Automated Traffic Enforcement not a cash grab, says LPS chief
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on September 10, 2024.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Vehicles pass by a photo radar vehicle along fifth avenue north Monday afternoon. LPS and the City of Lethbridge are responding to possible reduction of ATE devices like this one by the province of Alberta.LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com
The Lethbridge Police Service and the City of Lethbridge have responded to proposed changes to Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) program brought up by the province of Alberta.
The proposed changes include the use of photo radar and intersection safety devices like red light cameras across the province.
According to a press release from LPS, those changes include banning cameras on all intersections, banning cameras on provincial highways and roads that connect them and only using cameras for playgrounds, schools and construction zones.
LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh said Monday afternoon ATE devices help LPS to keep drivers accountable and removing them will be a big mistake.
“ATE devices provide the use of technology and innovation to monitor traffic offences and being able to hold people accountable for when they are infracting those offences such speeding and running through red lights,” said Mehdizadeh.
He added that some intersections across the city have cameras that help control both speed and red light compliance, and there is also the use of photo radar vehicles that are deployed on a regular basis.
“Every time we do that it is communicated to the public as of where it’s going to be to make sure people slow down,” said Mehdizadeh.
He said one thing that needs to be cleared up is where the money goes that is collected from traffic infractions caught on camera, as there seems to be a misunderstanding about it.
“I want to make sure that I highlight the fact that none of the money that is raised from the ATE program in this city comes to the police. Unlike other municipalities all the money goes split 40-60 split between the province and the city,” said Mehdizadeh.
He said the rumours that the ATE program is a money-grabbing initiative for the police are not true.
The concern raised by these potential changes stems from the fact that the City of Lethbridge has continued to grow exponentially.
Adding new ATE sites to high-risk areas is already prohibited by the provincial freeze implemented in 2019 and these proposed changes would see a further decrease to ATE sites, despite many requests from the public that more be done to address high risk areas where drivers’ habits need to be addressed to ensure the safety of residents.Â
Mayor Blaine Hyggen explained what the money is used for once it is collected while highlighting that safety for all members of the community is the city’s priority.
“The dollars that come from photo radar does come to the City. It goes into safety measures. It goes into signage and different safety initiatives within our community,” said Hyggen.
He added that the revenue is basically being collected from those who do not obey the traffic rules and they seem to be the ones wanting the ATE devices gone, contrary to what other citizens have expressed to him through emails, calls and in-person comments.
“Many of the calls, emails, texts, etc. that I get have one theme in common, people wanting to see more of them (ATE devices). I know some people say, well that’s hard to believe,” said Hyggen.
 He said to that he has a response that sometimes sounds a little bit harsh, but it has to be said.
 “The best way to not get a ticket is to not speed or to not go through a red-light camera. This is the law,” said Hyggen.
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Well, when some members of the city work force are making upwards of 50-70 an hour it can be stated that it is a money grubbing service to the city. Got to pay those wages somehow. High taxes are not enough???
I must have missed the city’s survey of residents on their thoughts on photo radar. I would like to see a breakdown of revenue from photo radar tickets and where all those funds were spent. Hopefully not a penny went to wages of city staff as Buckwheat suggests. George
Is anyone surprised that our Chief doesn’t want to get rid of them? When the rules were changed and they needed to be marked we got a little bumper sticker. Calgary’s photo radar vehicles are wrapped! You have to be eagle eyes to see ours, you’d need to be blind to miss theirs. It’s a cash grab. If it wasn’t then we would have seen the photoradar trucks wrapped like the other cities did.
If you are interested in accountability then have a uniformed officer pull someone over. The instant cause and result is far more effective on modifying behavior than the detached event, end of month, ticket in the mail. Often times you have to think hard to remember if you were even on that road it was so long ago. This does very little for reinforcement or to modify behavior.
A couple of $300 tickets won’t change your behaviour?
So a Wrapped vehicle is bad? You sound like the thief getting caught by the “secret shopper” security guard at a grocery store!
I may not have been clear. Edmonton and Calgary both have wrapped their vehicles. Check google for pictures. We only get a bumper sticker that you still have to strain to see. This is our police doing the bare minimum to increase visibility of the vehicle. I can only assume that they don’t really want it visible like the province does.
Reinforcement is much more effective when it is immediate. The longer between the act and the positive or negative reward the less effective it actually is. Radar cameras are not designed to modify behavior. A police officer chasing you down, pulling you over, and giving you a ticket for what you just did is much more effective.
Question for you chief. Considering Alberta has close to the same amount of ATE’s as the rest of Canada are they all speeding recklessly left and right or…are you not doing your job? Hmmm
So speeders don’t want to pay a fine, just like rapists & murderers don’t want to go to jail..