TPS chief on traffic safety and department changes

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Taber Times

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Taber’s Court of Justice ebbs and flows with activity, but it’s rarely so quiet as to invoke a sense that law enforcement is no longer needed in town. Much of what happens in a larger urban centre happens in Taber, but on a smaller scale. Most of those who appear in court arrive there courtesy of the Taber Police Service, even if the courtesy is only appreciated by law-abiding citizens.

 The Town and TPS recently informed residents that photo radar had come to an end, and the move was aligned with a provincewide mandate to do so. Automatic traffic enforcement (ATE) was once seen as a necessity due to high speeds and collision risks, but its continued use became redundant as driving behaviours improved.

 In a discussion about the year in policing, TPS Chief Graham Abela talked about the reversal back to more traditional forms of traffic safety enforcement. He outlined the differences in what he called “big P policing” and local policing. He assigned the label ‘big P’ to provincewide policing and explained his point of view.

 “My take on automatic traffic enforcement, looking at it through a big P lens, is that, of course, it’s required. It should be used in our major cities where we have large thoroughfares of multi-lane traffic, where we have high-speed collisions, and where we have the ability to enforce and conduct investigations.”

 Where safety is threatened, he supports its use, and said, “ATE has its place, and it should continue in our community. Looking at it through the Taber Police Service lens, it has been a part of our traffic safety plan for as long as I can remember,” he said.

The program was originally initiated due to the fact that Taber had a high number of school and playground zones where locals witnessed speeding and unsafe driving behaviour. Drivers consistently sped on the primary highways and Abela said that between the council, police chief, and commission, photo radar was deemed necessary.

 Though those discussions happened before his time with TPS, Abela said that once photo radar was activated, “the program issued many, many tickets to people associated with it.”

 “Over the years, what we’ve seen is the actual reduction in the number of violation tickets that are actually being issued by the ATE program,” he said. “To the point where it’s almost pointless to pay someone to sit and do automatic traffic enforcement in those designated areas anymore. I give a lot of credit to driving behaviour associated with that. I think people actually have slowed down. Now, there’s always going to be the outlier. There’s always going to be the person that sees someone flying through a school zone when they shouldn’t be, but the majority of our residents are paying attention to our speed signs.”

 But in a cause and effect world, is it possible that drivers slowed down because photo radar tickets kept dropping into their mailboxes? Is it possible that ATE is a useful motivational tool? Abela acknowledged that he could support a return to photo radar if safety trends swing back in the wrong direction.

 “I support the fact that if the tool isn’t working anymore, then we should not continue with it,” he said. “I can say, though, if there’s a time and place where we see through evidence and data that our numbers are increasing with collisions or near-misses or complaints, then I’ll be the first to stand up and say, ‘I think we need to bring the tool back.’”

 In addition to that, he said the ATE contract costs can become so high that if it’s not paying for itself, the burden of it falls to the taxpayer. That’s a matter of importance when Abela meets with and reports to town council. Programs that no longer pay for themselves and bring in revenue often get shelved.

The ticketing revenue used to come back to the municipality at a rate of almost 100 per cent, but that’s no longer the case. 

“What’s happened over the years is that the provincial government has started to take more and more of that revenue from the municipality,” Abela said.

 In 2019, the UCP government increased the province’s share of photo radar revenue to 40 per cent from 27. That fiscal year, the revenue generated was $203 million across the province. By last year, total revenue was down to $145 million. So when TPS issued a $100 ticket, $40 went to the province and $60 stayed in town. Thus, the perception of ATE as a ‘cash cow’ for the Province was born.

 In other departmental updates, staffing at TPS took a hit when three officers left town to work in Lethbridge. Abela said, “In our patrol function, that’s like 30 per cent of our people, so that caused some challenges for us.”

 After a TPS recruitment drive, things are back on track. 

“I can tell you, as of February, we’ll be at full staff. We’ll be at our complement strength. There’s still training going on and things like that but we’re actually full again, we’ve made some excellent hires. People are still interested in coming to the Taber Police Service.”

 The TPS has a residency requirement that Abela favours. 

“If you work for us, you have to live within eight miles of the town. There are several reasons for that. One of them is the officers themselves need to be able to respond to after hours calls for emergencies that are occurring in the community. If you live a long way out, you’re no use if needed for emergency calls.”

 “Secondly, it’s very important to us, culturally, and as a community policing organization, that the people who police the community live in our community. You know, we’ve seen far too many different professions where people work in one community and live in another. What that does is it drains the capacity of individuals in the community. It doesn’t keep relationships local.”

 He’s a firm believer in community connection and involvement. 

“That philosophy is what we’re what we’re well known for, and it’s what I want to continue to protect,” he said, though he has faced some pressure to reconsider the policy.

 Next up will be the implementation of body-worn cameras on TPS officers, another provincewide initiative to improve safety and transparency. The chief said that he will provide updates once the cameras arrive and are ready to activate.

 Finally, Abela is contracted for four more years as the TPS chief and he will maintain a steady hand at the helm. 

“So, unless lightning strikes or something changes in my future, I’ve got a contract, and I plan to keep serving the community. It’s my home,” he said.