Under heavy criticism yesterday, Washington, D.C.'s top cop announced plans to nearly double the number of photo enforcement citations issued in the nation's capital.

"I would like to double, triple, quadruple the program tomorrow if I could," District police chief Charles Ramsey testified at a special D.C. Council hearing yesterday. "I think it's time for us to move more aggressively."

Ramsey also asserted that "As violations go down at each location, so do the number of tickets issued and fines collected." Except the city's own projections plan for a monthly increase in violations.

Last week the city activated four new stationary photo radar locations. Ramsey testified that the city will add 2 new mobile speed camera cars and 10 new red light cameras. This will allow the city to meet the 103,300 ticket per month goal specified in its contract with ACS, the Dallas-based company that runs the camera program for the city.

D.C. has already raised $68,071,677 from speed cameras and $37,868,250 from red light camera fines since the programs began. Under Ramsey's new plan, the city would make as much as $60 million every year.

Chief Ramsey also stated that he wants to see points assessed against drivers' licenses -- a move supported by the insurance industry which raises rates based on points.

"The fines that are assessed to aggressive drivers are purely voluntary on their part," Chief Ramsey said. "And it is completely within the power of those drivers to never be ticketed or fined again."