Pubdate: Thu, 26 Dec 2013
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2013 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: 
http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: David Marsden

ARMED OFFICERS ON SKIS IS A DOPEY IDEA

There's no shortage of Mounties who volunteer in their community, 
bless 'em, but do they really need to give their time to whooshing 
down the ski slopes in uniform while carrying their sidearms?

If crime was rampant at the local ski hills, presumably the resort 
owners would call in the RCMP themselves, or the police supervisors 
down at the detachment would schedule constables for a few well-timed 
patrols in an effort to restore order.

Sgt. Jeff Campbell of the Lake Louise RCMP detachment predicts this 
season's volunteer patrol program will grow beyond the 15 officers 
who spent their time on the slopes last year and move to include more 
resorts in the Canadian Rockies. Given such resolve and enthusiasm, 
you'd think crime was rampant, but it turns out that only one drug 
seizure was made last year, along with several warnings for reckless skiing.

Really, so now we need police officers packing heat to put the kibosh 
on patrons who don't show common courtesy by following the rules of 
the hill? More puzzling yet, perhaps, is that single drug seizure. 
Snuffing out pot smokers, after all, is one of the stated aims of the 
initiative. The patrollers' meagre statistic suggests marijuana use 
isn't that prevalent, or worse, that Mounties are indifferent to 
those lighting up a joint after having cited it as a concern. If the 
latter is the case, then the lack of enforcement is likely to further 
encourage people to disobey the law, and risk bringing the reputation 
of the RCMP into disrepute.

If RCMP members want to enjoy a day in the sun while doing a good 
deed, why not join the existing ski patrols that keep a watchful eye 
on skiers on many of the local mountains? As peace officers, police 
always have the power to make an arrest if circumstances demand it, 
even without the trappings of their trade. Their civilian colleagues 
on the ski patrol will be aware of their presence and no doubt seek 
their assistance if trouble arises or there's a need for their 
expertise. In fact, the knowledge that officers are among the other 
patrol members might engender even greater observance of the rules, 
in the same way some lead-footed drivers on the highway slow down if 
they believe the car behind them could be an unmarked police cruiser.

The aim of groups such as the Canadian Ski Patrol Association is 
safety, however, not law enforcement - something it has been doing 
since the 1940s. There are 170 members in the Calgary zone alone 
trained in advanced first aid and accident scene management. They 
offer their services at hills such as Canada Olympic Park, Lake 
Louise, Nakiska and Mount Norquay.

Frankly, there should be no need for such a visual police presence on 
ski hills in search of pot smokers and patrons imbibing in a 
clandestine swig from a flask. RCMP members don't, as a general rule, 
volunteer their time to other businesses - to movie theatres and 
waterslides, for instance - to enforce the law. You don't see police 
officers sidling up to the bar at the local pub nursing a glass of 
water on their day off, silently counting the number of drinks the 
patron across the way consumes. For that matter, you didn't hear of 
police officers donating their time at the shopping areas west of 
Calgary before Christmas, so they could stroll through the parking 
lot to make sure grinches weren't checking unlocked cars for gifts 
and other valuables.

The entire notion of volunteerism is personal, of course. Some folks 
choose to give through their church, others through the food bank or 
serving as a Scout leader. But the idea that police would feel giving 
up their day off to keep an eye out for transgressions such as pot 
use on the slopes is odd, especially considering that great numbers 
of Canadians favour legalizing or decriminalizing its use. Even the 
hard-nosed federal Tories have signalled they're open to liberalizing 
the laws when it comes to marijuana.

So while no one can ask the well-meaning Mounties to give their time 
to other causes - say, fighting the bullying of teens or the abuse of 
other vulnerable citizens - perhaps it's fair to recommend they enjoy 
a day on the slopes out of uniform. Policing, it's said, is a 
demanding occupation, and like the rest of us, they deserve a day 
away from the office.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom