Winnipeg Police Chief Keith McCaskill says traffic enforcement revenues have dipped 70 per cent in 2009. CBC

A memo to Winnipeg police to issue more traffic tickets to stop-gap a drop in city coffers has at least one motorist shaking her head in disbelief.

Police Chief Keith McCaskill confirmed Friday that a memorandum was issued to all members of the force, including tactical squad members, reminding them that traffic enforcement is part of their duties.

Revenue from traffic tickets has dropped 70 per cent this year compared to 2008, said the chief.

But Winnipegger Chris Albi isn't impressed with the fundraising initiative. She got three tickets Friday morning.

Albi was on her way to work a local food bank when she saw the flashing lights from a police cruiser in her mirror. The officer approached the car and Albi confessed she probably had rolled through a stop sign, and she told the officer that probably her insurance had expired at midnight the previous night.

The officer issued three citations in all and the whole affair took more than 40 minutes.

"If police are trying to build rapport with the community, well … there was no flexibility, not really any discussion," said Albi.

The tickets totalled about $800.

"I felt pretty upset," said Albi. "How many citizens of Winnipeg can afford that? To me it doesn't seem the punishment fits the crime. It seemed they could be working in areas of urgency, and this didn't seem like an area of urgency."

McCaskill denied there is a quota for the number of tickets officers are expected to issue, or that the initiative is a simple money grab for the city.

"It's a means of determining whether officers are complying with a standard, that's all," McCaskill said. "Nobody's going to be disciplined if they don't get it. It's a performance measure."