If she already had a ticket that she has refused to pay, could she have been charged with trespassing?
I think she would have to have been issued notice of trespassing first. Back to my Canadian Tire days, when a person was arrested for shop lifting they were also issued a notice that they could be arrested for trespassing if they set foot on the property of the mall that Canadian Tire was in for a period of 1 year (may have been more, I can't remember).
Oh yeah, I remember working in retail as a kid and someone stole something, and you have that co-worker that shouts: "Stop him!"
Yeah right. If he wants it bad enough to steal it he can have it, I'm not wasting my time chasing down some middle-age guy who stole a plunger or whatever for my $7/hr part time job. Chasing down shoplifters was not in the job description when I applied.
Its one thing if he runs, if he stays to fight I'm totally screwed...call a manager or something.
As for the transit cops though, I guess years of abuse and disrespect have caught up to these people and they're finally had it and they're taking punks down hard.
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The Transit Cops are Peace Officers as defined under the Criminal Code. Their authority can be found in Section 495. They are not citizens (security guards) and are not making citizens arrests. They are not detaining for the police, they will arrest and transport and lay a charge just like the Calgary Police.
Their main function is NOT to check tickets. It is to keep the rats from bothering and assaulting the good people who use the transit lines.
These guys and girls fight A LOT. Not the skateboarder who didnt buy his ticket... Gangs, drug dealers, people with warrants, etc. Think big picture folks. There are crappy people in this world, not just you in your cute little bubble.
If your friend was arrested by these guys, then there was a reason. You said she is American? Maybe there is an Immigration Warrant? Maybe she is wanted in the US? Maybe the Transit Cops were adressing a minor issue with her and she escalated the situation and had to be arrested for Obstructing Peace Officer/Assault/Cause Disturbance in Public/Trespass?
You should ask her for the real story.
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Transit Cops are not really cops, but they sure wanna be, and they try their damndest to look like cops. I'm especially fond of the massive tool belt they strut around with.
Funny thing -- I saw three of them "checking tickets" on the train a few days ago. Two burly/fat guys and one regular sized twerp. One of the fat guys and the twerp had found a pair of folks without tickets and the fat guy was giving them the what-for.
The other big guy was at the far end of the train and didn't know what was going on. I couldn't hear the conversation but it might have been getting testy. The little guy was standing as far away from the altercation as possible without running away, but he kept looking back at the other big guy with a terrified look on his face. A 'get down here, he needs back-up and I'm too scared to give it' kind of a look, if such a look is possible. It was funny.
The little guy was standing as far away from the altercation as possible without running away, but he kept looking back at the other big guy with a terrified look on his face. A 'get down here, he needs back-up and I'm too scared to give it' kind of a look, if such a look is possible. It was funny.
What is the fine now?
What you saw, sir, sounds like a really green rookie fresh out of some neato criminal justice college program... What a waste of money that is. He'll learn quick.
I know there are some armed transit cops in Montreal and the Canadian Pacific Police Service patrol the Go train in Toronto.
There are plenty of different Peace Officers and Constables around to place you in the slammer. Speed through CFB Cold Lake and see who arrests you. Run naked around Ogden Yards and see who arrests you.
If she's already fighting a ticket and hasn't paid the fine, I could see there being some kind of fine print where she is banned from riding the C-Train until the issue has been resolved in court. Furthermore, the Transit Police may have been told to keep an eye out for her or for someone matching her description. I don't think you could sweep that under racial profiling, though. They have to be allowed to do their job, and ethnicity is a major factor in determining the specifics of a suspect, no matter who they are.
There's a PDF here; http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/cityclerks/4m81.pdf - that may help her in her case, but the law is the law. If she breaks it, she is going to get charged, and the Transit Police, especially, are not very lenient in letting you off with warnings.
It kind of bugs me she is trying to pull the race card, though. (Mostly because I've seen people, first hand, exploiting the fact they are a different skin colour than the so called "majority" to get out of paying the pied piper. We're all human beings first and foremost, and we're all obligated to be held responsible for our actions.)
I had a situation on my 18th birthday. I was really stupid and decided to drink at the train station before heading out to the bar. The transit cop was actually very nice, he got me to throw my beer out and for whatever reason we started talking about football (somthing along the lines of my football ring or something). Anyways I got the ticket and it was later thrown out by the judge and it was just a slap on the wrist type of deal which was really nice.
Kind of off topic but I thought id share my story about my experience with the transit cops.
If she's already fighting a ticket and hasn't paid the fine, I could see there being some kind of fine print where she is banned from riding the C-Train until the issue has been resolved in court. Furthermore, the Transit Police may have been told to keep an eye out for her or for someone matching her description. I don't think you could sweep that under racial profiling, though. They have to be allowed to do their job, and ethnicity is a major factor in determining the specifics of a suspect, no matter who they are.
Ethnicity can get you out of a charge or impending arrest if you play the race card correctly. I've seen it happen. The security guard was watching somebody suspicious and a 1st Nations male was nearby and overheard the radio transmission where the other security guard was about to arrest a native lady. The guy blew a gasket that the security guards were about to arrest his wife because she was native. Oh wait, he only heard native lady, no other description was given, how did he know that it was his wife? Nonetheless he created a big enough scene and security decided against apprehending the suspect.
So while on the topic of all the different stratas of real/fake cops...what are those provincial sheriffs? Are they like correctional officers? They escort prisoners, guard them at the hospital, do all the airport screening etc. at the Courthouse.
Sherriffs are special constables as well. Basically, their job is to write tickets, which is why I'm not all that enthused at the possibility of having them take over all highway patrol from the RCMP, even if it is an excellent idea.
I knew a guy who spent a night in the remand center because he go caught without a pass for the second time. It appears they have the right to bring you in if you have an outstanding charge. I had to go an bail him out, fun times, lol.
Kinda silly if you ask me. Maybe if you have a bunch, but more than one?
So while on the topic of all the different stratas of real/fake cops...what are those provincial sheriffs? Are they like correctional officers? They escort prisoners, guard them at the hospital, do all the airport screening etc. at the Courthouse.
What you saw, sir, sounds like a really green rookie fresh out of some neato criminal justice college program... What a waste of money that is. He'll learn quick.
Naw, most all of em' look like that. You either have A) or B). A) being the fellow described by Rouge - the young, power hungry, "look at my heavy belt and long batton" type guy who wont take "lip" or "guff" from anyone. Or you get B) the old, fat, sloppy looking dude who might look like a regular cop if you look at him in a certain light (like that Seinfeld episode when Jerry dated the two face....you know what I mean) but a second later you look back and he looks nothing more then a fatter version of the homeless with a 45 pound utility belt.
Ohhh but then there is also C) the women transit cop! A scary bread if I do say so myself - definatley the one transit cop you DONT wont to mess with cause she will mess you up. She is big and scary and likely is a featherweight boxing champion. But you dont see her often.
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