On June 11^th and 12^th, members of the Belleville Police Traffic Safety Unit in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police’s Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement Team, conducted a joint traffic enforcement blitz in the City of Belleville. The initiative focused on Commercial Motor Vehicles and modified vehicles, aiming to improve road safety and ensure compliance with provincial regulations.

Throughout the two-day operation,16 commercial motor vehicles were stopped.  Of those, 13 were subject to full inspections. Five commercial vehicles were taken out of service, including one that was found to be unfit for road use which resulted in the licence plates being removed. One of the inspections led to the seizure of in excess of 1200 contraband cigarettes. As a result of that specific investigation, a 52-year old man from Angus was charged with possessing unmarked cigarettes under the Tobacco Tax Act. He was issued a summons for a future court date.   

Police also stopped and inspected four modified vehicles with one vehicle being deemed unfit for the road.  The plates were also removed from this vehicle.

During the safety blitz, officers stopped a driver in the area of Bell Boulevard and Sidney Street after observing the vehicle drive over a curb. Following the investigation, the driver was found to be impaired by drugs and was charged with impaired operation and refusing to comply with a lawful demand.

In total, the blitz resulted in 45 charges and 11 warnings being issued. Offences included operating a commercial vehicle with an improper licence, insecure loads, missing directional signals, incomplete daily inspections, defective braking systems, unnecessary noise, obstructed licence plates, improper or missing mufflers, unreasonable smoke emissions, driving with a major defect, and missing mudguards.

This traffic safety initiative highlights the continued efforts of both police services to work collaboratively in removing unsafe vehicles and impaired drivers from our roadways while continuing to promote public safety through proactive enforcement.