Police are right to enforce vehicle licence requirements

The letter to the editor titled “RCMP targeting reserve residents?” by Lucia Stavig, published July 7, disappointed me.

When RCMP, or Lethbridge Regional Police Service, set up an operation to protect the public from the crime of driving drunk, driving drugged, or perhaps without proper vehicular accreditation (proof of financial responsibility i.e. pink card and registration), or anything else, they are by command carrying out that operation primarily to protect the public from becoming the victim of a crime.

For writer Stavig to suggest otherwise is tunnel-visioned and ill-informed of the highest order. Ask anyone who has lived through the hell of having their vehicle damaged or written off, or worse, suffered personal injury by a driver without insurance or registration, and you’ll very soon understand why a civilized place requires those basic requirements be met.

Where police decide to set up an operation to rein in the rogues of society is moot. I don’t care if it’s “ceremony season” on a nearby reserve, the Hells Angels choose Lethbridge to hold their convention, it’s Street Machine Weekend or there’s a highfalutin’ golf tournament nearby, the rules need to apply equally to everyone.

I’ll concur that Stavig’s suggestion of “targeting” the Blood Reserve may have merit — and for good reason. Sadly, that reserve has serious substance abuse issues. It’s become such an issue to the point the Blood council forbids anyone outside the reserve to enter without proper documents or approval. I applaud our men and women in uniform not only when they ship out to protect us from societal curses in distant lands, but when they perform the oft thankless duty in our backyard.

I have high expectations of those in public policing to uphold and fulfill their mandate, keeping a civilized people safe and civilized. Unlike some, I’m extremely pleased to be momentarily inconvenienced by “checkpoints” set up on Highway 3 or anywhere else.

Alvin W. Shier

Lethbridge