Doug Ford Doesn't Like Toronto's TTC Safety Plan & It Seems Like He's Not The Only One

Doug Ford has referred to Toronto's response to ongoing violence on the TTC as a "band-aid solution" and it seems Ontario's Premier is far from the only person who thinks that.

Starting on Friday, 80 additional Toronto Police officers were scattered among the city's transit system in an attempt to address recent TTC safety concerns, a move that will last indefinitely.

"We need full-time police officers,' Ford said Friday in an unrelated press conference. "It's not a full team there and that's what we need."

Ford made these comments in reference to the fact that the officers patrolling the city's transit system on a daily basis are picking up overtime hours to fill the positions.

"We are doing this so that on-duty frontline officers remain available to respond to priority calls,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw in an announcement on Thursday. "I know that our presence on the subways streetcars and buses of this city helps to make the operators and users of their transit system feel safer and more comfortable."

Following his quick response to the recent uptick in violence, Ford pointed the finger at what he believes to be the much bigger issue at hand — bail reform laws.

"We can't have police officers [...] arrest really, really bad people and criminals shooting up our streets and then they get out the next day on bail and they go commit the crime again," the Premier said. "So, all 13 premiers have signed a letter to review the bail reform justice system. It's absolutely critical."

People may or may not agree with that exact stance on the issue, but it does seem many do feel the same way Ford does about how police are being spread out across Toronto's transit system.

Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow referred to one post from the TPS Mounted Unit as "absurd."

"Sending a police horse to a subway station is an unserious response to a serious issue," he said in a tweet, while many others opted to make various jokes and puns about the difficulty of fitting a horse anywhere near where there might be some type of TTC safety incident.

"Our Mounted Unit provides a deterrent for criminal activity and, as we’ve heard first hand, our officers provide a sense of security for TTC riders," the Toronto Police Association said in a tweet in response to Matlow.

The original tweet was the focal point of additional criticism. Many were quick to point out that the photo couldn't have been taken on the same day, given the time it was posted, how dark it is in the picture, and the lack of snow just days after Toronto's latest snowstorm.

But while horses got some of the attention, for others, it was some eye-popping weaponry being carried by officers patrolling the transit system.

A Twitter user snapped a picture of an officer carrying what looks to be an assault rifle inside of a subway station, making reference to the irony of the officer standing in front of a sign saying "your money should work as hard as you do."

"My money isn't working smart or hard in this city. It's arguably not working at all," they wrote.

It wasn't all negativity though.

A few police officers took to Twitter themselves, posting about being on patrol to help improve public safety, which drew messages of support and thanks for the work they're doing.