The Durham Regional police service has now fully implemented the STOP Program to Durham Region. After two years of extensive training, both in the classroom and on the trails, STOP officers are now sworn in as special constables and provincial offences officers.
You ask what's a STOP Program?
The Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol is the proper name and it is about a select group of snowmobilers from across the province that volunteers their time as special constables. These STOP officers will assist the Durham Regional Police in making snowmobiling a safer and more enjoyable in our region. This will be accomplished through reducing impaired drivers on snowmobiles, educating them, and the enforcement of the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act
The Police services Act, section 53 (3), gives these STOP officers the same authority as police officers to enforce the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act. It gives them the ability to write Provincial Offence tickets to those individuals who refuse to obey laws in the act.
The STOP officers along with police will be conducting spot checks throughout our region and 1,100 kilometres of trails. The main target will be that group of individuals who choose to drink and then ride their snowmobiles. The small group of snowmobilers who ride in a reckless manner will also be a point of concentration through the use of radar and other means of enforcement.
For the non snowmobiling community police and STOP officers will attempt to assist in any nuisance complaints that may come about.
The Durham Regional Police and STOP officers will be attending some of the special events of the six different snowmobile clubs in our region. It is our hope to enjoy the sport along with other snowmobilers and at the same time educate them about laws and safety issues.
The Durham Regional Police and STOP program hope this will be a safe and enjoyable snowmobile season and we hope to see you out on our trails. Constable Douglas Morse has been an officer for 11 years and is a Durham Regional police Services STOP Coordinator with 21 years snowmobiling experience.
The Durham Regional Police Traffic Management Unit in cooperation with several other community partners, including Oshawa This Week and the Durham Region Works Department,
Traffic Operations Division is presenting weekly articles about safe driving practices in an effort to reduce accidents and injuries on Region roads.