Mayor Ian Sutherland's publicly aired criticism of the RCMP understates the organization's efforts to improve highway enforcement, said local MLA Joan McIntyre this week.In last week's Council Corner, Sutherland railed against the RCMP for putting more emphasis on seatbelt checks than highway speeding. Within the column, he suggested the district resort to joining forces with the West Vancouver police department, "to do what the RCMP apparently won't." McIntyre said the issue is not something Sutherland has recently put on her radar, but noted several organizations are already working to improve highway safety."To be honest I don't think the mayor is giving due to the amount of work and partnership that's going on amongst the Ministry of Transportation, RCMP, the MLA, Solicitor General's Office. There's a huge amount of work going on trying to get the RCMP more officers and more control over that," she said.While Sutherland said that speeding enforcement was "non-existent" over Easter weekend, RCMP Inspector Norm McPhail said there were actually more than 30 highway speeding tickets laid in the Squamish region during that time.McPhail said he agreed there needs to be more policing on the highway, but suggested the problem would be better solved with collaboration rather than criticism, noting "a unified message would probably carry us a little further."Currently, the RCMP in Squamish is trying to round up more funding to improve highway enforcement, he said."We're doing our best. I just want to make sure that's clear to the public that we're doing what we can with the resourcing we have, and the resourcing we need we're requesting." McPhail said the mayor appeared to be frustrated when he wrote the column, but said he has since spoken with him about his concerns. He said they were aligned in wanting increased highway safety but said he did not agree with Sutherland's perception of seatbelt checks.Within the column Sutherland downplayed the effectiveness of the checks, noting how they could catch "a father coming out of McDonald's onto Cleveland who doesn't have his seatbelt on yet."McPhail said seatbelts are vital in preventing fatal injuries - a position echoed by McIntyre."I really think the mayor was underplaying the importance of those checkswe're having people die on that highway from not wearing seatbelts in a disproportionately high numbers. So I think it's a little unfair to say - he's entitled to his point of view," she said.McPhail also seemed uncertain about Sutherland's understanding of a letter from West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones asking mayors from Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton to join forces to improve highway enforcement."I have read the letter but I'm not sure if it's in the context of how she's written that letter. That's the mayor's interpretation of it anyways," McPhail said.
