Beckwith PSB ambivalent about photo radar's possible return
Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Desmond DevoyEMC News - The Beckwith Township police services board has decided to not endorse or reject a proposal from their partner board in Nottawasaga, Ont. to bring back photo radar.
At the township's police services board meeting on Jan. 18, members expressed their ambivalence towards the program, which was scrapped by then-Premier Mike Harris in 1995.
"Photo radar, if you recall, went out quite a while ago," said Insp. Gerry Salisbury, the detachment commander for the Lanark County OPP at the meeting in Blacks Corners.
"There were some technical and legislative issues with it, as well as it was infringing on people's rights."
Beckwith Township Reeve Richard Kidd noted he had once received a photo radar ticket for going five kilometers over the speed limit, making no allowances.
"I don't think we need it too badly," said Kidd of the motion, which was accepted and filed for information purposes.
Kidd noted Ottawa still has red light cameras and that he recently received a bill for bringing his vehicle onto the toll Highway 407 in Toronto. The only problem is that Kidd hadn't been on Highway 407.
Kidd was in good company because Beckwith Coun. Faye Campbell was also sent a bill for 407 usage too.
"They say just to pay the bill, write a cheque," said Kidd.
"A lot of people are putting those plastic covers over their plates," said Salisbury.
"The (photo) light just bounces off."
SPEED SIGNS
One of the existing electronic speed reduction methods are speed signs, which show motorists just how fast they are going, and how much over the speed limit they are.
But the wear-and-tear on them can be considerable - and that's just from handling by the police and municipal employees.
"I would like to see the sign coming back after each municipalities' use," said Salisbury. "We got it (the sign) back last year and it was wrecked ... it didn't work for 10 days."
"That's what was supposed to happen," said Beckwith Township secretary Cynthia Moyles, of the signs being returned to the OPP for fine-tuning in between deployments.
In future, the signs will come back to either the OPP detachments in Perth or Carleton Place.
"For me, the wear-and-tear is moving the damn thing around all the time ... (even) moving it from Carleton Place to Beckwith," said Salisbury.
Kidd, however, commended the program overall.
"It does get people to think about slowing down," he said.
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