Toronto police are expanding the Neighbourhood Community Officer program to include a portion of the subway system.
Police Chief Myron Demkiew says four dedicated officers will patrol stations between Wellesley and Union, while another four officers will patrol stations between Bloor and Eglinton on the Yonge line, seven days a week.
Demkiew says there will be prioritized patrols at both Union and Bloor stations, particularly during peak hours. He added that commuters should start to see those additional officers by the end of the year.
TTC officials say that portion of the subway system was chosen based on data that shows where the most incidents are occurring, adding that any further expansion will be based on need and customer feedback.
Police officers will continue to work collaboratively with TTC Special Constables and other existing City and TTC resources to help vulnerable communities and those in crisis on the transit system.
The expansion of the NCO program will also see 16 new officers deployed to four additional communities: Dufferin Grove, Banbury-Don Mills/Victoria Village, Wexford-Maryvale, and Etobicoke City Centre. They join the 56 Toronto neighbourhoods that currently employ NCOs.
“This is community centre policing,” said Demkiw. “Neighbourhood Community Officers are embedded within communities. People know them by their first names. Their role is to address and prevent issues. This is a very unique job, and it is an important one.”
NCOs are experienced officers embedded in one neighbourhood for at least four years, actively co-developing solutions with residents and community agencies to reduce crime, fear of crime, and anti-social behaviour, while building sustainable solutions to these issues.
