Edmontonians frustrated with photo radar fines may be surprised to learn the city鈥檚 police officers are also being dinged for speeding, even when they鈥檙e responding to an emergency.
麻豆传媒 has learned that many of the city鈥檚 police officers are paying for speeding tickets out of pocket rather than undergo the time-consuming process to have the fees waived.
鈥淚t is frustrating for the front line,鈥� Sgt. Mike Elliott, president of the Edmonton Police Association, told CTV Edmonton. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating for us because we hear it from the front line members when members come in and say 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 getting this.鈥欌��
Police officers aren鈥檛 required to pay for photo radar speeding tickets they receive while on the job, provided they can prove they were responding to an important call.
鈥淸The member has to answer] 鈥榃hat were you doing at that time?鈥欌�� Elliott said. 鈥淎nd then the member has to add comments, which goes to their sergeant, to their staff sergeant, to their inspector, and to the superintendent to try to determine is that speeding justified or unjustified?鈥�
Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee agrees that the process is more cumbersome than it needs to be.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a significant time drain on our professional standards branch,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to make those decisions that balance the fact that we need to get there safe with the fact that we need to get there because somebody鈥檚 safety is in jeopardy.鈥�
McFee said officers should be trusted to make certain judgment calls themselves while they鈥檙e on duty.
