Police field complaints over city's collection of old fines
Last Updated: Thursday, November 16, 2006 | 11:19 AM ET
CBC News
Remember that traffic ticket you got in 1975? Maybe not, but the City of Toronto does.
Nearly 60,000 letters have been sent from collection agencies on behalf of the city about unpaid traffic tickets and other offences, with many dating as far back as the 1970s and '80s.
But the city's effort to cash in on almost $250 million in old fines is giving Toronto police a headache.
As Torontonians open notices alerting them to the money owed, many are calling the police to deny ever receiving a ticket.
"It's causing a lot of strain on my office, because you just cannot investigate something like that," said Det. Paul Lobsinger. "Think. What evidence would exist?
"There is no evidence that exists to this day from something in '76 for drinking under age."
City officials say people shouldn't be calling the police, but rather the city, because they have the records.
In the past two weeks, the city has collected about $250,000 of the fines.
As for why the city decided to pursue old debts, Barry Randell, who is heading up the collection effort, says it’s thanks to better collection systems.
“Depending on the collection agency that is being used and the collection techniques they have available to them, they are able to locate people now that in the past other collections haven't been successful at doing," said Randell.
