Family was stopped at intersection when child noticed disturbing act on Route 17
A mother and her children were subjected to an indecent act during an afternoon commute earlier this month when a man on a Calgary Transit bus exposed himself in full view of their vehicle.
The unsettling incident unfolded around 3:40 p.m. on December 4th at the intersection of 25th Avenue S.E. and Macleod Trail South, near Erlton. The family had stopped at a red light right next to Route 17 one of the city's busier routes during afternoon rush hour when one of the children spotted a man sitting by the window.
What happened next left the family shaken.
The man exposed himself and committed an indecent act while the bus sat in traffic. The mother immediately told her kids to look away, but she kept her composure long enough to pull out her phone and record the suspect. She contacted police after arriving at her destination.
Who Is He?
Despite having video footage, investigators have so far been unable to identify the man.
He's described as a white-haired man between 60 and 70 years old with a moustache. On the day of the incident, he was wearing a camo baseball cap, a dark puffy winter jacket, black pants, and black shoes.
A Growing Problem on Calgary Transit
Unfortunately, this type of incident isn't isolated. Violent crime on Calgary Transit has jumped nearly 60 per cent over the past decade, according to a recent CBC investigation a trend the police chief has called "very concerning."
Just last month, a 72-year-old man was charged with two counts of sexual assault after separate incidents involving women on or waiting for Calgary Transit buses. And the transit union has described the rise in abuse and disorder on the system as an "epidemic," with reported incidents up more than 70 per cent since 2020.
The City launched a Public Transit Safety Strategy in late 2023 aimed at addressing the issue, but riders and workers alike say there's still a long way to go.
Know Something?
Anyone with information can call Calgary Police at 403-266-1234 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, through calgarycrimestoppers.org.
