Buses In Canadian City To Deploy Surveillance Systems

Apr 1, 2008 3:16 PM

The success of a bus video surveillance pilot project means cameras could be a feature on all new buses in Saskatoon, Canada.

According to the StarPhoenix, in the summer of 2006, a program began involving the installation of video cameras at the front and rear of city transit buses, as well as a digital sound and recording system.

The surveillance system was installed in an effort to curb violence against bus drivers, vandalism and inappropriate behavior.

Saskatoon Transit wrote a report, which they sent to city hall, saying that it plans to make the camera systems standard for all new buses.

The move is a result of positive feedback from transit operators, heralding the system for providing a sense of security for drivers, for footage to aid investigators of bus crimes and for a reduction in vandalism. There was no negative feedback from transit passengers.

The new system will feature an additional camera, filming the passengers as they enter the bus, in addition to the two cameras filming the aisles as people come and go from their seats.

"I think it's a great idea and I believe it will add a sense of security and comfort for the users," says Counselor Darren Hill.

Counselor Bev Dubois said $100,000 in capital funding has been approved for the project. She hopes some existing buses can also be retrofitted with the equipment.

"It's good to be proactive," she told the StarPhoenix. "Our city is growing every day, so we need to keep up with things like this for the security of our operators and passengers."

In the summer of 2007, a transit passenger was assaulted by a youth who lit the victim's hair on fire at the rear of a bus. There were also two bus drivers assaulted in 2006 -- both were punched in the face.

Before the pilot project began, the union representing drivers conducted an informal survey in Halifax, Hamilton, Mississauga, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, which concluded 35 to 37 percent of drivers have been assaulted on the job.

Counselor Gordon Wyant says he is in full support of the program based on these prior incidents and the effectiveness of the surveillance.

"I do a lot of traveling around and in cities where they've installed surveillance in buses or taxi cabs, it has significantly reduced the amount of crime in those vehicles," he says. "We now know that it's a deterrent in Saskatoon. It makes everyone feel safe and makes great evidence if there is a crime."

The on-bus cameras will record video in a loop, with the tape only being reviewed if there is an incident on the bus.

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