Ontario police chiefs in favour of speed cameras, contrary to Ford’s push to axe them

The speed enforcement camera on Parkside Drive in Toronto’s west end is pictured. (CTV News Toronto)

TORONTO — Ontario’s chiefs of police are coming out strongly in favour of speed cameras, after Premier Doug Ford threatened to get rid of them provincewide.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said in a statement Thursday that automated speed enforcement cameras are effective in reducing speeding and free up police resources to focus on other public safety priorities.

• READ MORE: Ontario government doubles down on removing ‘cash grab’ speed cameras this fall as 16 more damaged

“Employing ASE tools has been proven to reduce speeding, change driver behaviour, and make our roads safer for everyone — drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and especially children and other vulnerable road users,” the OACP wrote.

“These tools are especially deployed in school zones and community safety zones, where slowing down saves lives and prevents serious injuries.”

The association representing Ontario’s municipalities has also urged Ford to reconsider his plan to get rid of the cameras, saying it will put pedestrians at risk.

Ford reacted to news last week that 17 automated speed cameras were cut down in Toronto over two nights, saying if municipalities don’t ditch them, he will.

The premier called the cameras a “cash grab,” and suggested there are better ways to deter speeding.

“The only thing proven is that they take money out of taxpayers’ pockets,” he said in follow-up comments this week.

“I know how to slow down traffic. ... There’s different methodologies. You do the little circles, you do the speed bumps, you do the flashing signs.”

A July study from SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University found the cameras reduced speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto.

The city issued about $40 million in fines from automated speed cameras in 2024 and so far this year the total is already up over $45 million, a spokesperson said.

The chiefs of police said they do not view the cameras as a revenue tool, but as a traffic safety tool to be used alongside other road safety measures.

“(Their) purpose is deterrence and prevention — helping to change driver behaviour and reduce collisions,” the chiefs wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2025.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press