The HTA is the backbone of the TSU, and encompasses all of the laws and regulations that govern how to safely operate a vehicle or motor vehicle on a roadway. All Officers learn to apply the HTA in their first year while at the Ontario Police College. TSU Officers are specialists in the HTA and have a distinct aptitude for this legislation. Patrol Officers know they can call on the TSU for advice in HTA-related matters. It is a primary duty of the TSU to proactively police the City of Kingston to ensure motorists, cyclists, and others are following the law.

RIDE, or Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, are spot checks to investigate occurrences of impaired driving in Kingston. RIDE Programs involve several Officers setting up a cordon to speak with all motorists in a given location at a specific time. This proactive strategy has proven exceptionally effective at catching impaired drivers before they become involved in an accident.

The TSU responds to, and investigates hundreds of traffic complaints each year. Residents who encounter unsafe drivers or have concern for traffic safety in specific locations, are encouraged to utilize on our online reporting to file a Traffic Complaint.

Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEPs) are periodic, focused enforcement of specific traffic issues. Officers may notice that they are charging many more people than usual with, for example, failing to use their seatbelt. A STEP initiative will then have TSU Officers specifically looking for this offence to correct it. The selection and timing of c STEP initiatives is determined by national/provincial campaigns, and seasonal safety such as back to school, winter driving, etc. 

STEP initiatives are equal parts enforcement and an opportunity for public education.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Transport Ontario (MTO), TSU Officers will inspect commercial transport trucks to ensure that the specific rules and regulations that govern what they can carry, and how, are being followed. They also inspect the trucks themselves to ensure that they are in proper working order. Given the number of transport trucks on Ontario’s highways, CMV Inspections are a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of highway safety.

One of the more enjoyable roles of a TSU Officer is that of parade escort. From community events to the annual Santa Claus Parade, this duty is a nice opportunity to connect with the community in a different way.

The TSU is primarily responsible for the operation of drones in the Kingston Police. In this capacity, TSU Officers support any and all other units as needed. The TSU may be called out to deploy their drones to locate missing people, to assist with investigations, to enhance public safety at large scale events, and to assist with other critical incidents.

Due to the diversity of tasks in the Traffic Safety Unit, sometimes deploying a cruiser is less effective than employing a motorcycle. As such, the TSU has four Harley Davidson motorcycles in its fleet. These specially trained Officers have a greater mobility than a standard cruiser and are deployed whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In addition to flying drones, driving cruisers, and riding motorcycles, TSU Officers use All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to patrol the myriad of trails in and around the City of Kingston, ensuring the safe use of these trails by all.

Organizationally, the TSU is part of the CORE (Community Oriented Response and Enforcement) Unit. When CORE needs to supplement its numbers to assist with community events, demonstrations, or other incidents, the TSU backs them up. These occurrences are diverse in nature and can see TSU Officers fill a variety of roles from traffic direction to assisting with arrests.

TSU Officers are also responsible for training other Officers in the use of mobile radar units. These instructors may be called upon as qualified experts in the use and operation of radar units in Court. Additionally, TSU Officers maintain mobile radar units and the breathalyzer equipment used in impaired driving offences. TSU Officers can also become trained as DREs (Drug Recognition Experts), allowing them to determine when a subject is impaired by drugs, rather than alcohol alone.

The TSU is clearly about more than simply writing tickets. In addition to the above, Officers also sit on public safety committees, including the Fatal Collision Review Committee (FCRC) where they provide insight into changing the layout of roads to prevent future serious collisions, the School Transportation Safety Review Panel, and other municipal groups that work to improve the flow and safety of traffic in Kingston.

Finally, TSU Officers are at the forefront of technological advancements in Policing. They are spearheading the move to convert all paper tickets and Motor Vehicle Collision Reports to electronic versions thereby cutting down on the amount of paper used by the Department, and the amount of paper used in related Court proceedings. The TSU is leading the way in the Kingston Police’s move to reduce our overall carbon footprint.