Panhandlers or police? Regina officers go undercover to nab traffic offenders

It’s not uncommon to see panhandlers at busy locations throughout Regina, soliciting money from drivers.

Typically those who stop to give money are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, a way to help out those in need.

But some Regina drivers received a big surprise Wednesday when it was revealed that the people they thought were panhandlers were actually Regina Police Service (RPS) officers, on the lookout for traffic violations.

“I’m quite upset, I thought I was doing a good deed,” said Dane Rusk, who was issued a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.

Rusk said he leaving Victoria Square Mall and turning onto Truesdale Drive when he saw what he thought was a homeless man standing at the side of the road.

“I took my seatbelt off, I reached in by back pocket, and I had taken out three dollars in change,” Rusk said.

“I then reached out the window to try to hand it to him … I dropped it on the road for him.”

Just moments later, he was pulled over by police.

“As I went around the corner I put my seatbelt back on,” Rusk said.

“I noticed that a little ways up there was a cop. The police officer came up behind me and pulled me over and told me I was getting a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt.”

RPS Inspector Evan Bray confirmed that RPS officers were indeed running an “intersection project” Wednesday afternoon, looking for drivers breaking the rules of the road.

However, he insists that officers weren’t soliciting money from drivers.

“I wouldn’t say he was posing as a homeless person,” Bray said.

“He was dressed in plain clothes and he did have a sign. The sign read ‘I’m not broke, I’m not hungry, have a great day.'”

“The whole purpose of it was basically to have him out there so he could spot traffic infractions that might be happening that may not be otherwise easy to spot if we have a marked police car there.”

The tactic is not uncommon, and has been employed by police in cities across Canada, including Vernon, B.C. and Steinbach, Manitoba. This isn’t even the first time that RPS officers have run this operation, though it is the first time someone has left money behind.

READ MORE: Manitoba RCMP use new tactic in Steinbach, nine drivers fined for distracted driving

“It was indicated to him that we’re not collecting money, the sign wasn’t soliciting money, the officers were never soliciting money and if he would like to get his money back he could come down to the police station and do so.”

However, Rusk is still on the hook for his $175 ticket, which he says he’ll be fighting.

“Here I am getting in trouble because I took my seatbelt off for two seconds to pull change out of my pocket and reach out and give it to a guy,” he said.

“I feel like it’s entrapment.”