Cape Breton police charge three officers after cop-car collisions
By the Canadian Press
Trio will undergo training to correct, strengthen driving behaviours
Police officers in Nova Scotia will undergo driving training following a series of collisions. (Mark Poprocki/Adobe Stock)
SYDNEY, N.S. (CP) — Three Cape Breton constables are being charged under Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act for crashing their police vehicles while responding to emergency calls.
The Cape Breton Regional Police Service says the summary offences carry fines of $410, six driver’s record points and a one-week license suspension.
One officer is charged with failing to operate a vehicle at a careful and prudent speed for a May incident when her police vehicle collided with a citizen’s vehicle in North Sydney, N.S.
In August, two police vehicles collided with each other on Highway 135. Two male constables are charged with failing to operate a motor vehicle in a careful and prudent manner.
The police force says the charges follow investigations by traffic collision experts and internal reviews.
Deputy Chief Robert Walsh says police officers are human and make mistakes but they must be held to a high standard under the law to maintain public trust.
The force says the officers will be disciplined and trained “to correct and strengthen their driving behaviours” and says it is adding a mandatory emergency response driver training course for all officers.
