Drug use and danger on full display when Toronto hosts World Cup

Article content

In ten weeks, visitors coming from around the globe for soccer’s World Cup will get to see Toronto’s notorious rolling homeless shelters that reek of urine for themselves.

Article content

They may also see someone on a streetcar, bus or subway train ingesting their drug of choice or aimlessly scaring everybody else on board.

Article content

Article content

Perhaps a tourist will get robbed, sexually assaulted, stabbed or shot, set on fire or pushed in front of moving train? Or we could see someone take matters into their own hands by taking out a snow brush and scaring off an intimidating intruder like I saw myself near St. Lawrence Market on Sunday.

There is no point in sugarcoating it. Toronto doesn’t control its streets or transit system any more. The zombie world does.

The good news, though, is the TTC is not raising fares during the FIFA event. The bad news is that our guests may have to navigate through a city where police are in tactical gear and patrolling with semi-automatic C8 Carbine rifles to protect another synagogue, consulate or business from being shot up.

Toronto has become Zombieland

But all of that might be preferable to getting on the 501 streetcar, or a subway train, where it may look like a film set for the next Zombieland movie – but is real.

Article content

When you have a transit squatter with sores and bandages on her feet using her legs as a gate in the middle of a TTC subway car, it’s clear the homeless are in charge. And when criminals walk into an LCBO next to a subway station and take whatever they want with no repercussions, it conveys a loss of control.

Article content

Article content

But perhaps people have had enough?

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw certainly expressed his concern about the lawlessness on the TTC and on, perhaps, a better way to approach things.

At the Toronto Police Services Board meeting Monday the Chief talked of an “executive conversation that needs to happen between myself the leadership at this table and the Toronto Transit Commission on what is the best path forward for the safety and security of the transit system.”

Article content

Could this mean marrying TTC special constables and security with the Toronto Police?

“As you can hear in the clip … the Chief said he is open to further discussions about what the right model would look like to support safety and security on the TTC, in partnership with the TTC,” police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan said.

The chief certainly did say that: “We used to have a transit unit in the Toronto Police,” he told the board. “We diverted that many years ago.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Drug addicts everywhere

Now drug-addicted homeless seem to be everywhere. They call the street car Hotel 501.

While the Chief said, “We are seeing (crime) numbers come down, they’re not coming down the way we would like to see. So there is a real conversation to have about what is the right model going forward? And while we do celebrate our partnerships, we do know that (an armed) police officer’s presence has a unique impact on safety and security wherever they are and we have to have a discussion with our partners on that.”

Article content

Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell agrees with the chief – and he took it further.

“If we are going to turn the page on the current state of public transit, we strongly encourage the city to transfer the responsibility of TTC security to the Toronto Police Service and our members,” he told the Toronto Sun. “With a robust deployment of TPS Police Officers and Special Constables, we will help the TTC create the public transit system Torontonians deserve.”

It might be hard to do before thousands come into town for soccer, but unless Toronto wants to be the laughing stock of the world, they should treat it as an emergency.

“The Chief has stated, and we fully agree, the visible presence of uniformed police officers has a profound impact on this behaviour and on the public’s feelings of safety and security,” Campbell said.

Article content

The world will soon see the real Toronto

It can’t stay like it is now.

There’s no excuse for people sleeping on transit or harassing people or shooting up their drugs. They can, and should, be removed and immediately.

There’s no reason why criminals stealing can’t be arrested and held in custody.

Article content

If the Chef Demkiw wants to have this conversation, then have the conversation. Don’t worry about the drug dealers being offended.

So far Mayor Olivia Chow hasn’t responded to questions about this.

But City Councillor Brad Bradford, Chow’s main rival in the Oct. 26 election, did.

“I am grateful that my proposal to have police on the TTC is moving forward. It’s overdue,” he told the Sun. “Mayor Chow could have taken action long ago, and didn’t … Toronto residents want a safer city – and change.”

Article content

They should do this fast because if you think social media videos from Caryma Sa’d, Integrity Toronto, Table Salt and Mario Zelaya get traction online, just wait until YouTubers and travellers from around the world come here in June and July.

Toronto’s dirty little secret of who controls the street and transit system will be on display for the world to see.

Unless they take the Chief up on his offer to discuss how to do things better.

jwarmington@postmedia.com

Article content