The year’s not yet over, but the Abbotsford Police Department has issued more than 50 per cent more tickets than all of last year as officers try to tame the city’s reckless drivers.
Seven people have died on the city’s roads so far in 2019. In 2018, eight people died and seven perished in 2017.
“I say over and over, that the most dangerous thing you can do in our community is be a pedestrian or drive a vehicle – and that’s sad,” Police Chief Mike Serr told council.
As of the end of October, police were on pace to hand out more than 6,600 tickets in 2019. About 4,200 tickets were served to drivers in 2018.
Serr said police have boosted enforcement, using “intelligence-led initiatives” targeting problem areas.
“We are truly focusing on the most dangerous offences: running red lights, distracted driving, excessive speeding, impaired driving,” he said.
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More resources have also been dedicated to sobriety tests and drug recognition.
Serr said the department is looking at other improvements, suggesting those could include cameras and traffic-calming devices.
Last month, Serr told an audience at the annual Crime is Toast breakfast: “We’re not looking for stats … We’re not looking for cash grabs. We are trying to ticket the most dangerous offences – distracted driving, excessive speeding, going through red lights, school zones – and we can still do more.”
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