Perhaps this has been addressed before, I’ve been out of the loop for a while, but here it goes:
I think the reason locals are getting more traffic tickets is because Rupert recently created an enforcement only section where members are dedicated to writing tickets. I can’t remember the Prince Rupert RCMP having many, or any, traffic members when I lived there.
ICBC also pays for overtime for members to sign up for traffic enforcement (at least they do in Prince George). Then ICBC determines what they want the members to focus on (seatbelts, speed, etc.)
This could amount to more cars being on the road / more cars at Tim Hortons, and why they may be seen enjoying a coffee while there’s a fight going on; their shift is paid by ICBC.
It’s all about priorities. If nothing is going on and a fight comes in, general duty members (I assume) would be all over it. If there’s a stabbing, a robbery, etc, the fight may take a back seat. Also, and not to use it as a cop out, if the detachment was understaffed more things would be put on the backburner. If you look at Prince George the minimum staffing level before overtime is offered is if a watch is running 6 constables short. If they can’t get anyone to work, there could anywhere from 8 to 12 constables policing a city with 80,000 to 90,000 people. So when you phone because someone is throwing an egg at your house, or doing a burnout, or threatening you over the phone and you’re calling on a Friday night, I wouldn’t expect attendance. I’m assuming staffing shortages are the same everywhere, including Prince Rupert.
Back to tickets, I know one general duty member that probably only writes one or two tickets a month. Stay away from the 16C** cars but feel free to roll a stop sign in front of a 16B** car (as long as he’s on his way to something that’s a higher priority). He’s probably ticked off that you’ve slowed down when you saw the cop because he’s in a hurry, gotta beat the lineup because there’s no drive thru.
I keep speeding through Prince George hoping you’ll pull me over, but so far, no luck
Kidding! I’ve stopped the whole speeding thing since I realize that my radar detector was really a ticket detector. When it beeped, I was about to get a ticket!
They used to have a dedicated traffic section in the late 90’s to around 2002 (Cst. Pennington rings a bell) but they were cut due to budget contraints surrounding the mill fiasco.
I don’t know this for sure, but I was under the impression that our current traffic section was created by Rupert supplying one member and the province matching that with two.
Oh and it’s interesting what Google can turn up. Check this document out:
[quote]In 2004 the provincial government expanded the funding for the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing grant program from a fixed $10 million appropriation to 100% of net traffic fine revenues. Over the first three years following this expansion, the program provided an additional $110,940,642 in support to the 70 municipalities that have responsibility for policing in their communities.
As of 2006, the cumulative impact of the expansion of the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing grant program returned an additional $673,303 to the City of Prince Rupert to improve policing and public safety in the community.[/quote]
Interestingly enough it appears that the $673,303 does not go into the city for general revenue as some people might think. It goes back into policing. Check out the last page of the document to see where it was spent.
One member is funded by the city, and is a member of the Integrated Road Safety Unit. Two others are provincial positions, because they’ve made the case that traffic safety is a priority for the city.
The city received almost $300k from fines last year.
Not to take anything away from traffic – I’m sure they’re doing a great job. In fact, I know they are.
But how did traffic safety become a priority when there are so many other things that people think they should be doing? How many drug dealers in town? How many drug cops do we have?
Youth crime? Vandalism? How many dedicated to that stuff?
The fact that we’re talking about this in a thread about kids in the city is ironic, as the RCMP cut the two positions of the cops that directly interacted with kids, while at the same time creating the traffic positions.
That’s very telling, in my opinion, that there is a real disconnect between what your average joe thinks is a priority, and what the RCMP thinks is a priority. Perhaps I’m not the average joe, but two cops on full-time youth stuff is a better use of resources than two cops on full-time traffic, in my opinion. Of course, then the revenue from fines would be lower. I’m not sure how much that came into play in the decision to cut the youth guys…
Is traffic that much more of a problem in Rupert than drugs or youth issues?
It’s all about results. A traffic section can quantify their results better than a youth section:
“I wrote ten tickets today.”
“We made $600 000 dollars for the city this year.”
On the other hand:
“I helped convince little Johnny not to spray paint walls anymore.”
“I talked to 10 high school classes this year.”
I’d also assume that Rupert is still small enough where general duty members are expected to do more community policing type activities (coach, mentor, teach DARE, etc) rather than strictly enforcement. Then an argument for dissolving the youth positions (if that’s what they were) could be that everyone should already be doing it.
in the last 2 months… i got a ticket up by mcdonalds for not having my
blinker on while turning in the turning lane with the big white arrows… ( i used my blinker to
get into that turning lane)
2 days ago i just got a ticket for not having my seatbelt on while backing out of my driveway…
i got a ticket for having a 2" by 2" square of tint on my passergers side window
which i put there to test before applying to the rear window…
6 years ago i got a ticket for having my stereo up too loud… and i didnt even have
subs or anything… it was just cuz it was a convertable…
ive lived down south for a good 6 years… in that time i got ONLY ONE speeding ticket which
was on the highway by kelowna… i was 15 over… my bad
6 years and only 1 ticket…
come to rupert… and i get them like once a month for
stupid things…
Awesome!!! I love to hear the too slow stories. You shoulda pulled right the frig over…thats really a good example of dangerous driving.
Now if it was raspberry’s it would be a different story…
Ok, correct me if I am wrong, however who pays for the RCMP here in Prince rupert, the city, or the government???, because if it is the city, and this is what I have heard in the past, that it is, then why is is that the City has all new trucks, pump, dump, right down to pick up trucks, gotta be at least 2 officers worht of revenue there, and if this city is so broke, then why do we see at least 2-4 people cleanin up City Hall, at least three days a week, like I said, correct me if I am wrong.
ya your right but it comes down to is priority, what is more important youth, crime or garbage?. And you and I know what kind of garbage is on our street, so here were are.
Don’t you just love to see the City workers watering the plants in the pouring F—G RAIN Priorities people, priorities! Am so disillusioned with this town, very sad, very sad indeed. And as far as snow removal, who is responsible for the sidewalks, especially along McBride as they are deadly. When it begins to rain after a dump and freezes and we have to try and walk in someones elses footprints or out in the middle of the road ? Are they going to wait until someone really gets hurt, oh wait, they can’t sue the city, there’s NO MONEY HONEY
I used to live in Seal Cove, and the hill that goes from Solly’s Pub, to 7th never got cleaned, so I called the city once, and was told that it was of no concern to the city, and to walk carefully, another time I was told that both Park Ave, and McBride streets were the responsibility of O’Briens Road, and Maintenance, as they hold the Highways contracts, it is jus another way of passing the buck to someone else. Yes codybear5, it is sickening to see the city working aweful hard, to water plants especially when it is pissing down rain, it is pathetic to see that plants in front of City Hall mean more to Herb, than the rest of Prince Rupert does, then again, we are so called citizens of this wonderful lil city, not Tourists, our ongoing revenue is expected, not appreciated it seems.
Did you not read the post where Payne mentioned they will fix all the money thing up? Now on beautiful day you have the nerve to speak of snow falls? The plants need good water and that way the tourists may stop and smell the flowers. It should be a good day with this tiny mist hanging above us, the smell of the ocean all around us ( sorry that is garbage day in my area) but anyway we were told they will fix the 5 million thing, she said don’t be fraid we all going to fix dat when the Pond comes back to the shores of Rinse Pupert.
its funny you said this, cuz ive been watching them for the last month,…
they park infront of the hanging baskets downtown, and water them for about 15mins EACH!!!
and all this time they leave their TRUCK RUNNING!!! BURNING AND WASTING GAS!!
they OVER water them, after 2 mins it over flows and water goes all over the side walks.
There trucks have a little water tank, and about after 2 waterings… they have to drive back
and get more water…
think about the gas here…
I challenge someone eles to watch this… it will blow your mind…
Maybe B.C. will choose to follow the Alberta model for traffic enforcement. There, they gave traffic enforcement duties to the Sheriffs. Better to use a lesser paid, but still highly trained force for those kinds of duties and free up the RCMP for other police work.
Their program has been active for just over a year and is being heralded as a big success.
Priorities people, priorities! Am so disillusioned with this town, very sad, very sad indeed. And as far as snow removal, who is responsible for the sidewalks, especially along McBride as they are deadly. When it begins to rain after a dump and freezes and we have to try and walk in someones elses footprints or out in the middle of the road ? Are they going to wait until someone really gets hurt, oh wait, they can’t sue the city, there’s NO MONEY HONEY 