FRANCAIS

November 12, 2004

Attorney General Gord Mackintosh today announced Manitoba Justice, the RCMP and interested municipalities have formed a working group to determine how special constables can enhance traffic safety.

"Several municipalities have sought some flexibility to enforce provincial traffic statutes in their communities," Mackintosh said, following a meeting today with RCMP and municipal leaders.

"We want to work together with these municipalities along with the RCMP to ensure they can employ traffic enforcement staff to the benefit of their communities while maintaining legal standards necessary with law enforcement."

"Municipalities want to make sure there is appropriate traffic enforcement on residential streets, in school zones and on highways through our municipalities," said Cliff Dearman, reeve of the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul.

Aside from police forces, laws allow for special constables to be appointed and employed to enforce specific provincial offences depending on training and qualifications of individuals.

"Community leaders made it clear they want to participate with their partners on traffic enforcement," the minister said. "The process will work to ensure municipalities have direction on how they can employ traffic enforcement personnel."

Mackintosh said, while the province has increased RCMP funding by 25 per cent over the past five years and has increased the complement of officers by 23, he recognizes the interest of some municipalities to enhance traffic enforcement.

The attorney general said the laws establishing standards of training, criminal background checks and clear lines of accountability are necessary as a matter of trust and safety for the public and for individuals involved in traffic enforcement.

"The law is in place so when citizens are pulled over on the highway, they can be assured that the person with the badge is properly authorized, trained, free of a criminal record and accountable to the public, and there is a place where complaints of misconduct can be lodged," he said. "There are no greater powers which must be subject to clear standards and supervision than those of detention and arrest."

The attorney general said traffic enforcement training is also necessary because some of the most tragic incidents involving police have resulted from traffic stops.

Meetings involving the working group will begin by the end of this month.

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