EPS officers upset with photo radar

EPS officers frustrated with photo radar EPS officers pay photo radar fines even if caught while responding to an emergency. CTV Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson reports.

CTV News has learned Edmonton police officers are paying their own photo radar fines, even if they’re caught speeding while heading to an emergency.

“It is frustrating for the front line, and it's frustrating from us because we hear it from the front line members when members come in and say I can't believe I'm getting this,” said Mike Elliott, president of the Edmonton Police Association.

Officers don’t have to pay the ticket out of their own pocket if they can prove they were on their way to an important call. But Elliott said the process is time consuming.

“’What were you doing at that time?’ And 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.”

The city’s top cop agrees.

“I think it's a significant time drain on our professional standards branch,” said Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee.

He said officers need to be trusted to use their judgement in regards to speeds when heading to a call.

“We need to make those decisions that you know, balance the fact that we need to get there safe with the fact that we need to get there because somebody's safety is in jeopardy.”

EPS policy also requires officers to stop at red lights before going through an intersection when responding to a call.

Just last month an officer was found guilty of insubordination for stopping a few feet past the stop line while heading to a call. The officer is still waiting to hear what the penalty will be, which could include lost pay.

It’s another policy the chief plans to look into.

“The whole thing is under review, it's one of the things that I ordered a review on very shortly after I took office,” said McFee.

With files from Jeremy Thompson…