The Community Safety Officers Regulation, Amendment M.R. 5/2024, registered on February 15, 2024, updates the existing Community Safety Officers Regulation (Manitoba Regulation 107/2015) under the Police Services Act (C.C.S.M. c. P94.5). This amendment clarifies the roles, responsibilities, and powers of community safety officers, particularly in relation to community safety and emergency response.

Key changes in the regulation include the repeal of the definition of “operating agreement” and the introduction of a new definition for “additional powers,” enabling community safety officers to enforce specific provisions outlined in a new Schedule and perform duties detailed in Section 5. Additionally, community safety officers are now required to undergo comprehensive training, covering areas such as searches and seizures, detentions, arrests, Indigenous awareness, community diversity, the use of specialized equipment, crisis response tactics and strategies, as well as road safety and traffic enforcement. Assiniboine Community College has also been recognized as a training institution for these officers.

The regulation significantly expands the enforcement powers of community safety officers, allowing them to inspect vehicle equipment, remove unsafe vehicles from highways, weigh vehicles, conduct field sobriety tests, and request the surrender of driver’s licenses under specific provisions of The Highway Traffic Act. They can also stop off-road vehicles as per the Off-Road Vehicles Act. This expanded authority enhances their ability to engage effectively in public safety and law enforcement, particularly concerning traffic and vehicle-related incidents.

Furthermore, the amendments clarify procedures regarding detention. When a community safety officer detains an individual posing a safety threat, they must notify the local policing authority as soon as practicable after the detention and if the situation changes. In cases where an officer takes someone into custody for an involuntary medical examination under The Mental Health Act, prompt notification to the local policing authority is required.

However, there are restrictions on the additional powers granted to community safety officers. They can exercise these powers only within municipalities participating in the community safety officer program, except in cases of involuntary medical examinations, and only while on duty, ensuring accountability and appropriate use of authority. A new Schedule has also been added, listing the specific enactments that community safety officers are empowered to enforce, thereby clarifying the legal framework governing their roles.

By providing a clear framework for training and the exercise of powers, the regulation seeks to improve coordination between community safety officers and local policing authorities, fostering greater community trust and ensuring effective responses to various situations.

Manitoba (5/2024) February 15, 2024