Pete looks at photo laser traffic enforcement system

Something called ‘automated traffic enforcement technology’ may be coming to

council listened to a pitch last week by a company that provides ‘photo laser’ service – which is along the lines of photo radar, but better, they said.

The reps from Global Traffic Group already had council’s attention when they talked of how such a system of enforcement makes drivers behave better. But councillors really perked up when they heard how much it would cost: nothing.

“There’s no financial risk to the community,” said David Steer Global Traffic’s CEO.“We get a portion of the tickets.”

Some drivers might consider that a financial risk to the community, or at least to themselves. But the taxpayers in general would be off the hook.

How it works is the town would enter into a three to five-year contract with the company. The company would then assign an operator to set up the laser camera for a certain number of hours per week.

The unit is mobile, so it wouldn’t always be in the same place.

It could be at the intersections of Hwys. 55 and the By Pass for a couple of hours catching people rolling through the stop signs; then it could move over to a school zone or a playground zone for a while.

The evidence produced by the laser device, Steer assured council,“is solid in court.”
Steer told council the company operates in eight communities in Alberta, but offered no examples. Nor could anything on that topic be found on its relatively uninformative website.

In a subsequent phone interview, he named Hinton, Edson, Spruce Grove, Lloydminster and Canmore.

“It’s designed to slow people down.”

actually, as nice as that sounds,

there is no direction from the CAO or MAYOR

toward such an outcome.

i put the writing on the wall here.

too busy fighting amongst each other to think

OF WIDDENING OUT IN CORPORATE THINKING!

i put the writing on the wall here.

As the one-year trial run of Chestermere's private photo-radar system comes to an end, citizens can expect to see more than half of the fine revenue leaving their town and going to the private firm.

Global Traffic Group isn't keen to release numbers or the nature of its deal with Chestermere, but a program run by the company in Canmore -- a town of similar size to Chestermere -- saw $430,000 raised in 2007, with $205,000 going to the company, a 47% cut. In Stony Plain, the company kept 41% of the fine revenue.

The province also takes about a 25% share. Indeed, it was provincial legislation about four years ago that opened the door to private-sector radar, as a way of giving small towns a traffic enforcement tool without taking a police officer off the beat.

Chestermere is the first of Calgary's bedroom communities to go with a private firm, which supplies peace officers to take pictures and issue fines to motorists, but takes orders from local RCMP as to when and where radar is used.

It sounds OK on paper, but the result is a town full of bitter drivers, all with a legitimate reason to question whether the tickets they're receiving are more about safety or money.

"Photo radar is nothing more than a cash cow for the company hired," wrote one Chestermere resident, one of 70 who've signed an online petition asking the town to scrap the program.

Edson town council will soon consider whether to expand its traffic monitoring services with Global Traffic to include intersection monitoring at stop signs and traffic lights around town.
Hopefully, council will fully consider all the elements involved in implementing this idea before making its decision.
As town manager Clarence Joly pointed out, it would make sense to wait and see what happens in Chestermere, Alta., before reaching any firm decision.
In that community, just east of Calgary, Global Traffic has introduced video camera monitoring at intersections on a trial basis.
Councillors report that Global Traffic’s presentation to Edson’s Protective Services Committee was persuasive.
However, Global Traffic does provide the service involved, so it’s important to also consider additional viewpoints and sources of information, if they exist.

Putting law-enforcement into the hands of a private, for-profit firm seems wrong on the most basic level.



It makes crime a desirable commodity, with every traffic infraction adding to the company's bottom line.

Turning law enforcement into a business leaves a greasy stain on the impartiality of policing and has citizens wondering whether the system is designed for fairness or revenue.

http://www.intertraffic.com/marketplace/mypag...

well if they go with that scheme then council can get rid of the 3 by-law guys they hired. its one or the other to my mind, and if private radar comes in more people will be pissed off.

If we had it, then maybe the person/s who stole the signs from main street last Monday could be charged with theft. Now there's something to think about , County!

nebechanezzarr wrote:

Putting law-enforcement into the hands of a private, for-profit firm seems wrong on the most basic level.
It makes crime a desirable commodity, with every traffic infraction adding to the company's bottom line.
Turning law enforcement into a business leaves a greasy stain on the impartiality of policing and has citizens wondering whether the system is designed for fairness or revenue.

Like I have said about Lac La Biche law enforcement, everytime they get more police the crime rates go up. Normaly you should see an esculation in crime before you hire more officers.

What A way to treat your citizens Mr. Kirylchuk, milking is part of your farm duties not part of your public agenda. What ever happened to the good old Peter, the man who cared and loved his community. We might have to start calling you Mr. Milkman if you don't start showing some of your good christian quailities like, sharing, caring, loving and commpasion, please Sir get back to the little things we all care about such as love thy neibour, do on to others and so on.

the new reporter at the POST

is shotting pics like he is on lazser radar!

maybe he will kick it up a notch,

current directional leadership is lazy. at best.

just see his office, it is a mess!

Photo radar, what the heck are these goffs doing to us. I thought the three county mounties were abuse enough for the citizens to swallow, but then again every good farmer knows how to milk.