RCMP Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbrown brings you behind the scenes with a serious of columns taking you behind police work and how it’s done in our community. If you have a question you think needs to be answered in Behind the Bison, send it to admin@borderpulse.ca and we will be sure to share it with him.
There are guidelines, rules and laws involved in nearly every aspect of our lives. A person’s willingness to
comply with them is mostly what we see day-to-day as we go about our lives. Generally, a person not
adhering to them is what makes the news or a Facebook page about local drivers not parking so well.
In law enforcement, everything is fairly straight forward and spelled out for people. Not knowing where
to line up at a coffee shop or confusion about which entrance to a building to use, may have people
going against the norm. People do make honest mistakes with some coming without consequences and
some with consequences.
Peoples’ compliance with laws and regulations are typically based on consequences, but this still does
not deter some. Let’s start with a look at driving as that is very common activity with many laws
governing it. On a two-lane highway the only thing separating opposing traffic is colored lines painted on
the pavement. These lines in no way ever prevent a driver from physically crossing them.
A driver is able to pass a vehicle on a double solid knowing it is prohibited. The reason it is prohibited is
that it is an unsafe place on the roadway to cross into the oncoming lane, but drivers will still do it. They
may get a ticket for it or worse yet, get into a collision.
If there was a concrete guard barrier down the centre line, drivers would likely not attempt to cross due
to the consequences. However, if it is a vehicle thief fleeing police, they might try it. Where this is going
is to illustrate that in law enforcement, people complying with laws is merely left to them to do it
willingly.
For the most part police see criminal offenses escalate while suspects disregard other laws. Back to our
vehicle thief. This person is likely driving around in the vehicle committing other crimes and the stealing
of the vehicle is not an isolated offense. This fits in that a small number of criminals commit the majority
of offenses.
From experience, our more habitual criminals aren’t concerned enough about consequences to stop
committing crimes and that another offense to them is just that, another offense. Some will have limits
to the crimes they are willing to commit. Many property criminals don’t commit persons crimes such as
assaults and using weapons, but many others do.
The challenge for law enforcement and the courts to intercede so consequences become a deterrent
and the cycle of criminality is hopefully impacted in a positive manner.
The intent of this article is to provide a perspective that readers may not think of. Some of what law
enforcement tries to do is prevent or discourage offenses from occurring, however, for accountability,
the person willingly committing offenses is really who is ultimately responsible and should accepting of
the consequences.
We have seen an increase in people not accepting responsibility but rather lying or blaming others for
their actions. Not sure why.
Read more: Behind the Bison: Drug Overdoses
