"This is where Julia was groped on her way home from work"

A new campaign by the TTC combats harassment with arresting posters and a new app

I n its newest bid to increase safety for Toronto Transit Commission commuters, the TTC has launched a bold campaign to lower sexual assaults, homophobia, racism and ableism.

According to the CBC, the number of reports of sexual assault received by the Transit Enforcement Unit increased from 67 in 2015 to 85 in 2016. Stuart Green, TTC senior communications specialist, media relations and issues management, said he hopes that “this bold campaign” will raise awareness and lower assaults in public transit.

A key element of the campaign is the “Safe TTC” app that commuters can download on their smartphones to report sexual harassment, racism, homophobia and other incidents that they encounter. The “Safe TTC” app allows passengers to discreetly take pictures or videos of incidents and send it to the TTC. The TTC monitors the notices coming in from the app 24/7, they then assess these reports and send them to the police, said Green.

Since the launch, “almost 1500 users have downloaded the Safe TTC app and we get about 50 reports a week,” said Green. According to the Toronto Star, this app has proven useful in the arrest of a sexual assault suspect. Joanna Turek, co-ordinator of the Consent is Sexy campaign at Humber College, said she thinks the app is a positive step towards making commuters feel safer.

Regarding concerns that commuters may have about their privacy, Green said, “TTC is very careful in dealing with privacy issues.” This app, he said maintains much more privacy for those who are accused than would posting those videos on Twitter or Facebook.

In another key part of the campaign, the TTC has put up posters on buses and trains to raise awareness about people’s experiences. The posters make statements such as “this is where Julia was groped on her way home” on buses, trains and streetcars. Turek said reading people’s experiences has the potential to trigger people who have been victims of sexual assaults. However, she said she believes that this campaign will help victims feel safer and be more willing to disclose information.

Dr. Gary Ellis, program head of justice studies at University of Guelph-Humber, said this campaign is a good tool for crime prevention. One of the ways to reduce crime is enforcing fear and certainty of getting caught, said Dr. Ellis. This app is effective in scaring offenders and preventing harassment since it makes it easier to report incidents.

Although this app is a “good first step in the right direction,” the internet access in TTC stations is limited in scope, said Dr. Ellis. He said he hopes that technology will improve to accommodate this app.

According to Green, the TTC has received an overwhelmingly positive feedback from transit users and from people who have been victims of harassment. Since incidents of sexual assaults, homophobia and racism has been on the rise, this is “one more way to make TTC safe for everybody,” said Green.