LA Court: Ticket Quotas Not Cool
Ticket quotas seem to be one of those facts of life that exists, unexamined, in law enforcement departments around the country. But this week the concept has been dragged out into the light of the justice system, as two LAPD officers have won a lawsuit against their department’s ticket quota system. The LAT reports:
Officers Howard Chan and David Benioff, veteran motor officers with the LAPD’s West Traffic Division, sued the department in 2009, alleging that their captain mandated each motor officer to write 18 tickets a day, according to the suit.
In addition to the quota, officers were told the tickets they gave out had to be for “major movers” such as speeding, lane straddling or running a red light — offenses that could each generate revenue of several hundred dollars each.
The civil court jury sided with the officers by a vote of 11 to 1. The damage award [of $2m] was for loss of reputation and specific employment actions against the officers by the department affecting their careers after they reported the misconduct and refused to meet the quotas.
The department defended itself by arguing that, rather than a specific quota, the department had broad goals intended to reduce injuries and fatalities. That argument was roundly rejected by the jury, which found in favor of the suing officers 11-1, after a former LAPD commander testified that gas prices and paramedic response times had far more to do with injury and fatality levels. With any luck, this ruling may even create precedent to eliminate quota systems around the country. Meanwhile, MyFoxLA reports that the LAPD is appealing the ruling.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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Wow. When people say that not all cops are just members of organized crime out funding their obscene benefit and pension plans at gun point, I find myself wondering what planet they live on. It turns out there are two officers in California that didn't join the force to profit from their psychoses.
California Highway Patrol has "goals" not quotas, which is how the organization circumvents the law against quotas. My son was pulled over for speeding on Highway 44 recently. Seconds after the first car pulled him over, a second CHP car pulled behind the first. Both cops issued tickets. I complained to the local CHP office, saying "In my 40 years of driving, I have NEVER been given two tickets for one violation. It may be LEGAL to give 2 tickets for one incident, but it is NOT ethical." I also submitted a complaint to Sacramento regarding the "badge bullies" of CHP. Despite this, the quotas continue (oops, I mean "goals").
How do gas prices effect fatality levels?
It is NOT legal to give two tickets for the same offense. It's called double jeopardy and is specifically banned by the United States Constitution. Which the state of California seems to have difficulty obeying. Remember that smog fee they tried to charge for out-of-state cars registered in CA? Shot down as it was a state infringing on interstate trade, which is the Constitutionally-mandated exclusive province of the federal government. I also was witness to one of New York's Dumbest trying to justify writing a ticket for illegal taillights in that den of thieves known as the NYSDMV Traffic Violations Bureau. The driver stated the light was standard equipment on his new Acura MDX and therefore in compliance. Not sure how the judge ruled as his verdict was inaudible, but it wouldn't surprise me if he backed the cop. They make the law up as they go along in those courts. I've always said that the biggest threats to our freedom in this country come not from the top levels in Washington, but from the people on the ground at the state and local levels, not to mention TSA burger-flippers. Oftentimes they don't even know the law they're supposed to enforce.