Public Safety
Ralph encouraged Solicitor General to crack down on unsafe dump trucks on West Vancouver hills; worked to eliminate confusion in the 9-1-1 emergency response system; encouraged rebate of traffic fine revenue to communities for improved police funding; and supported PRIME integrated police data base.
Traffic Fines Help North Shore Combat Crime
The North Shore will see approximately $1.9 million a year in additional funding to support local police and crime prevention initiatives with the return of 100 per cent of traffic fine revenues to British Columbia’s municipalities.
In an announcement today with West Vancouver Chief Constable Grant and Chief Superintendent Gordon Tomlinson were presented with a large over-sized cheque for $1.9 million by the three North Shore MLA’s, Katherine Whittred, Ralph Sultan and Daniel Jarvis, who pointed out that this new money will be help keep our streets safe.
“It was an election promise for this government to return 75 percent of traffic fine revenues to the municipalities. We did better than that. We returned 100 per cent,” said Jarvis. “These new funds are a guarantee that the North Shore will remain one of the most desirable places to live.”
The revenue comes from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violations and tickets. Previously municipalities received 25 per cent. 100 per cent means an extra $480,938 for the District of West Vancouver, $425,286 for the City of North Vancouver and $588,072 for the District of North Vancouver.
“Increasing funding to our community’s crime prevention programs and initiatives means less crime and safer streets,” Whittred said. “All North Shore residents will see benefits from this funding.”
Sultan said, “As the Premier has clearly and firmly stated, our intention in returning these additional funds to communities is the enhancement of community level policing on the North Shore. Our citizens want to feel safe, and adding incremental new money to the existing pool of policing resources will help. While the Province cannot order communities how to spend the money, rest assured that we three MLA’s will be watching closely what happens to it!”
Increased police funding is part of a three-pronged provincial approach to increasing public safety, includes tackling homelessness, mental health and addictions, as well as the recently introduced Safe Streets Act and bolstered trespass laws.
The province is giving municipalities across the province over $41-million in traffic fine revenues, a 300 per cent increase over the comparable traffic fine revenue remitted last year.
TRAFFIC FINE REVENUE BY COMMUNITY
North Vancouver City
Paid: $133,711
New: $425,286
Total: $558,997
North Vancouver District
Paid: $184,891
New: $588,072
Total: $772,963
West Vancouver
Paid: $151,208
New: $480,938
Total: $632,146
Note from Ralph: Dump Truck Safety in West Vancouver
Solicitor General Rich Coleman’s office calls to inform me there will be a “blitz” targeting unsafe dump trucks at the intersection of Taylor Way and Highway 1 in the morning. Of course I’ll be there; we have been encouraging the Solicitor General to take tough action – and he has. Now, enforcement will be raised yet another notch.
It is drizzly and trucks line the sides of Highway 1. RCMP officers, West Vancouver Police, police chiefs, inspectors from the Motor Vehicle Branch, mayor and MLA pace up and down. It was a general scrum in the middle of the Trans Canada Highway.
A pack of television cameras greet the SG. His commentary is straightforward: dump truck companies and drivers are not getting the message; therefore he is telling them in this press conference to not expect any quarter. The problem was localized to the dump truck industry, much of it based up the Fraser Valley; other truckers were operating more responsibly. Drivers were going to lose their licenses; companies were going to lose their highway permits; and trucks were going to be seized.
Unhappy drivers watch as inspectors look under the hood. A huge tow truck arrives to haul off the worst of the lot. I must say the vehicles all look bright and shiny – proving that looks are only skin deep. Brakes are not adjusted, steering is slack, bald tires, electrical problems, trucks are unsafe.
About a third of the trucks are taken off the road. The SG says the failure rate under inspection is an unacceptable 40%.
About a year ago, in the most recent of a string of incidents, a truck sped out of control down 21st street in West Vancouver, past Pauline Johnson school at the foot of the hill. Ten cars were smashed, and pedestrians were threatened. In earlier incidents, there have been fatalities.
The provincial government says it will keep up the pressure until the dump truck industry gets the message.
