Paziuk: Let's find better answers to violence on OC Transpo

We see our public transit system as a microcosm of the city we live in and love. How can we make it safer?

The tragic stabbing outside St. Laurent station on Sept. 16 recalls a similar incident, 16 years ago, in which another young man, Michael Oatway, was stabbed, on Route 118. Occurring just before OC Transpo’s special constables program was authorized in the fall of 2006, Oatway’s murder is referenced in news articles and columns about what was then a new program.

Most commentators seemed to proceed from the assumption that if a special constables program had existed at the time, Michael Oatway would still be alive. It’s a leap, to say the least. Were they imagining there would be a transit cop on every bus at all times? Did special constables — we now have the program — prevent the stabbing at St. Laurent? Did the police? Did mall security? No. Despite all our “investments” in law enforcement, a young man was still killed. And another is likely headed to prison.

The stabbing at St. Laurent is a tragedy. Just like the murder of Michael Oatway. Inevitably, a new generation of fear-mongering commentators — some of whom are running for council — will argue that this incident points to a need for more transit cops, or more cops in general. As in 2006, no evidence will be marshalled to show us how more cops will prevent future tragedies like these.

But yes, a person died. We should be sad about that. We can even be angry and frustrated that something like this happened, again, in or adjacent to our public transit spaces — spaces where we should be able to feel perfectly safe at all times. But we must refuse the misdirection that aims to manipulate our base emotions, to persuade us that more police are the answer here — or were ever the answer.

In the meantime, we can also ask OC Transpo and our would-be municipal leaders to explore other, police-free ways to ensure safety in our public transit spaces. Here at the Ottawa Transit Safety Project, we are taking the time to learn about what has been tried in other cities, what worked, what didn’t, and what could be adapted to the OC Transpo context.

There are simple things — like turning these dark and dingy transportation hubs that riders rush through as quickly as possible into vibrant centres of community that people want to spend time in. Larger initiatives like partnering with woefully under-funded service providers to build out crisis response teams who are better positioned to interact with struggling riders with compassion and care, not criminalization. And everything in between: from free bystander intervention training for any rider who wants it, to public education campaigns promoting community and neighbourliness among transit riders.

We see our public transit system as a microcosm of the city we live in and love. If we can increase safety here, without defaulting to more and more police, we can try expanding to all public spaces, and to the city as a whole. Why not try?

Oatway’s killer, who was 17 at the time, was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. In 2013, he was himself murdered in a prison fight. That is also a tragedy. The only silver lining to this story is the one we build, together.

Tyler Paziuk is a member of the Ottawa Transit Safety Project, a new initiative promoting a community-oriented, compassionate, police-free model of transit safety in Ottawa. Twitter: @OttawaTSP . Or visit the website: ottawa.couragecoalition.ca .