British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement

History

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 (included in this expansion were the certified red seal mechanics that were already government inspectors working at the stationary government vehicle inspection facilities that had been in place in the Lower Mainland of BC since at least the 1940s or earlier), cargo securement, document checks and driver checks to ensure that drivers, vehicles and cargo were safe to traverse the roadway. In 1988 the agency also absorbed the BC Highways Patrol officers, which had been in existence as well in BC since 1958. This expanding mandate and broadening focus on public safety led the former Weighmasters, Highway Patrol Officers and Government Vehicle Inspectors into becoming Commercial Transport Inspectors and Portable 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. Currently, CVSE performs undercover plainclothes operations, assists partner law enforcement agencies in commercial transport related investigations, takes part in multi-agency traffic enforcement blitzes 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.

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.

Officer Roles

Currently, within the CVSE there are four distinct roles that officers fulfill. These four roles are described in the following.

Commercial Transport Enforcement Officer

Commercial Transport Enforcement Officers (CTEOs) are the most visible of the four 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 (CTI) - 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 do not work in the scale but out of an office or vehicle only and 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 primarily work out of an office and are ISO trained and certified.

Dangerous Goods Inspector

Dangerous Goods Inspectors (DGIs) are specialized independent enforcement officers that primarily spend most of their time in a vehicle on patrol. DGIs are responsible for providing education to drivers and carriers, seeking compliance with and enforcing the Transportation of Dangerous Good Regulations of Canada and are empowered by the Transport of Dangerous Goods Act of British Columbia. DGIs regularly liaise with Transport Canada and may assist Transport Canada with investigations in to non-compliant carriers or facilities. DGIs have a thorough understanding of the regulations and all of its parts relating to road transport including Parts 1 to 9, Schedules 1 to 3 and Equivalent Level of Safety certificates. Much like the CTEO and AVI, the DGI 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. DGIs often have years of prior experience in a previous role such a CTI or CTEO and are trained and certified in Transportation of Dangerous Goods prior to becoming a DGI.

Selection & Recruitment

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.

Training

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. 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 may be subjected to abusive language, aggressive and assaultive behaviour, violence and may be exposed to both organized and unorganized crime. 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

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

Departmental Sergeant Major (CU Only)

Troop Sergeant (CU Only)

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