WHEREAS the Government of Alberta has consolidated commercial vehicle enforcement into the Alberta Sheriffs Branch; and
WHEREAS many rural Sheriffs offices are being closed; and
WHEREAS municipalities with community peace officers are seeing an increased burden related to commercial vehicle enforcement due to the lack of provincial commerical vehicle enforcement capacity in rural communities;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate to the Government of Alberta to allocate more resources toward the Alberta Sheriffs Branch to ensure commercial vehicle enforcement continues in rural and remote communities.
As rural Alberta is the key to Alberta’s economy and resource development, protecting rural infrastructure is vital to the economic success of the whole province. The consolidation of the Sheriff and commercial vehicle enforcement branches has reduced resources available for protecting provincial infrastructure. Local community peace officers should not be responsible for protecting provincial infrastructure, but are forced into the role when no other enforcement occurs.
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.