Winnipeg police bringing officers back onto city buses this spring
Posted May 22, 2026 5:25 pm.
Last Updated May 23, 2026 10:36 am.
Winnipeg police say violent crime connected to transit hit a historic high last year, with more officers now returning to buses, stops, and transit hubs across the city this spring.
The goal is to help riders and operators feel safer, while also cracking down on disruptive and violent behaviour on the system.
According to police, 325 violent crimes were reported at transit locations in 2024, nearly triple since 2019, and the highest on record.
“When I am on the bus, I am alone on there, so if something happens, I have to do everything I can to protect myself at least,” said Marie Gaifudinov, who has been riding transit for just over a year.
Another Winnipegger said, “I walk at night, and when you are coming back at night, and you have people who can be too violent because they’ve had drinks and yeah.”
Deepankar Bose, who has been riding the bus for the past two years, said, “Usually, it’s the late evening and the late night when you don’t feel safe; otherwise, it’s pretty okay, and it does make a difference if there is a security officer in the bus.”
Now, officers are once again being deployed across Winnipeg Transit routes and hubs after police say last year’s safety initiative helped reduce transit-related violent crime by 18 per cent. Many riders we spoke with say a visible police or security presence helps them feel safer, especially during late evening hours.
“There are a lot of scary people who do hop on mainly in the evenings, so it would be better if there could be more officers in there or someone of authority,” said Gaifudinov.
Bose added, “They should increase the count because the number of people traveling and using public transport and transit, they need more people because the counts on the bus have increased nowadays.”
The renewed initiative will include both uniformed and plainclothes officers, including members of the Winnipeg Police’s newly formed Rapid Response Unit, patrolling buses, shelters, and transit hubs across the city.
“I feel less safe with transit officers because I think they get more physical with passengers than they need to,” said Ariana Charlotte Beauvoir & T.O., who has been riding Winnipeg transit for the past six years.
“I do appreciate them, too, because they do get a lot of crazy people off the bus. I feel like if they stayed at the bus stop instead of buses, that would be better. Not everyone has bus fare. I’ve seen people be 10 cents short, and they kick them off the bus.”
Police say riders can expect to continue seeing an increase in officer presence on buses, at transit stops, and inside major hubs throughout the spring as the safety initiative resumes across Winnipeg.
