Police are increasing traffic enforcement in Winnipeg in 2012, but top officials say the push is to improve safety, not cash in on more fines for offences.

CTV News has obtained an internal email showing officers in Division 11, who patrol the downtown core, have been told to hand out between 650 to 700 provincial offences notices each month, along with their regular duties.

"This number is significantly higher than we have been historically producing, but again it is an expectation that is now clearly articulated," states the email.

CTV News has been told that in 2011 Division 11 handed out about 250 tickets each month.

Officers ranging from general patrol units to the tactical support team to the street crime unit are being told to find time to issue more tickets to people for things such as texting and driving, not wearing a seatbelt or driving in a diamond lane, among other offences.

Police officials say publicly the enforcement is about safety.

"Expectation of membership to issue provincial offences notices during the course of their duty is something that is part of our strategic plan going forward to 2012, 13 and 14," said Insp. Jim Poole from Winnipeg police.

"If people don't want to be fined, then they should be obeying the rules of the road and that's to me what it comes down to," he said.

Poole said the order is not about quotas, but rather divisional expectations that must be met.

The numbers vary from district to district, but on average officers in every cruiser car must hand out one provincial offence notice per shift.

- with a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout


Transcript of police email

Traffic Enforcement

Part of a police officer's duties includes traffic enforcement. I think over the years some members have forgotten this, or never learned or understood this, and as a Service we have become lax in enforcing the expectation that our members conduct regular traffic enforcement as part of their daily duties. The positives of being proactive with traffic enforcement, traffic stops, spotchecks, and the information and intelligence that are gleaned through these activities has been lost on a generation of our members; many good arrests and intelligence have come from traffic enforcement; officers develop skills and experience by conducting traffic enforcement; safer roads come from consistent traffic enforcement.

In 2012 there will be specific expectations for traffic enforcement in our Division. Each and every frontline member is expected to participate consistently in traffic enforcement as part of their daily duties. Not only will general enforcement be expected, so will projects based on areas and issues of concern related to safety. For our Division there is an expectation that each month we issue 650 and 700 PON's. This number is significantly higher than we have historically producing, but again it is an expectation that is now clearly articulated, and one that I want you to share with your members so there is no confusion in this area. Members also need to understand that although it is expected they issue PON's, this in no way diminishes their ability to apply common sense and under appropriate circumstances issue warnings rather than PON's. Traffic enforcement does not equate only to the number of PON's issued; officer presence, warnings, and public education are also part of traffic enforcement.

Every member is expected to engage in traffic enforcement as part of their duties, and like any other work performance measure this will be included in PDP's. This does not mean that a member would not be considered for a position in the Division passed only on traffic enforcement involvement; as has always been the case consideration for positions will be based on a number of factors including the quality and diversity of a member's activities, experiences and skill sets, reflected through the PDP.

I know this is a hot topic, but I believe so only because it has been lost or overlooked that traffic enforcement is part of our job. All other aspects of a police officer's job are just as important, whether that is initiating public contacts, making arrests, patrolling, executing search warrants, responding to calls for service, writing reports, or conducting investigations. All of these are part of the daily job, all of these are work expectations, and all of these are measurables of work performance for inclusion in PDP's; traffic enforcement is no different, it is part of the Constable job description, and is just part of being a well-rounded officer.