Traffic fine money heading back to the community

LANGFORD, B.C. — While it’s never fun paying the fine attached to a traffic violation, maybe it’s comforting to know the money is being put to good use.

In B.C. the province is returning nearly $8.8 million in traffic fine revenue to municipalities across Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, an overall increase of nearly $172,000 over last year.

The funds are being used to help the communities enhance their policing and community-based public safety programs.

“Since we expanded the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program in 2004 to give local governments 100 per cent of net traffic fine revenue, we’ve returned over $40 million to these communities alone,” says Premier Gordon Campbell. “This funding will be used by communities to fight crime and enhance public safety.”

Traffic fine revenue funds have also allowed municipalities across B.C. to explore a wide range of projects, including outreach services for youth, Aboriginal policing initiatives, traffic safety programs and methamphetamine awareness programs.

The province is also returning a record amount of traffic fine revenue – more than $700,000 – to municipalities in the Kootenays.

The grant program assists municipalities that directly pay police enforcement costs. The provincial traffic fine revenue comes from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violation tickets, and the amount of money a municipality receives is based on its contribution to total municipal policing costs.


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