Definitions

1   In this regulation:

"Act" means the Police Act;

"transit law enforcement unit" means the designated law enforcement unit

(a) established by Ministerial Order 339/2022 and continued by section 129 (2) [transition — continuation of pre-existing designated law enforcement units and boards] of the Police Amendment Act, 2024, and

(b) known as the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service Designated Law Enforcement Unit;

"transit police board" means the designated policing board described in section 2 (1) and (2);

"transit police service" means the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service, also known as the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, consisting of both of the following:

(a) the transit policing unit;

(b) the transit law enforcement unit;

"transit policing unit" means the designated policing unit

(a) established by Ministerial Order 339/2022 and continued by section 129 (1) [transition — continuation of pre-existing designated policing units and boards] of the Police Amendment Act, 2024, and

(b) known as the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service Designated Policing Unit;

"TransLink" has the same meaning as "authority" in section 1 (1) of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act;

"transportation service region" has the same meaning as in section 1 (1) of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act.

Board of transit police service

2   (1) The designated policing board of the transit policing unit is the board

(a) established by Ministerial Order 339/2022 as the designated board of the transit policing unit, and

(b) continued by section 129 (1) [transition — continuation of pre-existing designated policing units and boards] of the Police Amendment Act, 2024.

(2) The designated policing board of the transit policing unit is also the designated law enforcement board of the transit law enforcement unit and is to be known as the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service Board.

(3) The transit law enforcement unit's designated board, as established by Ministerial Order 339/2022 and continued by section 129 (2) [transition — continuation of pre-existing designated law enforcement units and boards] of the Police Amendment Act, 2024, is disestablished.

Composition

3   The Lieutenant Governor in Council's power to appoint persons to the transit police board, as set out in section 14.04 (1) [appointments to designated policing board] of the Act, is subject to the following restrictions:

(a) the board must not have more than 9 members;

(b) at least one member must be a person nominated by TransLink Security Management Ltd.

Duty to determine priorities, goals and objectives

4   (1) In consultation with the chief officer, the transit police board must determine the priorities, goals and objectives of the transit police service.

(2) In determining the priorities, goals and objectives of the transit police service, the transit police board must take into account

(a) the priorities, goals and objectives for policing and law enforcement in British Columbia, as established by the minister, and

(b) the priorities, goals and objectives of TransLink.

(3) The transit police board must provide the priorities, goals and objectives and any changes to them to the director

(a) within 30 days after their establishment or change, and

(b) when requested to do so by the director.

Duty to report to transit police board

5   The chief officer must report to the transit police board each year on the implementation of programs and strategies to achieve the priorities, goals and objectives of the transit police service.

Designated policing area

6   (1) The transportation service region is the designated policing area for the transit policing unit and its designated constables.

(2) Despite subsection (1), the transit policing unit and its designated constables may operate in areas outside the transportation service region if that operation

(a) is necessary for the purposes of exercising a power, or carrying out a duty or function, referred to in section 7 (2) [powers, duties and functions under section 14.06 (1) of Act],

(b) is required for the purposes of complying with a ministerial directive under section 8 [ministerial directives in emergencies],

(c) is for the purposes of participating in a coordinated policing and law enforcement arrangement under section 9 (3) [coordination with other police services],

(d) is authorized under section 10 [responding to incidents in exigent circumstances],

(e) is requested under section 68 [requests for temporary assistance] of the Act, or

(f) is necessary for the purposes of enforcing a bylaw in accordance with section 12 [enforcement of certain bylaws] of this regulation.

Powers, duties and functions under section 14.06 of Act

7   (1) In subsection (2), "transit employee", "transit property" and "transit vehicle" have the same meaning as in section 243 of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act.

(2) The exercise of the transit policing unit's powers, and the carrying out of its duties and functions, under section 14.06 (1) [powers, duties and functions of designated policing unit] of the Act are to be primarily directed towards maintaining the safety and security of the following:

(a) persons on transit vehicles or other transit property;

(b) persons entering or leaving transit vehicles or other transit property;

(c) transit employees;

(d) transit property.

(3) For the purposes of section 14.06 (2) of the Act, the transit policing unit and its designated constables have the additional powers, duties and functions to do any of the things required or authorized under sections 8 to 13 of this regulation.

Ministerial directives in emergencies

8   (1) If the minister believes an emergency exists outside the transportation service region, the minister may direct one or more designated constables of the transit policing unit to the part of British Columbia in which the emergency exists.

(2) Section 38 (2.1) and (3) [jurisdiction of municipal constables] of the Act applies in relation to the minister's power under subsection (1) of this section.

Coordination arrangements with other police services

9   (1) The transit policing unit must coordinate the designated policing that it provides in the transportation service region with policing and law enforcement provided by other police services in that region.

(2) If the transit policing unit and its designated constables provide designated policing outside the transportation service region, in areas for which that designated policing is authorized and necessary for the purposes referred to in

(a) section 6 (2) (a) [carrying out powers, duties or functions under section 14.06 (1) of Act], or

(b) section 6 (2) (f) [enforcing bylaws under section 12],

the transit policing unit must coordinate that designated policing with policing and law enforcement provided by other police services in those areas.

(3) The transit policing unit may participate in other coordinated policing and law enforcement arrangements, including, without limitation,

(a) the Integrated Road Safety Unit, and

(b) the Real Time Intelligence Centre — British Columbia.

Responding to incidents in exigent circumstances

10   The transit policing unit and its designated constables may respond, in exigent circumstances, to any incident occurring in or outside the transportation service region.

Section 68 of Act applies

11   Section 68 [requests for temporary assistance] of the Act applies to the transit policing unit.

Enforcement of certain bylaws

12   (1) A designated constable of the transit policing unit may enforce a bylaw of a local government having jurisdiction in the transportation service region if that enforcement is authorized by a bylaw of the local government.

(2) The transit policing unit and its designated constables may enforce the bylaws made by TransLink under the following provisions of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act:

(a) section 29 (2) [user fees];

(b) Part 12 [Fare Recovery].

Duty to notify other police services

13   (1) If a designated constable of the transit policing unit performs duties in a municipality that has a municipal police department, the designated constable must provide notification under section 10 (2) [jurisdiction of police constables] of the Act.

(2) If a designated constable of the transit policing unit performs duties in an area in which policing and law enforcement is provided by the provincial police service or the Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service, the designated constable must, if possible, notify the police service in advance, but in any case must notify the police service promptly after performing the duties.

Uniforms for transit policing unit

14   The Police (Uniforms) Regulation, B.C. Reg. 564/76, applies, despite section 2 [application of regulation] of that regulation, to the transit policing unit and its chief officer, deputy chief officers and designated constables.

Disposal of property by transit policing unit

15   The Police (Disposal of Property) Regulation, B.C. Reg. 87/91, applies to the transit policing unit and its chief officer, deputy chief officers and designated constables.

Designated law enforcement area

16   The transportation service region is the designated law enforcement area for the transit law enforcement unit and its enforcement officers.

Powers, duties and functions of transit law enforcement unit

17   (1) The primary purpose of the transit law enforcement unit is to supplement the policing and law enforcement provided by the transit policing unit.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the transit law enforcement unit and its enforcement officers have the powers, duties and functions to do the following:

(a) assist designated constables in exercising the powers, and carrying out the duties and functions, described in the following:

(i) section 7 (2) [powers, duties and functions under section 14.06 (1) of Act];

(ii) section 12 [enforcement of certain bylaws];

(b) enforce the Greater Vancouver Transit Conduct and Safety Regulation, B.C. Reg. 87/99.

Chief officer and deputy chief officer

18   (1) The chief officer of the transit policing unit is also the chief officer of the transit law enforcement unit.

(2) A deputy chief officer of the transit policing unit is also a deputy chief officer of the transit law enforcement unit.

Appointing enforcement officers

19   The transit police board may appoint a person as an enforcement officer if

(a) the person meets the training requirements set out in the director's standards, or

(b) if the director has not established standards respecting the training of persons to become enforcement officers, the person has completed training approved by the director.

Uniforms for transit law enforcement unit

20   The enforcement officers of the transit law enforcement unit must wear uniforms that are clearly distinguishable from uniforms worn by any of the following:

(a) designated constables of the transit policing unit, or of other designated policing units;

(b) municipal constables;

(c) provincial constables.

Disposal of property by transit law enforcement unit

21   The Police (Disposal of Property) Regulation applies to the transit law enforcement unit and its chief officer, deputy chief officers and enforcement officers.

Weapons limitation

22   The weapons and restraints that may be used by enforcement officers of the transit law enforcement unit are limited to the following:

(a) oleoresin capsicum spray;

(b) expandable batons;

(c) handcuffs.