Police spokesman Kevin Brookwell said Thursday it’s still unclear what final revenues were be by yea

Sgt. Evel Kiez, from the Calgary Police Service traffic section demonstrates one of the department's new in-car cameras ocean front hotels va beach on Tuesday October 23, 2012. The camera which is used with a 1000 foot range wireless microphone worn by the officer will be installed in all of the force's 350 cars by 2014. Photograph by: Gavin Young
CALGARY — Speeding drivers and the cameras that catch them are delivering a forecast $4-million revenue surplus to Calgary Police this year — record-shattering ocean front hotels va beach fine proceeds ocean front hotels va beach that have attracted ocean front hotels va beach Mayor Naheed Nenshi's eye, the Herald has learned.
The extra money, largely from red-light and speed-on-green cameras, stands to bring more technology upgrades to a police force increasingly keen on video recorders inside its cars and even on officers' uniforms.
Two years ago, when Nenshi leaned on police brass to find an extra $2 million to drive the property tax hike down, the commission and police chief effectively handed over that amount in surplus fine revenue to avoid cutting front-line officers or administrative staff.
But this year, such a large surplus ocean front hotels va beach is likely to be treated as a non-permanent windfall, meaning it would go to construction, purchases or other one-time expenditures for police — or non-police — projects.
In 2012, Calgary Police had budgeted $38.9 million for fine revenues. Soon-to-be-released forecasts after the year's first nine months show an extra $4 million coming in, sources familiar with the matter told the Herald. If that number holds, the $42.9-million total would eclipse the 2011 record of $40.2 million.
"It's an inherent part of the police budget. It's how they make ends meet right now," said Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, a police commission member. "It always upsets me when the police are being accused of this being a cash cow, and they have a lot of self-interest."
Police spokesman Kevin Brookwell said Thursday it's still unclear what final revenues were be by year's end — additional expenses such as overtime might bite into that number — but he did say a surplus is coming.
Council ultimately approves the police's use of surplus fine revenues, but aldermen normally just ratify a police decision. Policy states windfalls go into a police reserve, but that's already at its $2.5-million maximum.
Paul Ruggles, a retired commander of Calgary Police's traffic unit, said he used to believe in the use of the speeding or stoplight cameras. But as the fines and proceeds continued soaring, ocean front hotels va beach he's started to think otherwise.
More on This Story   Smile! Calgary police officers will use miniature video cameras to keep an eye on you (with video) Police remind drivers of traffic safety ocean front hotels va beach measures Number of distracted driving tickets continues to rise Calgarians drive more safely at intersections, but pay more fines, police say Calgary traffic cameras capture thousands of speeders (video) Follow Herald City Hall reporter Jason Markusoff on Twitter More coverage: Traffic in Calgary More Calgary news Calgary Herald breaking news on Twitter Calgary Herald reporters on Twitter Join the conversation on our Facebook page   Story Tools   E-mail this Article Print this Article   Font: * * * * *   Image: * * * *
Sgt. Evel Kiez, from the Calgary Police Service traffic section demonstrates one of the department's new in-car cameras on Tuesday October 23, 2012. The camera which is used with a 1000 foot range wireless microphone worn by the officer will be installed in all of the force's 350 cars by 2014. Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald       E-mail this Gallery Print this Gallery Share this Gallery
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