May 30, 2016

Meeting Today Between Transit Police and Transportation Not Deportation

New Westminster – Metro Vancouver Transit Police met today with representatives from the group known as “Transportation Not Deportation” (TND). Transit Police Chief Neil Dubord invited the group to this meeting to provide them with the most updated information on the relationship of Transit Police with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Transit Police is aware of the importance of public transit and the role it plays in building strong communities. The safety and security of our passengers is our highest priority. Our desire is to foster a climate in Metro Vancouver where all persons can access transit regardless of status.

To this end, we have created a directive to move toward achieving this goal. The directive was designed in collaboration with the community and other social agencies and follows socially progressive policy which has been successful in other cities. Toronto and Hamilton have led the way in Canada while Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver are just a sampling of U.S. cities that have similar policies.

The key points from today’s meeting include:

Transit Police who encounter undocumented migrants during the course of fare enforcement activities will leave any follow-up action to federal authorities.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CBSA will be discontinued.
Transit Police will continue to arrest on outstanding warrants.
Work is under way to determine an acceptable range of identification documents for the purposes of fare enforcement enquiries.

Chief’s Community Council member and cross cultural planning expert Ms. Norma-Jean McLaren assisted Transit Police in the dialogue with representatives of TND. Transit Police is committed to working with the community and ensuring that all persons, irrespective of their status, feel that they can approach Transit Police for any required assistance.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police is committed to maintaining order, promoting safety and reducing crime on the transit system in Metro Vancouver.