Mounties and Alberta sheriffs are now working together in the Bow Valley to nab speeders and erratic drivers.

The Bow Valley Integrated Traffic Unit - formerly the Bow Valley Traffic Services - joins the former traffic services officers with Alberta sheriffs to combine their resources when patrolling the highway and streets in town.

"What we're essentially doing is taking all those resources and putting them together," said Cpl. Chris Blandford of the four sheriffs joining the four Mounties on patrol. "We now have four extra resources that can tackle the issues we have on our highways."

Blandford said their goals will remain the same as before when they were just an RCMP traffic unit, like enforcing speed limits and seatbelt compliance and going after high risk and impaired drivers.

"Speed is a big problem on the Trans-Canada Highway in the park and we hope the extra presence will slow things down a little," Blandford said.

"And seatbelts will forever be on our radar screen."

Three of the four Alberta sheriffs stationed in the Bow Valley are trained on a motorcycle giving them an extra avenue of enforcement. And Blandford said that won't be the only vehicle at their disposal. He said they're planning more covert operations with the use of rental vehicles and trucks when patrolling the streets.

"It's not to be tricky," he said. "It's intended to make an impact."

Larissa@thecrag.ca