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During the Town of Lunenburg’s latest council meeting, Constable Sonia Upshaw presented the local RCMP detachment’s quarterly report, however following the report one couincilor raised concerns about the level of enforcement the town receives.

The presentation was typical of a police quarterly report, showing call statistics and info about the current staff employed locally.

Councilor Jenni Birtles questioned Cst. Upshaw about the number of traffic violations and said she has heard from businesses who are claiming they are being impacted by unenforced parking violations. “We have businesses out there putting a box in front of the spaces where people aren’t supposed to park, why are the police department not patrolling and removing cars,” asked Birtles.

Cst. Upshaw said she couldn’t comment on the issue as she was unfamiliar with it but she would research the issue and get back to the council.

Birtles continued her questioning after that response asking “So then what do you guys do when you patrol the town?”.

Upshaw reiterated that they enforce some traffic violations but in many cases, their presence deters or stops people from making traffic violations in the first place.

Seemingly unsatisfied with that response Birtles then said through the council chair “I feel we’ve purchased a Cadilac service from the police department but we’re getting the service of a K-car from the detachment,”.

The Town of Lunenburg is expected to spend $1,029,400 on RCMP services this year.