You’ll see more police officers at Union Station this summer
A Metrolinx statement said heavy police presence during the busy season, which includes the World Cup, is a safety precaution
A statement issued by Metrolinx this week says commuters passing through Union Station should expect heavier police presence during the “busy summer ridership season,” which will include concerts around the city and World Cup matches at BMO Field.
“Metrolinx is increasing police presence at Union Station, with Metrolinx special constables working alongside additional paid-duty Toronto police officers. This will strengthen coordination, lower response times and ensure quicker interventions when needed,” the statement said, noting that the increase was put in place on April 20.
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“As we prepare for an unprecedented surge of riders—more than half a million additional GO and UP Express customers during the World Cup alone—safety remains our top priority,” Metrolinx president and CEO Michael Lindsay said in the announcement. “Enhanced transit safety officer coverage and increased police presence are all part of the comprehensive planning we’ve been doing for months to ensure every rider, whether they’re heading to a match, a concert or their daily commute, feels confident on our system.”
The press release from Metrolinx did not specify what kind of firearms police will carry at Union Station, but the announcement arrived amid broader conversations about increased militarization in Toronto, as the police budget hit $1.43 billion this year.
Back in March, Toronto police informed residents that some officers will operate with large semi-automatic rifles. Toronto’s police chief, Myron Demkiw, said this was in response to “the growing volume and complexity of threats related to terrorism, extremism and hate-motivated incidents.”
Some Torontonians, including Mayor Olivia Chow, also recently expressed concern regarding the presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the World Cup. A spokesperson for ICE told the Canadian Press that ICE agents will not carry guns in Canada.
Related: Olivia Chow wants to keep ICE out of Toronto during the World Cup
Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
