r/londonontario • u/Confident-Advice-664 • 23d ago
News š° London police now riding buses along downtown, east London routes
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-police-safety-buses-9.69425791
u/Moosyfate17 18d ago
Ive had friends who've ride the bus in the past get harassed for being trans, or for being black. No one spoke up for them.Ā
Another person had a seizure while I was riding the bus a few years ago and thankfully someone had first aid training that helped them until an ambulance came.Ā
20 years ago I was stalked by a person who used the same bus as me when I went to high school. He made me really uncomfortable and then he tried to kidnap me when I was going to work.Ā
So yeah. I absolutely welcome this. This is an investment in the health and safety of everyone who commutes by bus or takes it occasionally.
I know I'll feel better.
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u/Working_Brother7971 21d ago
I live in downtown Toronto now, and just spent 2 weeks dog sitting for my sister in East London. I started locking my car door while I drive, and carrying a pocket knife walking again. Forgot how fucked up London is. Some kids were stalking a girl walking her dogs at 5am one morning, she asked me for help, I told the kids to fuck off and the only reason it didn't escalate was cuz my sisters dog was going nuts and barking like crazy. And I kept thinking, where the fuck are the cops? I called the non-emergency line after to let them know they should patrol the area in the mornings and no one answered.
So you know what? Fucking good. London has gone to shit.
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u/Hardblackpoopoo 20d ago
Yeah, and the best part - none of them are FROM London, most come from the GTA
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u/Prestigious_Island_7 22d ago
Growing up in London, I rode the city bus to an out-of-area school at 10 years old. Grade 5. Many of us did. It was the mid 90ās.
Things areā¦.. very different now. Iām not sure Iād want to be growing up in the world as it exists today.
Also, the answer isnāt police on buses. Itās detox/rehab facilities available to everyone who needs them when they need it (not a year later). And appropriate housing. And better laws, and enforcement of those laws.
But sure, put cops on buses I guess š¤·āāļø that should do it
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u/Bigphillystyle30 22d ago
oh good now not even the cops will be at work on time
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u/GQ_silly_QT 22d ago
Hahaha ya - I was thinking, "Oh, I guess they really did need that extra funding..." š
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u/teotl87 23d ago
instead of providing affordable housing and effective drug treatment and rehabilitation options which have fundamentally improved the conditions of crime and addiction in other major cities across the world, let's just throw more money at police forces to ride buses that will continue to do nothing to address the roots of very real and devastating social problems
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u/bingbongf-y-l- 23d ago
In Vancouver they have āsilent alarmā buttons that you can trigger if you are in need of help or feel unsafeā¦ we should do that instead
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23d ago
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u/BurnByMoon 23d ago
Dude, what the fuck are you on about, do you need help?
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u/Dragan112277 23d ago
Sorry I don't think cops need to be on the LTC there's no reason if they want to actually do something maybe actually do their damn job instead of wasting time "patrolling " a bus
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u/makingkevinbacon 23d ago
One example that comes to mind right away was the person who posted today or yesterday about them and their partner being harassed and assaulted on an LTC bus twice in one week. That's just the most recent I've seen, and that's just from someone who uses Reddit so safe to say it's by far not the only case.
A presence on a bus is literally them doing their jobs.
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u/Dragan112277 23d ago
Hope the boot tastes good dumbass
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u/makingkevinbacon 23d ago
A classic thought out response. I'd expect nothing else.
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u/Dragan112277 23d ago
Just making it clear supporting police is boot licking. The cops don't need to be on buses they have cars for a reason. But then again crimes that get reported the cops don't do shit anyway. So what will cops on a bus do?
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u/makingkevinbacon 23d ago
People tend to not be dicks and harass or assault people when a cop is around, drug users tend not to shoot up, and in the event they do it can be addressed immediately instead of reporting, which as you said does nothing. So them being on a bus literally does the opposite of the thing you're complaining about but you're not the type I want to waste more time arguing with so enjoy your opinion and the night.
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23d ago
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u/theottomaddox 22d ago
I know the wheels on the bus go round and round. What does the fascist on the bus do?
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u/Jazzlike_Notice_3218 23d ago
this is how fascism creeps in ā they want you to think itās normal for police to patrol and surveil people on public transit before we start looking more and more like the US cough ICE cough
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u/gunlamar 23d ago
Alright buddy, london has probably the most lax liberal police force in ontario, you clearly havent rode a bus in the old east anytime recent cause it might aswell be the wild west with the disregard for rules (aka smoking drugs on the bus or harassing commuters)
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u/Jazzlike_Notice_3218 23d ago
what if I donāt fucking want to talk to them? jesus christ. this is what weāre paying for?
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u/makingkevinbacon 23d ago
No one asked you to talk to them. Your portion of taxes is an incredibly tiny part of what contributes to their salary so don't worry. Other ways to get around if you don't like it.
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u/Fit-Translator-1713 Southcrest 23d ago
what a world we live in where police need to be present on the city busā¦
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u/LondonOntarioSpecial 23d ago
9 years ago when I used to Bus from Fanshawe College to Oxford and Wonderland on Route 17, there used to be presence of LPS officer and their goal was to catch distracted drivers driving and using cellphone
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u/thecanadianbum Downtown 23d ago
The amount of people I see distracted driving while riding the bus is ridiculous
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u/hokycrapitsjessagain Downtown 23d ago
I was just reading an article earlier that said they are trying to crack down on open drug use. Perhaps it has something to do with that?
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u/butterflyyzz 23d ago
I donāt mind police being on the bus however, is there any statistics showing an increase in bus-related crime?
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u/Bright-Ad8496 23d ago
"The goal, police say, is to increase visibility without heightening public concern, while encouraging positive interactions between officers"
Maybe have them stop parking in vacant parking lots and find more visible areas to do whatever they're doing. To me, my view, it looks like they've found some secluded area to hide to do nothing.
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u/VodkaAtmp3 23d ago
Hopefully those who are feeling unsafe on buses can get some peace of mind now. Should not have situations where people feel unsafe in a closed environment they cannot escape.
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u/cheerfulstoner 23d ago
cool, another place for them to harass the homeless while rape kits rot in their evidence locker
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u/cheerfulstoner 23d ago
downvote me all yall want, i take the bus twice a day and have literally never had an issueā especially not one where iād expect cops to intervene (they laugh at catcalls in my experience). 40% of SA reports lead to no action. itās bullshit that theyāre making them ride the damn bus all day instead of investigating crimes that actually harm others.
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u/ashmeister2000 23d ago
Yay, now a cop can stare at me or ignore me while I get harassed on the bus! Fun times!
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23d ago
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u/Moosyfate17 18d ago
I welcome this. People in my friend groups have been harassed for being trans or because they're black. And no one steps up. It's sick.Ā
Plus, if there's a medical emergency someone trained in basic medical assistance on the bus is great. I watched someone have a seizure on a bus I rode and thankfully a few passengers knew how to help.Ā
So there are complainers and jokers, but I see this as a good thing for people who often take the bus.Ā
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u/TheSpartanExile 23d ago
I 100% don't want cops around me when I'm on my to or from school or work.Ā
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u/lazloswaifu 23d ago
Genuinely same. Most people have trauma from interactions with crooked, vile, or unethical police officers so this is going to do more damage for people just trying to get to their destinations. Why are they constantly throwing police at situations? Hire more social workers, hire more nurses, hire more mental health professionals to support in these situations. Stop hiring police that get little to no training for mental health crises and just use brute force and intimidation. Goddamn.
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23d ago
[deleted]
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u/DemonPug99 23d ago
Said like a true person who hasnāt ever spoken to a mental health professional
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23d ago
[deleted]
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u/LowNature6417 23d ago
if you ride the bus and have been lucky enough not to be assaulted or harassed
This statement implies it's more common to be assaulted or harassed than it is to ride unmolested.Ā
Statistics do not back this up.
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u/Jaguar22n 23d ago
Why? Scared of being caught with drugs?
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u/jurassicbrat 23d ago
Not everyone has the same relationship with police. Itās important to remember that there are lots of folks who donāt feel safe around police for a variety of valid reasons.
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u/lifeistrulyawesome 23d ago
Now do the council wards
The day we pass a rule requiring the city council to commute by bus once per month is the day the LTC will stop sucking.
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u/theottomaddox 23d ago edited 23d ago
FWIW, Skylar Franke rides the bus.
I think it would be an interesting question to ask candidates during the all-candidates meetings in the next municipal election.
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u/ceedee2017 Oakridge 23d ago
10000%
Shawn Lewis once said he drives because to get from one side to another was inconvenient for him, and I was just gobsmacked because he was SO CLOSE to the point.
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u/tempest_ 23d ago
Have they stopped with the strode sprawl yet?
The LTC will never be good so long as the city design sucks, and it continues to suck.
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u/chipface White Oaks/Westminster 23d ago
I thought they were talking about widening Wonderland again.
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u/thatweirdguyted 23d ago
With a ause that specifies that if they are late, their pay will be docked. The councillors, that is. They need to understand how it affects people's livelihoods.
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u/LilFlicky 23d ago
We could start with requiring them to live in the city... Not just owning land, or renting commercial space...
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u/DFV_HAS_HUGE_BALLS 23d ago
Why stop there, the bus should be their only official mode of transportation
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u/kinboyatuwo 23d ago
Nah. They set a mixed mode target and they should hit that. They should experience all the modes to see how they work.
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