Edmonton mom says she was beaten, robbed in random attack outside LRT station
Another Edmontonian has come forward to express frustration and sadness about the lack of safety in and around the city's transit centres. She's also calling for more officers on the ground.
Last Thursday, Rob Nicholl went public about a beating he suffered at the Southgate LRT station. He said there was no security or police around to help him.
On Monday, Janelle Dyke opened up about an attack she suffered last Tuesday afternoon outside MacEwan Station in downtown Edmonton.
"Nothing's broken, but obviously, it’s very bruised. They did a CAT scan when I went to the hospital and I have a mild concussion," she said, showing a bruise down nearly half of her face.
Dyke was just getting off of work when she was approached by two women coming from the direction of the train station. She recalls being asked for money and offering some.
Then, she says, one of the women hit her twice in the head. The other woman doused her with either pepper or bear spray.
"It was like point blank with whatever spray it was, right in my eyeballs, which got all over my clothing too. So as I'm wiping my eyes throughout the course of this, it was just spreading and getting even worse," Dyke said.
Her phone is missing, along with the cash she had.
And while Edmonton Police Service confirmed officers are investigating, Dyke wants the city to do more by assigning armed police to patrol in and around LRT stations.
"I want actual police, like honestly," she said.
"There most definitely needs to be police force within there, and even going on the trains more."
On Friday, the union representing transit operators also raised safety concerns and asked for more transit peace officers.
A spokesperson for Edmonton Police Service said the force "shares concerns about crime and disorder in the transit system" and that regular patrols are already being done.
"EPS is committed to using the resources available to address both proactive and emergent situations on transit and safety remains the EPS’ number one priority," Carolin Maran wrote in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
A city branch manager called the incident "very troubling" and offered "thoughts" to Dyke and her family, but didn't promise any changes to current staffing or policies.
"The City of Edmonton takes a multilayered approach to safety and security. One approach is having the Edmonton Police Service and Transit Peace Officers patrol transit throughout our hours of operation, including evening and late night hours, and respond to reported incidents," Carrie Hotton-MacDonald of ETS wrote in a Tuesday statement.
In April, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced that 21 new transit peace officers would be hired and that the city is also adding more community outreach transit teams which specialize in mental health, addictions and housing.
In October, the province announced $187 million over two years to be spent on addiction services and housing supports.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.