Joint Calgary safety blitz targets city’s transit system
During a four-day operation that ran from July 4-8, 2022, a collaborative effort among the city of Calgary law enforcement and peace officers targeted crime and social disorder occurring on the city’s transit network. The effort took place ahead of the 2022 Calgary Stampede, a rodeo and exhibition that draws upwards of four million to the city each year and generates more than C$540 million (US$420.89 million) for the local economy.
“Safety is a key component of Calgary Transit’s customer commitment and an important part of building a world-class transit system for our customers. As ridership continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring the transit system is safe and reliable,” said Will Fossen, superintendent, Transit Public Safety.
The joint operation resulted in:
- 216 summonses served
- 327 warrants executed
- 86 Criminal Code charges laid
- Four overdoses prevented
- Three missing persons located
- Two stolen bicycles recovered
- Drugs seized worth an approximate street value of C$30,000 (US$23,382.73), including crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, gabapentin, psilocybin and ketamine.
“Everyone deserves the right to feel safe while accessing public transit in our city,” said Inspector Scott Todd of the Calgary Police Service. “Through our efforts, we charged numerous individuals, issued several hundred tickets and were able to take a significant amount of drugs off our streets.”
The four-day operation between Calgary Police and transit officers covered all CTrain routes throughout the city to support a safer environment for those using transit.
“The success of this operation was due to collaboration across both organizations. Without support from Calgary Transit officers working with us, we wouldn’t have been as successful in our efforts to enhance public safety,” added Inspector Todd.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
