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This article was published 6/5/2016 (1597 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police has seen a decline in the number of school zone speeding tickets, which is attributed to changing driver habits.

Monthly statistics from the WPS show there were 2,673 school zone infractions in March; a significant decrease from 5,988 infractions in March 2015.

The March 2016 numbers were also down from the month before, when there were 2,913 infractions.

Police Chief Devon Clunis said he attributes the steep decline in the year-to-year infractions to mostly drivers slowing down in school zones.

"People have become acclimatized to (the lower speed limits)," Clunis told reporters. "We absolutely expected that."

However, Clunis added another factor in the decline of enforcement is the result of photo radar operators spending more time in court, rather than on the road, as more drivers are challenging the tickets.

The decline in the number of school zone speeding infractions will have a negative impact on the WPS budget.

Clunis said fewer infractions means less revenue, which hamstrings the police budget.

Clunis said the police budget shouldn’t have to rely on ticket revenue. The police, he said, are being penalized for getting drivers to slow down.

"I don’t believe revenue generation should be part of the police budget," Clunis said. "It almost puts us in a perceived conflict of interest position."

Photo radar enforcement revenues was budgeted at $14.9 million in 2015 and the police set a target of $17.25 million for 2016. Clunis said he doesn’t know where the WPS will make up the lost revenue if photo radar revenues decreases continue for the rest of the year.

Police board chairman Coun. Scott Gillingham said he sympathizes with the police financial situation, adding he’s open to an accounting change that doesn’t require the police to depend on speeding tickets to balance their budget.

"The goal (of enforcement) has to be safety, not revenue generation," Gillingham said.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca