Following multiple concerns on social media from Amherstburg, Ont., residents who fear the town's new Transit Windsor route will lead to an increase in crime, police in neighbouring LaSalle — where a similar bus service was introduced five years ago — say they should not be worried.
On Tuesday, Transit Windsor announced it would be launching a two-year pilot project that will see a bus run between Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor, Ont., into Amherstburg, with connections to LaSalle.
However, following the announcement, multiple Amherstburg residents took to social media to express their concerns over a potential increase in crime.
"This is scary…crime rates will double. This makes me uncomfortable for all of our children. This is not a good thing for us!" one post reads.
For another resident, Amherstburg's new 605 bus route is "nothing to celebrate."
"Crime/break-ins are about to double as they did when LaSalle tried this last year," their post reads.
The LaSalle 25 bus route was introduced in Sept. 2017, connecting the terminal at St. Clair College in Windsor to stops throughout the town.
According to Const. Terry Seguin of the LaSalle Police Service, crime statistics in the town continue to fluctuate year-over-year and assumptions that the LaSalle 25 bus route has resulted in more crime occurring in the town is "false."
"Overall, what can be gleaned from the annual reports is that the crime rate, despite the fluctuations, has remained fairly consistent over several years and in fact, in many categories has significantly decreased," says Seguin.
In 2017, 54 drug-related crimes were reported to LaSalle police. However, in 2018 and 2019 — the first two years that the LaSalle-to-Windsor bus route was operational for the entire calendar year — drug crimes declined, dipping to 31 in 2018 and 11 in 2019.
Violent crimes do not appear to have been affected by the introduction of the LaSalle 25 bus route.
One year before the introduction of the LaSalle 25 bus route, police reported 61 violent crimes. In the following year, that number remained the same.
Violent crime rates in LaSalle remained steady over the next two years, slightly increasing to 64 in 2018 and 65 in 2019 respectively.
"There are certain areas where it fluctuates from year-to-year, up or down, but not wildly...It's been fairly consistent," says Seguin.
That is not to say all types of crime avoided spiking during the two full years that the LaSalle 25 bus route was on the road.
In 2019, LaSalle police reported 556 property crimes in the town — well above the seven-year average for that category of 463.3.
But, according to Seguin, it is premature for anyone to use that piece of data as a clear indicator that the LaSalle 25 bus route is to blame.
That's because while property crimes rose steadily from 2015 to 2017, increasing from 407 to 507 respectively during that period, that number dipped slightly to 498 in 2018.
"I guess the question is, are we assuming people from certain socioeconomic backgrounds are committing crimes? Because that's completely false," says Seguin.
"Anybody has the potential to commit a criminal offence or expect to commit crime. People drive cars, people take taxis, people take Uber, there's many ways to get around."
For Seguin, the benefits of introducing more transit routes that connect people in Windsor-Essex far outweigh any potential risks.
"This only provides people with another means of affordable transportation throughout the community," added Seguin.
"People who can't drive for whatever reason now have the ability to go to the mall, go to St. Clair College or go to the University of Windsor without having to purchase a vehicle."
In August, the Town of LaSalle extended its agreement with Transit Windsor to 2027.
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