Edmonton and its police force are preparing students for school with a “Here to Help” campaign. The goal is to ensure a safe, welcoming and supportive transit experience for riders.
Tuesday, the city announced the campaign as part of its Enhanced Transit Safety Plan, in collaboration with EPS. According to city officials, 22,000 students are set to return to transit.
Over the first few weeks of the school year, additional transit peace officers will be stationed at key LRT stations and transit centres across the city. These officers will be patrolling and engaging with riders during peak hours (7-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.) to assist students and other transit riders.
“We encourage riders to approach uniformed officers for assistance whenever needed. Their presence ensures every rider feels safe, supported and connected as they navigate the transit system,” said David Jones, the city’s branch manager of community standards and neighbourhoods, in a news release.
The campaign will also see the continued deployment of the Community Outreach Transit Team.
Other security measures include 4,000 security cameras across the service, blue emergency phones on all LRT platforms and at transit centres, as well as red alarm buttons, red pull handles and yellow alarm strips on all LRT trains.