Calgary's police chief speaks out against Alberta's anticipated photo radar crackdown

Calgary’s police chief has issued a grave warning about the potential impact of further restrictions on photo radar use in Alberta.

The provincial government is expected to release new guidelines on Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) in December, according to a memo sent to Edmonton city council and obtained by CTV News.

The changes include the banning of photo radar on provincial highways and roads that connect with provincial highways, restricting photo radar enforcement to playgrounds, schools and construction zones, and the elimination of speeding enforcement by intersection safety devices.

In a statement, Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen tells CTV News his ministry wants to ensure photo radar is used for traffic safety rather than revenue generation, and has been working with municipalities and law enforcement to remove "fishing hole" locations.

Calgary police chief Mark Neufeld says restricting photo radar and cameras at intersections would not only lead to an increase in crashes, but would require officers be diverted from other important duties like crime prevention, and would put them at risk on more busy roads.

"If the use of automated enforcement is further restricted, police will be hamstrung in their abilities to address the traffic safety concerns that currently exist in our municipalities,” he wrote in a statement.

"While we try and address driving behaviour through in-person enforcement and education campaigns, research shows that enforcement – including automated enforcement – decreases speeds and the likelihood of being involved in a collision and becoming seriously injured.

"By further restricting our automated enforcement efforts, I have no doubt there will be an increase in serious injury and fatal collisions in Calgary."

Dreeshan has called photo radar a "cash cow."

Alberta banned photo radar sites from ring roads in Edmonton and Calgary starting Dec. 1, 2023.

Neufeld said the effects of that move are already being felt.

"Without the ability to safely conduct enforcement, these roadways – particularly the Stoney Trail ring road – have become literal racetracks, with evidence of some motorists attempting to use it for racing purposes."

According to a report by the Calgary Police Service (CPS), photo radar violations in 2023 dropped 58 per cent from 2022.

The report noted there was a sharp reduction in violations issued after a fluorescent vehicle wrap was introduced in December 2022, bringing the violation rate to its lowest point since 2010.

According to the report, there were 420 photo radar locations in Calgary and 57 traffic cameras equipped with capturing either red light or speed violations at intersections.

Calgary collected around $27.2 million from photo radar violations in 2023, with about 70 per cent of the funds returning to CPS budgets.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she is concerned about the impacts the change will have on traffic safety and also the city's budget.

"I would be interested to know what the provincial government is going to do to keep the police service whole when they are actually going to be collecting less in fine revenue," she said.

A statement from the Calgary Police Commission says while enforcement decisions are not based on revenue needs, "a portion of fines are returned to the City of Calgary by the province and Council has decided to use these funds to offset the costs of policing."

"The police budget includes an annual estimate of this funding based on previous years so that tax dollars are not being collected unnecessarily. Recent changes to photo radar regulations have resulted in an approximately $13 million shortfall in the police budget and the proposed regulations could increase that shortfall to more than $30 million annually by 2026."

Dreeshen says the government would finalize the list of approved photo radar locations by the end of the year.