When photo radar and red light cameras were imposed by the city of Winnipeg to Winnipeggers, there was no clear policy objective, only claims by the former mayor of "we need it for public safety, not a cash generator." But fast forward 5 years and politicians have been proven wrong, again.

City council has briefly delayed re-signing a second five-year contract with ACS Public Sector Solutions. Five years ago, ACS was to deliver $8-million in revenue to city police but ended up delivering $6.6 million. But it's not supposed to be a cash generator . . . right

Under the new contract, the police service is set to receive $27.7 million, or more, over the next five years. According to news reports, the richer deal is due to a more flexible cost structure, with monthly fees and "variable payments based on the actual volume of offences." In other words, it is in the city's best interest to have as many roving vans and cameras around the city as possible to meet revenue targets.

Last year city hall abandoned plans to expand the number of red-light cameras and instead increase the number of photo-radar vans, which rove various areas to nail speeders. The number of speeders caught by this method is dramatically higher than those caught by red-light cameras, so the city is using these vans to buttress their revenues.

All along, city council has maintained this is all about public safety - - why then have they delayed signing the deal with the Edmonton based company which runs the city's photo enforcement program Simply, they want even more revenue.

To be sure, there is a good argument to be made to provide our police service more revenues to fight crime. But for public safety, cops need to patrol the streets to ensure traffic offenders are licensed, insured, competent, and unimpaired.

Automated enforcement fines cannot do the job of police officers to stop and prevent reckless drivers. The city is better off with more cops to manage dangerous and drunk drivers than red light and photo radar cameras to nab safe and respectable motorists.

The fact that photo enforcement is being used as a cash cow should not come as a surprise. Municipalities and police forces have a direct financial interest in using photo radar to raise revenues. This is because revenues from photo radar fines are returned to the municipality in which the photograph was taken. The more photographs taken, the more money the municipality collects. The fewer photographs are taken, the less revenue a municipality generates.

Further, city coffers have ballooned over the past year with an additional $14 million in property tax revenue, gas tax money, and GST rebates. There is plenty of tax supported money to ensure the city's police service has the money it needs to protect the public.

When the photo radar issue first presented, there was no policy to set a goal and establish a purpose. Was it the purpose of photo radar to generate tax revenues for government, with safety as a possible secondary benefit Or is it the purpose of photo radar to enhance safety by reducing speed at high-risk locations BC and Ontario abandoned photo radar because taxpaying motorists figured out it was the former. Even the politicians got the message!