Billings Bridge, Blair stations top list for transit assaults

Women’s groups want better reporting of incidents, more OC Transpo special constables

More assaults have been reported this year near Billings Bridge and Blair transit stations than at any other bus stops in the city, according to data collected by OC Transpo.

Transit special constables have responded to 100 reports of assault and harassment either on buses or near bus stops so far this year.

The data was compiled by OC Transpo last week at the request of the Citizen. A quick analysis shows 30 incidents occurred near five transit stations: Billings Bridge, Blair, Lincoln Fields, Mackenzie King and Hurdman, whether on a bus or just near the stops.

That number includes eight assaults reported close to or at Billings Bridge station, and seven at or near Blair.

The figures include all types of attacks, and many women’s groups say the latest figures confirm there is not enough public reporting of incidents when they occur and not enough special constables to target problem areas.

“There have clearly been more assaults than the ones reported publicly,” said Julie Lalonde, director of Hollaback, the Ottawa chapter of the international group that aims to improve street safety for women. “The only people who gain from the secrecy are perpetrators.”

The numbers also may lend credence to what women have been reporting for years: that they sometimes feel unsafe at more remote stations such as Blair, where four of the seven reported assaults occurred on a bus. Of the 100 assault and harassment reports, 64 incidents happened on buses and 36 at stations or bus stops.

Just two of the 100 reports were for harassment, with another 98 for assaults.

A total of 35 people were arrested or detained by special constables. Ten people received provincial offence notices, which can be either a fine or a summons to appear in court. Of the 35 arrested, 22 incidents were turned over to Ottawa police.

At Billings Bridge, seven of eight incidents occurred at or near the station, and one happened on a bus near that location. Some stations are more known for swarmings, but police did not confirm if Billings Bridge was one of them.

Stations such as Lincoln Fields, Hurdman and Blair have long concerned women because of their remote locations, according to members of the Women’s Initiative for Safer Environments.

Blair has been the site of two brutal attacks in recent months. In August, a 15-yearold girl was led away from the station and sexually assaulted. Another woman, 29, reported being followed by a man after she left the station on Oct. 17 when she was attacked in a nearby secluded area.

“We’ve heard from women that use the station in latenight or early morning hours that it doesn’t feel very safe,” said Elsy David, program director at WISE. “When you’re on the platforms, you’re not anywhere near neighbourhoods, and no one from the street can see you.”

Last week, women’s groups questioned why OC Transpo had not collected this type of data earlier — in particular before creating its latest 10-point safety plan announced in July. When asked why OC Transpo had not used such data, staff were not available for an interview but issued a written statement.

“We met with representatives from a number of Ottawa women’s organizations to discuss OC Transpo’s safety and security measures,” it says. “What we heard is that we need to do a better job publicizing our existing initiatives, because if people don’t know about them they are not effective. We agreed and we took action.”

Mayor Jim Watson and transit commission chairwoman Diane Deans also said they were unavailable for comment when asked to speak about OC Transpo’s safety plan.

Both WISE and Hollaback say more special constables should be hired to target problem areas. OC Transpo has said it has a complement of 48 constables who work around the clock across the system. OC Transpo will not provide information about how many constables are on duty at one time.

“We need more constables overall, and they need to be more visible on buses,” said Lalonde.

WISE reissued its call for more safety audits of stations, which the group conducted the last time such reports were done about a decade ago. The organization wants to see more audits, but OC Transpo has said there is no need, given that transit staff inspects stations daily.

WISE counters that those inspections are far from being a thorough safety audit that involves community groups, police and bus riders.