Making the roads safer

One month into service, the Kahnawake Peacekeepers’ new Highway Patrol Division has already made a big difference on community roads – and not just because of the 646 tickets they gave to motorists in their first 28 days.

“People are starting to realize that we’re going to be there, and they need to adjust to their driving behaviours,” said Kyle Zachary, spokesperson for the Peacekeepers.

The officers who are in the unit can focus on just being on the roads, without necessarily getting pulled away on other calls.

“This unit was definitely needed,” said Kenneth Montour, who manages the team of three officers (himself, Nathan White, and Forrest Horn) and dispatcher Heath Latour.

Montour, who will mark a quarter century with the force in September, said that having had a consistent presence of the Highway Patrol has had tangible effects already, particularly near the school zone on Highway 132 in front of Kahnawake Survival School, where he has been posted for most of February.

“When I first got there, I would give a ticket every seven minutes there, and then fast forward three weeks to today, I have to wait five or six rotations of the light to get one person speeding,” said Montour.

“The people are looking around more, reading the signs, they are slowing down, they don’t cut each other off, they don’t use the multipurpose lane in a wrong way, all because there’s a patrol car there, and there’s a patrol car maybe a KM down. It’s a positive thing to have that officer’s presence there. It’s dramatically changed the traffic trends there.”

The same is true on Route 207, said Horn, the Peacekeeper who has been posted their most frequently in February.

“The 207 has really quieted down with traffic violations, compared to those that have been noticed over the years,” said Horn.

In general, traffic violations have been down week by week, and they can see that speeds have been going down, and the roads have already generally been made safer.

Community members have, too, with many praising the work of the unit in the comments of the social media post that reported the number of tickets given in February.

Montour said they do, in fact, follow what people are saying on social media, not just to congratulate themselves on a job well done, but also to see what people are talking about in terms of violations being committed.

That means finding places where speeding is rampant, signs are frequently disrespected, unsafe behaviours are seen frequently, and so forth, and targeting them.

The new unit, which began February 2, has made a big difference for the Peacekeepers themselves, too.

“The first month has been very exciting, because I can focus now mainly on the highway,” said Horn, who has been a Peacekeeper for 21 years, 19 of those on patrol.

Some of what he enjoyed most on patrol was being on the highways and educating the public on the Highway Safety Code, he said, and now that it’s his full-time position as a Peacekeeper, he’s seen himself enjoying his work a lot more.

“I’ve already noticed a big change in my stress levels. My family’s noticed it, and some of my coworkers have noticed how my demeanour has changed over the last month. So, I really enjoy the change, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do what I’m doing,” said Horn.

Montour, for his part, said that he is happy to be on a shift that gives him more time in the day to spend with loved ones, including his grandchildren.

Things are just getting started with the Highway Patrol Division, and with construction season upcoming, they will have their work cut out for them in the coming months.

That’s a big challenge, but also a big opportunity for the unit, who now has the labour power to do more than they could about traffic in the fall.

“We have a piece of clay that we get to mold and make something for the future. We’re excited about that,” said Montour.

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