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Local police raise concerns over scrapping of licence plate stickers

'We in the policing world are not in favour,' says police chief of Premier's move to eliminate licence plate stickers
2022-03-10 Chief Andrew Fletcher MK
South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher.

The scrapping of annual licence-plate validation stickers for vehicles announced by Premier Doug Ford was described as “obviously an election issue” by South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher during the recent Bradford West Gwillimbury-Innisfil Police Services Board meeting.

“We in the policing world are not in favour," he said. 

Fletcher explained expired validation stickers provide a tool that allows police to quickly identify and pull over offenders – sometimes leading to further charges, from prohibited drivers to driving without insurance.  

Without the stickers, police must run the plates to determine if there are outstanding issues, such as a court-ordered loss of licence – a difficult process in a moving vehicle and one that can be time-consuming.

There is technology available – automatic licence plate readers, or ALPRs – that can facilitate the search, as well as quickly identify stolen vehicles.

The ALPRs used by the South Simcoe police cost, on average, about $10,000 per vehicle, the police service has indicated. South Simcoe police has 18 cruisers in its front-line fleet and only two are presently equipped with an ALPR.

Fletcher noted the province has recognized the issue and has now committed more than $42 million in one-time funding to assist police services to purchase ALPRs – funding that is to be divided among all police services in Ontario.

Calling the validation stickers “a good tool,” the chief described the provincial decision to scrap the annual renewals as “a bit of a trade-off for us. We’re giving up one tool and getting another,” without the assurance that the funding will be adequate to support the equipment needed, he said. 

More recently, the premier described eliminating the annual sticker fees – which is $120 per year – as a response to soaring gas prices, basically replacing an earlier promise to cut the provincial gas tax by five cents a litre.

Dakota Brasier, press secretary for Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney (York-Simcoe MPP), stated: “As the cost of living continues to go up, our government is cutting costs for families to make life more affordable. Eliminating licence-plate renewal fees and the requirement to have a licence-plate sticker means that an Ontario family with two vehicles will save up to $480 each time they renew.”

The figure is based on a two-year renewal fee of $240 per vehicle.

“Our government is putting approximately $1.1 billion over the next year directly back into the pockets of nearly eight million hard-working Ontarians," Brasier added. 

Refunds will be sent out to individual vehicle owners who have prepaid between March 1, 2020 and March 21, 2022, and are eligible, as long as the Ministry of Transportation has an updated address and all outstanding fees, fines and tolls have been paid.

At the police services board meeting, Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin pointed out that the decision to terminate the stickers also pulls the plug on the collection of municipal fines.

The Town of Innisfil has been able to block sticker renewals if there were unpaid municipal fines, she said.

"Now there’ll be no consequences to people not paying bylaw tickets," Dollin added. 

Board chair Chris Gariepy said the cancellation of the annual renewal and sticker fees could represent a significant loss of provincial income.

“A billion dollars. How is (Ford) going to make that up?” Gariepy asked.

Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for the Office of the Solicitor General, said there will be spending in other areas. 

“Among other tools, the Ontario government is investing $43.8 million to support more municipal and First Nations police services to adopt automated licence plate recognition (ALPR) technology," Jensen said. "This is part of our government’s commitment to provide police with the tools they need to do their jobs, improve public safety and strengthen roadside law-enforcement efforts across the province.

“There is no requirement for police services to purchase a specific type of ALPR technology," Jensen added. "Additionally, police services can choose to leverage the broader provincial procurement process or procure their own ALPR technology based on local processes and needs of the service.”

She indicated the distribution of funding will be application-based.



Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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