Luebke renews push for photo enforcement

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This article was published 23/05/2024 (852 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With a new provincial government in place, Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) is taking another kick at the image-enforcement can.

Currently, regulations under Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act only allow image-capturing enforcement systems like red-light cameras and photo radar to be used in the City of Winnipeg by the Winnipeg Police Service.

Since December 2021, Luebke has been pushing for the regulations to be loosened so that Brandon has the option of implementing the technology.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Luebke successfully convinced his council colleagues to approve a motion calling for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to discuss a resolution calling for the expansion of image-enforcement technology at its fall convention.

Council also approved sending a direct request to the province to make the change, as well as to have the city’s Vision Zero Task Force study the issue and report back by Sept. 16.

City clerk Renee Sigurdson said that in order for the resolution to be put forward at the convention, council had to pass a motion by June 1.

Luebke said Manitoba’s previous Progressive Conservative government had been unwilling to make changes, but wondered if the new NDP government would be more collaborative on the file.

“We did eventually write a letter to the Province of Manitoba making the request to change to allow the City of Brandon and Brandon Police Service the ability to use image enforcement,” Luebke said.

“At that time, we obviously didn’t get the type of response we were looking for from the Province of Manitoba, but in the interim there’s obviously been a change of government and a current government that seems more open to the use of cameras for public safety.”

The councillor pointed out that this year’s provincial budget included a rebate program to help Manitobans and municipalities purchase security cameras, particularly in downtown cores.

Even if the request is approved, Luebke pointed out that Brandon will not be required to implement the technology.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said Luebke’s timing was good as the City of Winnipeg recently submitted a request to the province for permission to use new image-enforcement technology.

Coun. Barry Cullen (Ward 3) said he supported the motion as Brandon doesn’t even have the option of trying the technology at this point.

The submitted resolution calls on the AMM to lobby the province to allow image enforcement in all cities and municipalities in Manitoba.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe’s press secretary told the Sun on Wednesday that the minister could not comment as a communications blackout is currently in place ahead of the upcoming byelection in Tuxedo to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former premier Heather Stefanson.

That blackout ends the day after the June 18 byelection.

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