B.C. CVSE officers sound alarm on increasing exposure to violence
The union representing B.C. Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) officers is raising concerns, after one of its members was attacked by a truck driver.
The B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) says its officers are increasingly being exposed to violence and danger while on the job.
An investigation is underway into a December arson attack on a CVSE weigh scale in Prince George, and last week, an officer was allegedly assaulted while on the job in Kamloops.
“The dangers CVSE officers face are no longer just a concern – they’ve become a crisis,” said BCGEU president Paul Finch in a press release. “These workers are subjected to escalating violence and intimidation while simply trying to keep our roads safe for all users, and we need immediate action from the government to address this growing risk.”
CVSE officers across the province have reported their vehicles and worksites have been targeted with violence.
“CVSE workers are essential to the safety of our roads, but their own safety is being compromised,” Finch added. “The government must act swiftly to ensure they are properly protected.”
The BCGEU is calling on the provincial government to upgrade communications systems and improve training protocols to establish a workplace with a focus on health and safety – “where incidents can be actively reported and addressed rather than ignored.”
Have your say
This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
It’s not just the CVSE OFFICERS that are being threatened. It’s all Canadians that are facing increased violence. In my opinion depending on the circumstances of course, the officers should be equipped with deescalation skills as part of their training. This may protect the officer from harm. Truckers are under a lot of pressures these days from many places such as summer traffic. Officers need to be alert. However, violence is not the answer. In most cases both parties have families to support and other mutual responsibilities . There needs to be respect from both parties. A solution should be in our laws not in the messenger or trucker.
CVSE is an important part of the trucking industry. When training drivers I would emphasize this and explain their job is to ensure we (the driver as the public face of the company, the Operations team, and Management) all do our respective jobs properly. When all of us do our job properly, it makes his or hers job easy, and who isn’t in a better mood when they have an easy day on the job.
In all my years on the road I never, to the best of recollection, encountered a “difficult” enforcement officer, as I treated them with respect, had all my documentation neat, orderly and up to date, and had correct shipping documents.
Try treating the drivers with respect. You get what you give. Sometimes you get a little bit more