70% of Edmonton transit tickets, warnings went to people with no fixed address

The majority of tickets handed out on or around Edmonton's transit system last year went to people with no fixed address, new data shows.

Of the total 24,586 tickets and warnings transit peace officers gave out in 2022, 17,173 — 70 per cent — went to people with no fixed address.

The violations include drinking alcohol, urinating, smoking, using drugs, loitering, littering, panhandling, trespassing, or not paying a fare, and fall under Edmonton's bylaws and provincial laws.

Having no fixed address includes someone considered homeless, someone who doesn't or isn't willing to provide an address, a person who doesn't have identification to substantiate an address, or a person who left the scene before the ticket was issued.

Tickets range from $120 for public intoxication to $600 for trespassing. Offences like climbing or interfering, inappropriate behaviour or having one's feet on the seat can fetch a $250 ticket.

The Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association requested and received the data for 2022 from the City of Edmonton through a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act application.

Chris Wiebe with the CTLA said most people getting tickets can't afford to pay.

"The city has a responsibility to make sure its bylaws reflect reality and right now, the reality of hundreds of our neighbours is that they have nowhere to go," Wiebe said in an interview last week.

"It's untenable, it's cruel and it's not helping anything."

David Jones, the city's manager of community standards and neighbourhoods, says transit peace officers don't target any particular group and their primary role is supporting safe transit.

"Repeated problematic behaviour that creates public safety issues for riders and employees can result in fines or bans from ETS property for a period of 24 hours to up to two years," Jones wrote in an email to CBC News this week.

"It is a counterproductive response to the issue of crime and disorder on transit," Wiebe suggested.

In its request, the CTLA listed specific violations that fall either under provincial law: The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Act and Trespass to Premises Act; or the city's Conduct of Transit Passengers Bylaw or the Public Places Bylaw.

'Kind of heartbreaking'

"It's actually kind of heartbreaking because it's like $2.75 for fare," Coun. Aaron Paquette said in a recent interview with CBC News.

Paquette said there's a risk of confusing criminal behaviour with people living in poverty

"Poor people are not criminals, they're just poor," he said. "And when we don't separate these issues, that's when we get that fog."

People with no fixed address received the majority of tickets for trespassing several years in a row.

Of the 4,046 trespassing tickets TPOs gave out in 2022, 3,509 — 87 per cent — went to people in these categories, up from 1,572 in 2020 and 1,109 in 2001.

If people don't pay tickets, they may get a summons, which could lead to a warrant for their arrest.

Tickets by race 

The CTLA also requested the number of tickets and warnings by race, under any offence under provincial and city bylaws.

Indigenous people received 60 per cent of tickets around Edmonton's transit system in 2022 and around 55 per cent of tickets and warnings combined, a separate set of data requested from the city shows.

Last year, transit peace officers gave 20,639 tickets and warnings to Indigenous people, 9,458 to white people and 1,451 to Black people.

CBC News asked the city to supply data for 2023 to date but was told it would have to be requested through a freedom of information request.

Jones said transit peace officers understand Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by homelessness and intergenerational trauma.

"All public interactions start with informing and educating riders about rules in transit spaces and appropriate behaviours," Jones said. "Tickets are only issued as a last resort, when encouragement and education have proven ineffective multiple times."

Not a threat

For Jerry McFeeters, an advocate for the unhoused in Edmonton who was once homeless himself,  it's a clear signal that systemic racism is still a reality.

"Racism is the big part of the reasons why that Indigenous people automatically got their guard up," McFeeters said Monday.

"It's not fair that we have to live on defence just to be going from one part of the city to the other."

McFeeters believes most people targeted on transit are not a threat to public safety.

"That person isn't doing anything, he's just sitting there," McFeeters said.

"He's got a few bags, he's got maybe a bicycle that's got a flat but he's got to go to the north end and the easiest way is on the LRT."

Trend continues

The statistics reflect an ongoing trend that extends from 2018, and seemed to worsen last year.

Michelle Maroto, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Alberta, analyzed the data between 2020 and 2022.

Simply giving out tickets or forcing people to move along isn't going to fix the underlying problems, Maroto said in an interview this week.

"It may hide those problems from other people, so we're not going to necessarily see those issues on transit anymore, but it's not actually fixing them."

Maroto acknowledged that the city only has so many resources to deal with housing and health issues.

"We're not going to ticket ourselves out of a housing crisis. We're not going to ticket ourselves out of a drug epidemic. It's not going to necessarily do anything to help with the many mental health issues as well."