Think of it as a law enforcement user fee.

At their Tuesday meeting, Lawrence city commissioners approved increases in a number of fees and fines assessed by Lawrence Municipal Court. The changes were recommended in response to recent state legislation affecting municipal courts and at least one unfunded state mandate for the courts.

The package includes the addition of a $150 probation fee and a $10 fingerprinting fee, along with a $100 increase in the fee people pay to have charges diverted, an option some defendants prefer because it avoids a trial and keeps a crime off their legal record. The plan also would implement a system to require defendants who are financially able to reimburse the city for the cost of their jail stay. The city currently pays the county about $50 a day for such defendants.

The plan to increase fees and fines comes at a time when the city is looking at ways to balance its budget for the coming year. Income from the increased fees will go into the city’s general fund but will continue to represent a relatively small percentage of that fund.

One man leaving Municipal Court on Monday said, “: I don’t think the justice system should be a revenue-generating vehicle.” While it’s true that the fines levied by Municipal Court more than pay for the court’s costs, they fall far short of covering the costs of law enforcement for the community.

It’s difficult to get worked up about people who break the law having to pay additional fines or an extra charge to keep an offense off their record. A trip to Municipal Court is almost always a preventable occurrence. Fines and fees are intended to act as a deterrent to illegal behavior, and the city’s staff has determined the proposed new and increased fees are in line with those charged in other communities.

Are city officials balancing the budget “on the backs” of those who travel through the Municipal Court system. Not, it appears, by any significant amount, but even if they were, isn’t that a better choice than putting that burden on children who go to the public swimming pool or non-profit agencies that provide needed social services in Lawrence?