ticket quotas

["Michael Porter" <mpfive0@maine.rr.com>]

>I had written in my last post

<<In closing, I can not speak on any other departments SOP on "ticket
quotas"
>or "revenue building" but I can honestly say that I have never heard of
such a
>thing. >>
>
ML had replied

> Then you've been fortunate.  There are many places where this is the norm.
>At one time the NC State Patrol paid the officers a fixed amount ($3, I
think
>I recall) for each citation written and required a certain number of
tickets
>per month.  It was part of the salary requirement.  No tickets, base salary
>only.
> Many small communities rely on traffic citations for income.  Thus there
is a
>demand for them to be written "for the good of the community".
> There is a town not far from here that goes overboard.  The town is 10+
miles
>from the Interstate.  But the town has ANNEXED the state highway from their
>normal city limit all the way out to within 200 feet of the interstate.
This
>annexation is for the highway and 100 feet either side of it.  Their city
>vehicles patrol the highway heavily.  I've seen as many as three cars
active
>at one time on a Saturday afternoon.  To help insure that things go their
way
>the city REDUCED the normal 55 m/h speed limit to 50 m/h.  They catch lots
of
>unsuspecting folk.  And they do not bargain away the citations.
>
> Appreciate the other info you sent to the list.  Just thought you'd like
to
>know a little more about how the rest of the U.S. operates.
>
> Later.
> --ml
>
 Since my last post I have received several messages, like this,  relating
to areas like this where agencies
are clearly using traffic summonses to create revenue.

  I am not sure what part of the country your talking about, but being from
the northeast, there would be a citizens revolt if any agency tried to
implement a policy that involved quotas. I am also pretty sure very few
officers from my department would take part in such an activity. We have
union standards that would prevent us from being required to take part in
anything that would bring negative public opinion our way.
Quotas also have an extremely unconstitutional aspect and officer's have the
right to refuse to follow any order or policy that they felt were unlawful
or unconstitutional. If anyone lives in an area that is using these types of
tactics I bet you could find sympathetic ears from within those agencies and
if anyone could
bring such a policy into the public forum I would think it would end.

The Idea some people have had about contesting every ticket would certainly
have them rethinking their strategy of revenue building as every D. A. 's
office has a finite budget for prosecutions, and as it is the cost of a
ticket barely covers the cost of prosecution.


If I can answer anymore Law Enforcement related questions let me know.

mpfive0@maine.rr.com