British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement

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Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement
Common name CVSE Officer
Abbreviation CVSE
Current CVSE Shoulder Flash.png
Current shoulder patch of the CVSE
CVSE Badge Cap.png
Badge cap of the CVSE
BC Common provincial LEO badge.png
Wallet badge of the CVSE
Motto Splendor Sine Occasu
Splendor Without Diminishment
Agency overview
Formed 1958
Employees 286
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* Province of British Columbia, Canada
Size 944,735 km2
Population 4,622,000
Legal jurisdiction Province of British Columbia
Governing body British Columbia Ministry of Transportation
Constituting instrument Motor Vehicle Act and Inspectors Authorization Regulation
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Victoria, BC
Elected officer responsible The Honourable Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure
Agency executive Steve Haywood, Director
Facilities
Stations 30
Patrol Car Models Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Durango, Dodge Ram
Marked Patrol Cars Yes
Unmarked Patrol Cars Yes
Website
Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement (BCCVSE) is a provincial law enforcement agency that is responsible for the compliance and enforcement of the commercial transport sector, protection of the environment and transportation infrastructure of British Columbia, increasing road safety and protecting the motoring public.[1]

CVSE officers are unarmed peace officers who are empowered by the Motor Vehicle Act and the Inspectors Authorization Regulation to enforce 6 provincial acts, 1 federal act and their corresponding regulations. These acts are the Motor Vehicle Act, Commercial Transport Act, Transportation Act, Passenger Transportation Act, Transport of Dangerous Goods Act, Motor Fuel Tax Act and the Federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.[2]

CVSE is headquartered out of Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia and operates out of 30 stationary scales throughout the province. Areas with deactivated scales are still often patrolled by vehicle.

History[edit]

CVSE Officer performing a CVSA Level 1 Inspection

CVSE was conceived in 1958 as the British Columbia Department of Commercial Transport. Upon conception, the CVSE became responsible for 15 fixed scale locations and 6 portable scale patrol vehicles operated by Weighmasters throughout the province. The purpose of these facilities and patrol vehicles was to protect the transportation network and infrastructure from overweight vehicles. In the 1980s, the agency expanded its mandate to include physical vehicle inspections, cargo securement, document checks and driver checks to ensure that drivers, vehicles and cargo were safe to traverse the roadway. This expanding mandate and broadening focus on public safety led the Weighmasters into becoming Commercial Vehicle Inspectors. In 2005, CVSE gave the authority to their peace officers to perform speed enforcement for heavy commercial vehicles on top of regular traffic enforcement duties - seat belt checks, cellphone checks, distracted driving, etc. - to increase road safety. The CVSE then, in an effort to increase enforcement and compliance, removed the responsibility of writing permits from the officers and inspection stations and created the Provincial Permit Center.[3] Currently, CVSE performs undercover plainclothes operations,[4] assists partner law enforcement agencies in commercial transport related investigations,[5] takes part in multi-agency traffic enforcement blitzes[6][7] and is responsible for the inspection and enforcement of the National Safety Code, Transportation of Dangerous Goods and Vehicle Inspection Standards of hundreds of thousands of commercial vehicles.

Since CVSE's conception, CVSE has changed hands many times in its history. From 1958 until 1998, CVSE was administered through the Motor Vehicle Branch of the Ministry of Transportation. In 1998, CVSE was transferred to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). In 2003, CVSE was then transferred to the Ministry of Justice and the Solicitor General. Today, CVSE is a firm part of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and has been since its return to the ministry in 2005.[8]

British Columbia is a founding member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). All CVSE officers and some police officers are certified through the CVSA. CVSA is a North American inspection and safety standard encompassing the countries of Canada, the United States and Mexico.[9]

Officer Roles[edit]

Currently, within the CVSE there are three distinct roles that officers fulfill. These three roles are described in the following.[10]

Commercial Transport Enforcement Officer
Commercial Transport Enforcement Officers (CTEOs) are the most visible of the three roles. CTEOs are responsible for enforcing and ensuring compliance of the acts and regulations that govern the road transportation industry through vehicle, driver and document inspections, protecting the road network and infrastructure and providing road safety through traffic enforcement and safety checks. CTEOs are a combination of two legacy roles - Portable Inspector and Commercial Transport Inspector - and as such, CTEOs operate both the stationary vehicle inspection stations and a mobile patrol vehicle for more traditional highway patrol purposes. The CTEO can issue warnings, notices to appear in court, violation tickets, out-of-service declarations, order mechanical inspections, driver license suspensions, vehicle impounds, and may delay or detain vehicles and/or drivers.
Area Vehicle Inspector
Area Vehicle Inspectors (AVIs) work independently and generally tend to have a very high workload. AVIs have the authority to inspect all vehicles in the province, private motor vehicles included. AVIs are responsible for investigating fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles when asked to do so by local police, viewing and assessing facility applications for Designated Inspection Facility (DIF) status, performing facility audits on DIFs and inspecting vehicles. This position primarily focuses on monitoring both private and government carriers to ensure passenger transport vehicles meet and comply with provincial safety standards. Similar to the CTEO, the AVI can issue warnings, notices to appear in court, violation tickets, out-of-service declarations, order mechanical inspections, driver license suspensions, vehicle impounds, and may delay or detain vehicles and/or drivers. AVIs are trained and certified red seal mechanics.
Carrier Safety Inspector
Carrier Safety Inspectors (CSIs) are independent investigators whose primary purpose is monitoring drivers and carriers for National Safety Code program compliance. As part of the monitoring process, CSIs conduct investigations, interviews, inspections and quantifiable audits of driver and carrier documents, records and paperwork in accordance with national standards, and also provide training and seminars to industry and partner agencies. CSIs have the authority to issue carrier safety demerits and to suspend a carriers NSC required for business operations. CSIs are ISO trained and certified.

Selection & Recruitment[edit]

CVSE officers of all roles are hand selected through a multi-step recruitment process which is handled by regional CVSE managers and the BC Public Service Agency. When a posting is open, an applicant must apply online and if selected must attend and pass the following: an aptitude test involving all applicable legislation and the history, vision and goals of the CVSE, a physical test involving work based scenarios and a driving assessment with a certified CVSE instructor. Upon successful completion, an applicant is then invited to a panel interview involving various members of the agency. An applicant will then go through a reference check, and a criminal record and background check through the Office of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Justice.[11]

Training[edit]

CVSE Patrol car with lights activated at a traffic stop.

CVSE officers receive a large variety of training that is delivered through local police forces, in-house instruction, on-the-job training and the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Training programs delivered to CVSE officers encompass Criminal Justice System, Investigative Skills and Processes, Criminal Law, Report Writing, Administrative Law, Enhanced Investigation Interviewing, Tactical Communication, Testifying in Legal Proceedings, Incident Command, Weights & Dimensions, Airbrake Enforcement, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Cargo Securement, CVSA Inspection Certification, Emergency Vehicle Operations, P-Tec Total Control Driving, Mobile Patrol Operations, Conventional Radar and LIDAR.[12][13] Marching, Dress and Deportment is reserved for Ceremonial Unit volunteers only. Training in Physical Fitness is not provided.

Throughout the course of a CVSE officer's duties, an officer can be subjected to abusive language, aggressive and assaultive behaviour, violence and may be exposed to both organized and unorganized crime. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] As a result, CVSE officers are provided with basic Use of Force and Officer Safety training.

CVSE officers can be deployed during emergencies to assist local law enforcement bodies with public safety.

Ceremonial Unit[edit]

A Ceremonial Unit standing at attention at the Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony.

Inaugurated in 2015, the CVSE Ceremonial Unit is composed of volunteer members from various parts of the province. Training for the unit involves rigorous training in Marching, Dress, Deportment and Ceremonial Protocol. The unit meets multiple times a year to train and is headed and trained by a Departmental Sergeant Major.

Members of the Ceremonial Unit conform to the provincial standard for Peace Officer ceremonial wear. This standard consists of a dark blue tunic with dark blue wool pants, CVSE shoulder flashes, a gold lanyard, white gloves, gold belt and belt buckle, a brimmed forage cap and polished dress shoes. The Departmental Sergeant Major's dress also includes a red sash and a gold brimmed forage cap. If a member has medals from previous service, they are also permitted to be worn.

The goals of the CVSE Ceremonial Unit are:

  • To preserve law enforcement tradition and enhance the agency's profile within the law enforcement community
  • To attend and represent the CVSE at national and provincial events and ceremonies such the Peace Officers Memorial Day, National Day of Mourning, Remembrance Day, Canada Day, etc.
  • To provide a formalized presence on specific occasions such as service and regimental funerals of the CVSE and other agencies.
  • To provide ambassadors on other authorized occasions.

Rank Structure[edit]

  • Departmental Sergeant Major (CU Only)
  • Troop Sergeant (CU Only)

No traditional ranking system outside of the CU is in place.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Key Facts" th.gov.bc.ca. Updated January 9, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement Homepage" cvse.ca. Retrieved April 2015,2 2015.
  3. ^ "Key Facts Unmasked"(PDF). Updated June 2012. Retrieved May 04, 2015.
  4. ^ Shaw, Rob (November 3, 2014). "BC to use undercover inspectors to target unlicensed Uber drivers" The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "Motorcyclist crushed by logs in Whistler, B.C. crash" CBCNews. October 20, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "TranBC 2013 June Roadcheck" tranbc.ca. Updated 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  7. ^ "Commercial Vehicle Campaign" wvpd.ca. Created March 12, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  8. ^ "Operational Records Classification System" (PDF). April 10, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  9. ^ "British Columbia Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure - CVSA" th.gov.bc.ca. Updated June 15, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  10. ^ "TranBC CVSE Competition" tranbc.ca. Updated 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  11. ^ "Employment with CVSE" cvse.ca Retrieved November 24, 2015
  12. ^ "CTEO Selection Requirements, Duties & Training" (PDF). March 14, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  13. ^ "Investigation & Enforcement Skills Certificate" Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  14. ^ "Drivers high on drugs include commercial vehicle truck drivers say Northern B.C RCMP" CBCNew. December 10, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  15. ^ "Is a serial killer masquerading as a long-haul truck driver?" Edmonton Sun. August 8, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  16. ^ "Current Trends in Firearms Trafficking and Smuggling in Canada" rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Updated November 11, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  17. ^ "Drugs increasingly being smuggled into Canada by truckers" CBCNews. March 26, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  18. ^ "Canadian trucker admits smuggling cocaine from U.S" CTV News. Associated Press. September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  19. ^ Schmaltz, Trey. Jones, Russell. Krieger, Rob. (February 23, 2015). Trucker shot by police identified".WBRZ2 News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. ^ "Dump truck driver charged with attempted murder of 2 police officers". WTOP News. January 8, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.

External links[edit]

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