Charges laid after hate-motivated harassment

One man has been charged with hate-motivated criminal offences following an incident that took place on a Calgary Transit bus last month.

On Thursday, May 23, 2024, a Calgary Transit operator was driving along the 3000 block of 31 Street N.W., when a man walked in front of the bus causing the operator to come to a sudden stop shortly before the bus stop. The operator opened the door to let the man on the bus and he took a seat directly behind the operator. He then began to shout racist, degrading insults to the victim. A passenger on the bus then asked the man to stop, which led to the man turning his attention to the other passengers on the bus. He continued to shout racist and derogatory insults to the victim and other passengers on board for more than ten minutes before departing the bus at a later stop.

After reviewing CCTV of the interaction between the man and the passengers on the bus, witness statements and additional video, investigators were able to identify and charge one man in relation to the incident.

Darren Andrew HOBBS, 62, of Calgary, has been charged with one count of criminal harassment and one count of causing a disturbance, both of which have been determined to be hate-motivated. He will next appear in court on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

“We know that incidents fueled by hate affect not only the victim, but also the people who witness them,” says Constable Matt Messenger with the Calgary Police Service Hate Crime Prevention Team. “In this case, the witnesses were Calgarians of all ages accessing transit to go to school or work and may now not feel safe in their own community. It is so important that when you experience or see hate, it is reported so that we can ensure people are held accountable. We want everyone to feel safe in our city.”

There is no place for hate in our city. Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, vandalism or any other crime, where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate that is based on one of nine personal characteristics of the victim. If you see hate, report it. Visit www.reporthate.ca for more information on how and why to report.

We ask anyone with information to contact police by calling 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477

TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org

APP: P3 Tips

Case #: CA24247769/4757