Ticketing mess a losing proposition

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KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Archives The outrage over the traffic crackdown is perhaps embodied best by WiseUpWinnipeg, a lobby group of unknown numbers that wants longer amber lights to give us a sporting chance to run red lights with impunity.

In case you hadn't noticed, traffic tickets are falling like big, wet flakes of spring snow all over Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Police Service is out in force, tagging motorists with a rarely seen gusto. Motorists, meanwhile, have responded with an indignation normally associated with preschoolers.

From melodramatic bids to defeat the objective, unblinking eye of photo radar, to weepy whinefests about getting nailed for driving and talking on a cellphone, this city is out in force to defend its right to be dangerous, distracted and discourteous while behind the wheel.

The outrage over the traffic crackdown is perhaps embodied best by our reality-challenged friends from WiseUpWinnipeg, a lobby group of unknown numbers that chases around the city exposing speed traps. It also wants longer amber lights to give us a sporting chance to run red lights with impunity. In a city where traffic lights are considered "guidelines" anyway, that's a cause we can all get behind.

That is not to say there aren't some big problems with the recent crackdown. Not to embolden those who defend bad driving as a Charter right, but it would be hard to imagine a more poorly constructed effort on all parts.

The first problem is that there were two separate traffic enforcement campaigns going on simultaneously.

Manitoba Public Insurance paid police in Winnipeg, Brandon and rural areas $120,000 to bring in police on overtime to crack down on distracted drivers, particularly those who talk, email or text while driving. The crackdown was timed to enforce recently added restrictions on using mobile phones and other devices while driving.

Notwithstanding confusion over tickets given to drivers who claim not to own cellphones, the campaign is justifiable, both in intent and design.

However, at the same time MPI was in the field, the city decided to crack down on a wide range of traffic infractions by tasking police across all districts and units to increase ticketing. That decision has been poorly received by the WPS, to say the least.

For most part, police consider handing out traffic tags to be lowly work, at least by those who don't have to do it on a regular basis. In the ranks of the WPS, traffic enforcement officers are not-so-lovingly referred to as "traffic Nazis," cops who are obsessed with ticket quotas and nothing else. Some tell stories of traffic officers refusing to leave a speed trap to provide backup for brawls or domestics. It's hard to say whether that's a fair allegation, but it only has to happen once for an entire unit to get a bad name.

What we do know is that forcing all police to hand out traffic tickets is a quick way to erode morale. Paying overtime to "traffic Nazis" to hand out even more tickets is only pouring salt in that wound. Overlapping the MPI and city crackdowns was, simply put, pretty poor planning on someone's part. So who was responsible?

Mayor Sam Katz, a police officer's best friend during an election, did what he does best these days -- he pretended he didn't hear the question. However, it is well known the city is expecting $2 million less in photo radar revenue this year. According to Coun. Scott Fielding, chairman of the city's finance committee, given that shortfall, the city asked the WPS to cut expenditures by $1 million. Fielding said it was the WPS that decided, in essence, to offset that request by issuing more tickets.

That explanation turned out to be too cute by half. WPS Chief Keith McCaskill said the crackdown was part of a three-pronged city directive to cut overtime by $1 million, cut other expenditures by $1 million and raise an additional $1 million in traffic ticket revenue, for a $3 million bump to the city's bottom line. McCaskill said he agreed to issue more tickets in order to improve road safety. However, McCaskill said, it is impossible to cut overtime and generate more revenue. At best, the WPS will net $400,000.

In this dispute, it's pretty safe to back McCaskill's version. As he noted, it's expensive to issue all those extra tickets. Only someone who doesn't understand that equation could come up with such an unrealistic plan -- someone like a mayor or councillor.

Increased traffic enforcement is defensible on many different levels. A lack of enforcement has turned this city into a rough-and-tumble racetrack where even the smallest safe-driving gesture, like signalling to change lanes, is interpreted as a sign of weakness and treated with contempt. If we can get more money from bad drivers to keep a lid on property taxes, then all the better. But perhaps there should have been better co-ordination. Now we're left with quite a mess.

Police are angry, drivers are angry and we still won't get the revenue needed to support police services. Worst of all, bad drivers have been emboldened to band together to self-righteously defend their crimes.

That adds up to a rarely seen public policy accomplishment: the lose-lose-lose-lose proposition.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 14, 2012 A6