City cracking down on speeders

Charlottetown city council has decided to put photo radar on the shelf.

Instead, councillors have allocated $20,000 to put more police on the street to battle speeding drivers.

'We're not going to be handing out warning tickets.' Coun. Cecil Villard

The city had been trying to persuade the province to change the Highway Traffic Act to specifically allow photo radar, but the province responded that no changes were required.

At its meeting on Tuesday, council decided to foregophoto radar,voting an extra $20,000 to pay the overtime for more traffic officers during the last three months of this year.

"We're not going to be handing out warning tickets," said police committee chair Cecil Villard.

"It's a serious issue that citizens have been complaining about for some time, and we need to crack down on it. And we need people to get the message. And you know, warning tickets don't deliver a very strong message."

'[I'd pick] street crime.' deputy chief Richard Collins

Photo radar was the city's first choice, but without changes to legislation the city was worried about enforcement.

Villard said if the provincial government continues to refuse to change the Highway Traffic Act, the city will hire three more officers.

Photo radar is also the first choice of Charlottetown police, and deputy chief Richard Collins made it clear at a public meeting last month that if he had more officers at his disposal he wouldn't put them on traffic duty.

"You can start throwing rocks at me right now, but if someone said to me [you can have] two officers for a street-crime unit or two officers for traffic, [I'd pick] street crime," Collins said.

However, Villard said that choice is not the deputy chief's to make.

"The deputy chief would have to utilize his manpower based on the priorities, and right now this [speeding] is a priority," he said.

Villard said if that priority changes, Collins may redeploy the officers.