Duckguy is actually correct ... the powers of search COs enjoy come from the laws they enforce, not from their position as COs. An OPP officer has the same powers with respect to those laws.
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There is no easy answer.
Police have no time or interest ( often no by law) to deal with rural running dogs.
1) A good owner would be apologetic and do all they can to prevent repeat offence.
2) A bad owner says-- country dog, let it run for fun/exercise.
3) A tolerant land owner bends over and lets the neighbours dogs ruin his wildlife/ property experience.
4) A hard core/protective land owner does the SSS thing.
So dog shootings continue to happen and makes bad news because 2) and 4) often live close together and law enforcement doesn't care until a dead dog makes news on CBC.
Saw this in passing... clarifies some other authorities of a CO;
Quote:
Ontario Conservation Officers have the authority of an OPP officer only within the boundaries of a Provincial Park. When the leave the park they still have an extensive list of powers and authorities - but no longer have the authority of a police officer. A Park Warden, the unarmed, seasonal cousin of the Conservation Officer, has police authority only within park boundaries and citizen powers of arrest beyond that.
You may, on occasion, run across a Park Warden who also has a Deputy Conservation Officer (DCO) designation. That scenario is the same as the Conservation Officer, where they lose the police authority outside park boundaries and have powers and authorities similar to a Conservation Officer. The DCO has authority outside the park, but will not be permitted to exercise those authorities, by policy, unless accompanied by a Conservation Officer.
To answer your second question, Conservation Officers could theoretically enforce the Liquor Licence Act, Mental Heath Act, Highway Traffic Act, Trespass to Property Act, Criminal Code or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act while in a Provincial Park. Outside park boundaries they enforce a multitude of federal and provincial statutes that fall within their mandate. The authority to enforce the LLA, anywhere in the Province, was implemented as a public safety measure.
A Conservation Officer (CO) is a "full" peace officer anywhere within the Province of Ontario. They are appointed under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. In addition, they are class designated as Federal Fishery Officers under the Fisheries Act (Canada) and as Federal Game Officers under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (Canada).
They enforce numerous federal and provincial statutes which relate to natural resources such as: the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act; Fisheries Act (Canada); Migratory Birds Convention Act (Canada); Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act; Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act; Aggregate Resources Act; Forest Fires Prevention Act; Crown Forest Sustainability Act; Off-Road Vehicles Act; Motorized Snow Vehicles Act; Small Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act (Canada) and have limited authority to enforce certain sections of the Liquor Licence Act.
CO's, when patrolling OUTSIDE of a Provincial Park are peace officers not police officers. They have no blanket police officer authority because there is no legislation that says CO's are police officers in and for the Province of Ontario.
CO's when patrolling INSIDE a Provincial Park have "full" police officer authority. They get this from the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 12, Section 37. That section states a Conservation Officer has all the power and authority of a member of the Ontario Provincial Police within a provincial park or conservation reserve. He or she may be wearing a green uniform but in the eyes of the law, INSIDE a Provincial Park they are considered to be police officers which means they can enforce any federal or provincial statute.
I said in my earlier post that CO's can theoretically enforce, INSIDE a Provincial Park, the Highway Traffic Act and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act etc.. That was a poor choice of words - my apologies. They can enforce those statutes but in practice most officers don't. Most CO's are too busy with other tasks to routinely do parks enforcement.
http://forums.blueline.ca/viewtopic....6838&start=105
If you think that's an "integrity" problem, then you need to avail yourself of a dictionary and look up "integrity." It may be irresponsible, short-sighted, and stupid, but it does not in and of itself demonstrate a lack of integrity.
However, doing a thing and then lying about what you did to avoid punishment does reflect a lack of integrity, as Duckguy suggests.
Called the tip line and talked to a fellow who will pass it on to a CO. He said the CO may investigate it on his own or call me for further information.
The neighbourhood is trying to have something done without us having to go to court.
Profile of a guy who would shoot a dog? - a husband and father who has 3 little kids - lives in the country - on several occasions this big pit bull shows up in the yard - looks real mean - when the father tries to chase the dog it growls at him and doesn't move - the father isn't always home so he is afraid that one day this dog is going to come when he is not home and kill one of his kids -
Now let me relate this true story - many years ago I lived in New Jersey - there was a development in the area - the back yards of the properties were separated by a wooded area with a small stream running through - this woman is by her kitchen window watching her little kids playing in the back yard - along comes three German Shepard type dogs and they attack the kids - the woman runs out with a rake and tries to chase the dogs - she can't get the dogs off the kids - then she does a stupid thing - she runs in the house and calls her husband on the phone - the dogs killed both kids - the dogs were eventually put down - after this happened I made sure that my wife was able to have a gun and know how to us it - if this woman had a gun she could have saved her kids - so yes there are times when you are justified in shooting a dog before something bad happens - have I ever shot a dog in my life - yes I have - I didn't like to do it and felt bad about it because I have had several dogs over the years and I like dogs - sometimes you have to do what you have to do - even if it is unpleasant