POWER OF ARREST FOR TRANSIT POLICE

Transit constables will be given the power to arrest troublemakers on the
SkyTrain and regional bus system, Burnaby-North MLA Richard Lee confirmed
this week.

Solicitor General Rich Coleman is expected to make an official announcement
by the end of this month.

It's good news for politicians and SkyTrain passengers, who have expressed
concerns about security on the lines.

"It will help to suppress crime and create more effective enforcement,"
said Lee, who has been advocating the change for years.

Special constables will become a designated police unit. TransLink
documents suggest the new status will come with new uniforms and badges.

It's believed the change will eliminate the problem of citizens challenging
the authority of TransLink constables, which the transportation authority
says puts transit officers and the general public at risk.

For some time, the 77 special constables policing Greater Vancouver
SkyTrain and bus stations have been pressing for more powers, including the
authority to arrest people on the transit system.

TransLink has also looked at the possibility of arming its constables,
although Coleman has since said the officers will not carry guns.

A Justice Institute of B.C. review will take place after the unit is
established to determine what types of equipment the members should possess.

Special constables currently carry handcuffs, pepper spray, batons,
cellular phones and radios.

Problems arose because constables lacked the authority to make arrests for
drug possession or outstanding warrants - they can only hold a person if he
or she has not paid the fare. The officers presently cannot exercise their
authority in situations that originate off transit properties.

As a result, TransLink is powerless to stop criminal suspects from using
transit to flee crime scenes.

Constables recently received official powers to ban drug dealers and other
offenders from the system for 24-hour periods. For repeat offenders,
constables can compel them to make a court appearance. Failure to appear in
court results in an arrest warrant.

They also have the authority to eject panhandlers and fare-evaders from the
transit system. In 2002, 2,558 people were ejected from the transit system
for various offences.