Woman's slaying puts transit security under scrutiny

With police still hunting the killer of a woman whose body was found near a Calgary LRT station, calls are getting louder for immediate improvements to safety on the transit system.

Calgary city council ordered a safety audit of the transit system earlier this week, but that could take a year to complete.

The president of the transit workers' union said there's no need to wait for a report.

"There's absolutely no question that there's problems and those problems have been pointed out for a very long time. Start implementing some [solutions]," said Mike Mahar of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583.

The medical examiner's office confirmed Thursday that Arcelie Laoagan, 41, was Calgary's fourth homicide victim of the year. Her face was beaten so badly that her family could not positively identify her this week, but they were able to provide a fingerprint sample that officials used to confirm her identity.

Calgary police released more images Thursday from surveillance video of Laoagan leaving her workplace after a night shift on Jan. 17. They said it's believed she got on a C-Train at the 8th Street S.W. station and got off at the Franklin stop between 10 and 11 p.m.

Investigators hope anyone who saw her that night will come forward withinformation. They believe Laoagan was killed in a random attack.

Her death has rattled Calgary transit riders who have flooded councillors' offices with their concerns.

"I'm just asking Calgarians to keep sending me the e-mails," said Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart. "Ald. [Druh] Farrell and I have received well over 600 now."

Calgary women are heeding police warnings to travel in groups at night and to wait for transit in well-lit areas with other people.

C-Train stations are already monitored by more than 300 video cameras. Under a previously planned security upgrade, stations will soon have more cameras and guards. By April, about 400 more cameras will be installed on buses.

But Steve Saretsky, one of a handful of volunteer Guardian Angels who ride the trains at night, said cameras are not the only answer.

"The only way to address that safety issue is hands-on, people on the train and a presence of either police or security," he said.

A memorial service for Laoagan will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Calgary Full Gospel Church at 917-14th Ave. S.W., where she worshipped.