Photo radar contractor decides where most enforcement happens, Winnipeg police say

Tag: revenue

  • Photo radar contractor decides where most enforcement happens, Winnipeg police say

    The operators with for profit Traffic Safe Solutions who are contracted by for profit Conduent have regularly said ‘we only go where WPS tells us to go” when told they enforcing unlawfully in locations with missing signage, where no work being done on the actual lanes for traffic, the zone extended longer than permitted or required, speed limits artificially lowered or enforing unfairly when no workers present.

    The current an past Winnipeg Mayors, City Councils and Provincial Governments since 2003 have not enforced the Conditions of Authority for Photo Enforcement which is grounds for the program to be terminated.

    The elected and appointed officials that have allowed this or turned a blind eye seem to only care about the $70 Million or more per year taken from drives and be vehicle owners. The Province gets 50% of this “safety” revenue which is arguably unlawful taxation as fines. The City gets 25% and WPS gets 25% after paying its for profit partner.

    Many of the photo enforcement “safety” programs / schemes like this in other jurisdictions have been proven to be involved in corruption with serveral resulting in investigations and convictions including up to 10 years in prison for public officials.

    This and the fact the programs and technology have repeatedly been proven to not improve safety or make it worse is why it banned in many places.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-photo-enforcement-locations-1.5617380

  • Options for responding to Manitoba traffic tickets / alleged offenses

    The POC / Traffic “court” reopened on July 6, 2020 for dispute hearings and payments only. It had closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    Here is detailed info about your options if you received a ticket / alleged traffic offense in Manitoba. You must respond within the response period shown on your ticket or a default conviction can be entered along with a $50 penalty.

    If you wish you can exercise your right to dispute the offence (i.e plead not guilty, get a disclosure package, communicate with the Crown attorney and if needed have a trial etc …), admit the offence, or seek a reduction. You have a few options to do so which are listed below.

    If you dispute, you can change your mind later and change your option or plea. Most are still offered or can get a reduction and time to pay. After filing to dispute some tickets have been dismissed when reasonable reason given. This more likely with backlog for hearings / trials.

    You can also authorize a representative to handle the matter on your behalf.

    If you choose one of the retired cops / traffic ticket “experts” be aware they are often fine with not telling you much of this and collecting from you half of what you “save” when they request and if they get dismissal or reduction.

    If you can’t get time off during the day or can’t afford to you can request night court and you can also request a hearing in french.

    Options:

    1) Go in person to 373 Broadway in Winnipeg or check with a regional court:
    https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/tickets/contact.html

    2) Phone the court: 204-945-3156 in Winnipeg or toll free at 1-800-282-8069 (ext.3156). Have the offense / ticket number ready.

    3) Complete the form linked in this post or here:
    https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/tickets/pubs/poaform.pdf

    One member said when they tried to attach a copy of their d/l photo, the whole form would freeze. If so send the photo seperately.
    Mail, fax or drop off at:
    100 – 373 Broadway
    Winnipeg MB R3C 4S4
    Fax: 204-948-2023
    or check with a regional court (see link above)

    Or Email the form to POC@gov.mb.ca

    Warning email is not secure and there has been cases where they have send disclosure package by email last minute with little time to prepare your defense and requests for dismissing or adjournment denied.

    Ask for confirmation that they have received the form.

    After your form processed you should be sent a letter with hearing date. After this you can contact the court to get name of the crown attorney or articling student assigned to your case and phone number. You can then call or email them (first name.lastname@gov.mb.ca) if you need to request adjournment for more time to prepare or …

    A disclosure package should he sent to you at least 7 days before your trial but you maybe able to request it earlier.

    You have the option to request the operator or officer be present to question (The crown can be asked to call them as their witness so you can cross examine or you cam subpoena them). You must appear before a Justice to request this but should not need to go into detail about your defense.

    The Guide for self represented Defendants via link below and on the MB Courts website provides general information about the court process for tickets. This guide is not meant to be used as legal advice. If you have any legal questions, contact a lawyer.

    General info about tickets
    https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/tickets/

    Disputing
    https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/tickets/dispute.html

    More on this and related at www.wiseupwinnipeg.com and WiseUpWinnipeg under Announcements, Files, Discussions etc…

    The “New Plea Process” page and post has more details on when and why this process changed (their claimed reasons and what their real intentions appeared to be), the erosions of the accused rights, their ability to know about and exercise what rights are left and what can be done about these injustices.

    More info and some history about the process change here

    New Plea Process

  • WPS pension changes and off topic but important comment and response

    Nov 6 2019 – Concerned Citizens of Winnipeg and Manitoba

    Find comment below from article and post about City of Winnipeg plans to change the police pension bylaw to make the pension more sustainable using the new Provincial public sector pension and benefits legislation. Mainly change City / taxpayers contributions from 18% to match employee contributions of 8%, require 20 years service and age 60 for full pension and remove pensionable overtime.

    For more info, comments and discussion see

    —

    “I would not mind nearly as much if:

    -They weren’t committing fraud with drawings in court.
    -They were on top of crime instead of sleeping in cars with photo radar.
    -They were properly testing their devices and ACTUALLY only interested in ticketing bad or dangerous drivers.
    -They would post people randomly in high theft areas, like grocery stores, liquor marts, etc instead of on busses and corners looking for phones (but even that is acceptable to me if it’s about safety and not revenue).”

    —
    Response

    , the hand written Designated Construction Zone diagrams, sleeping in photo enforcement vehicles is WPS’s for profit “partner” Conduent (formely Xerox / Lockheed Martin / ACS) but they claim to get direction from WPS on where to “enforce”.

    The breaches of charter, due process and other legal rights plus ignoring of codes of conduct, professional standards, sworn oaths, ethics etc… when issuing “violations” during pretrial and in Provincial “Offenses” ‘court” aka SCC / Traffic or kangaroo court” by the Crown, JJP’s, operators and officers is the result of the past Selinger led SpeNDP, current Pallister led PC governments, Katz and Bowman led City and Administrations, WPS Chiefs McCaskill, Clunnis and Smyth, the Police Boards plus the Judiciary (Chief Justices) choosing the 50% Province, 25% City and 25% WPS / Conduent shares / cuts in traffic “safety” revenue over proper engineering, safety, public trust, respect, confidence and econmic growth / legit tax revenue.

    This abuse, extortion or government sanctioned taxation as fines involves over $70,000,000 per year taken from mostly safety conscious drivers and vehicle owners.

    A similar sanctioned racket or flawed and biased “enforcement” revenue stream happening with for profit partner G4S and the Winnipeg parking “authority” which involves over $40,000,000 per year.

    Combined this equates to over $450,000,000 per year or 5,000,000,000 since 2003 (when the priority became more about revenue) taken from the economy and economic growth with velocity of money.

    Low income individuals and families hit the hardest with the fine option taken away to pay with community service and MPI in on the racket with officer issued “offenses” and licenses and insurance penalties plus suspension of license or preventing renewal till payment