Posted on 06/20/2005 5:23:24 PM PDT by Stew Padasso
New York Police Ticket Quota Exposed
June 20, 2005 -- Three NYPD sergeants have confirmed what police brass have denied for years: Ticketing quotas exist.
Testifying at a closed-door union-grievance hearing last week, the sergeants said cops in the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn were given a minimum amount of summonses to write in each three-month quarter - or they would get in trouble with their bosses.
One sergeant even submitted a handwritten note from the East New York precinct's commanding officer that spelled out the number of collars, moving violations and quality-of-life summonses that a cop needed to write to avoid being given a poor performance assessment, sources told The Post.
The missive, obtained by The Post, states that an officer with fewer than 35 parking summonses in a quarter would receive a below-average performance rating.
Officers were also told to make 11 collars and issue 33 moving-violation and 33 quality-of-life summonses.
The precinct's commanding officer, Deputy Chief Michael Marino, admitted at last week's hearing before a city arbitrator that he wrote the note but said it was only one of several types of criteria that he used to assess his officers, the sources said.
The hearing last week before the city's Office of Collective Bargaining involved six cops who were transferred from the precinct allegedly because they didn't come up with enough summonses and arrests.
Union officials say the sergeants' testimony about a ticketing quota at the precinct lays bare the department's dirty little secret: that cops are forced to write ridiculous tickets to raise more revenue for the city or face the consequences.
"The evidence presented under oath in this arbitration proves once again what police officers have long lived with: There are established quotas, and if you don't meet them, you will be punished," said Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch.
Forcing cops to issue a certain number of tickets and make a certain number of arrests sends the wrong message, the union argues.
"Quotas damage the trust between the police and the public," said PBA board member John Giangrasso. "Conditions can be addressed without putting a financial burden on the community."
But the department counters that the number of arrests and summonses is just one way of monitoring an officer's productivity and does not amount to a quota.
"Police officers have a certain degree of discretion in taking enforcement actions," an NYPD spokesman said. "Performance must be taken into account in evaluating them, otherwise conscientious officer would carry the burden alone."
oooh, this is news!
No, watching cops ignoring crime and drug dealing in open view in public places damages the trust a lot more.
"Police officers have a certain degree of discretion in taking enforcement actions," an NYPD spokesman said, "as long as they meet the minimum requirements of making enough residents less wealthy."
Ticket quotas exsist??? Oh my gosh! Really??? My sister is a cop, and she says they don't have quotas.....but if an officer doesn't write enough tickets, at the end of the month, they are reprimanded. But they don't call it a quota.
Bad news.
This is never good. It diminishes respect for law enforcement when they take it upon themselves to become revenue agents.
Hah? What's a quality-of-life summons?
any ticket large enough to ruin your quality of life.
Dunno. Maybe spitting on the sidewalk, farting etc.
Crime, we need more crimes to fill the quotas that don't exist.
more revenue
discretion, that means they get to give friends and sponsors warning tickets?
I don't know where the "line" is on enforcement, and I doubt anyone else does. But a department which is satisfied on "stats" should be disbanded.
Not good. I don't like seeing police coerced into creating criminals.
The Washington State Highway Patrol has proudly let be known that they have a quota of tickets that they must give out daily for seatbelt violations.
That would mean that most departments need to be disbanded. Cities, counties etc., are in desperate need of revenue because of demands and state/federal budget cuts. They say it's the only way they can pay the bills. My sister says there are times when they will rack their brains to come up with as many violations as possible (especially if it's somebody they have arrested or stopped before), so the stop generates more revenue. Sad but true.
Why?
There first has to be a violation before a ticket can be issued. Its not like anyone is claiming the violations are made up. There is no shortage of traffic offenses in NYC.
Yikes! Next thing you know someone will say chain smoking raises risk of lung cancer.
My brother spent thirty years as a cop in a Minneapolis suburb. His last eighteen months he never wrote a citation. By then he worked the day shift almost exclusively, and he had advanced as far as he ever expected. When the cost of a moving violation increased to more than $100.00 he said that was just fine, but some folks simply couldn't afford it. So his rule was if he stopped a driver and that person treated him with respect, he would say, "Next time take a closer look for that stop sign," or whatever. Since he worked days, he had a different class of scofflaw than he had working a night shift. Thus he issued many verbal warnings.
I guess at first the hierarchy was a little miffed at him. Eventually they concluded there was nothing they could use to get the twist on him so just figured he would eventually retire. Eventually he did.
They can't cite you if you don't commit the violation.
I believe Butch Reno used the word....unfounded.... to reduce crime........:o)
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