minor conflicts.

The administration currently has a number of funded programmes to support crime prevention measures such as increased lighting, camera surveillance systems, security services and equipment.

Image: STM Louis-Étienne Doré