TTC fare inspectors, special constables, will be equipped with body cameras in May

Events at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) can be captured through a new lens, as the City of Toronto's TTC has approved the use of body-worn cameras.

Starting from May, 20 special police officers, 20 traffic inspectors, 14 special police vehicles will be equipped with cameras.

In an interview with CTV News Toronto, Angela Gibson, the TTC's interim executive director of ride technology and system management, said the transit agency came up with the policy after a 2017 ombudsman report recommended in-car cameras to increase transparency.

Many parts of the system already have video surveillance, and Gibson said through consulting, the TTC has found benefits in giving employees body-worn cameras.

“Our CCTV cameras don't show sound, and now with body-worn cameras and in-car (cameras), we can capture it and it becomes even more transparent.”

On Thursday, the city's TTC board chairman approved the use of the cameras. The cost of the nine-month pilot program is $1.243 million. Gibson said he has the funds to move the program forward, even though it will be reviewed in nine months.

Some groups are raising concerns that people with homelessness or mental health problems could be targeted, whether racism and discrimination will show up at fare checks or when the cameras will be turned on and off.

“It's not a prevention tool. It's a tool to clean up the mess after the fact. It's not something we should be spending resources, time and money on,” said Anna Willatz, a member of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition.

“(A) body-worn camera will inevitably, and by design, capture people at their most vulnerable moments, contributing to the systematic surveillance of homeless people,” Diana Chan McNally, a front-line worker with homeless people, told the TTC board at Thursday's meeting.

Gibson, who oversees the camera policy, said the concerns are valid because many people are aware of the cameras in the police environment.

According to TTC policy, the camera must be turned on by notification to the customer at the beginning of the interaction and only turned off when the interaction ends.

Gibson also added that the footage will be operated independently of fare inspectors and special constables with cameras, and that the TTC will monitor interactions to see if people are being overcharged.

“We want to examine ourselves and use that information to tell us how we can do better in terms of delivering our services, so it's really about accountability to the customer.”

Toll inspectors and special police officers replace the cameras every six weeks and will start using them in May, with an unspecified date.

The TTC reported $124 million in fare evasion losses in 2023.