Traffic Ticket Quotas?

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Florida is not the only state where ticket quotas are a reality, and states like Missouri and Pennsylvania have experienced similar revelations. Pennsylvania State Police documents show that not only is there a system of monetary reward and punishment for state troopers based upon numeric ticket goals, there is a clear effort to prevent anyone from ever speaking about it.

In 2002, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette uncovered the creative methods that top police officials developed to avoid the letter of the law. The specific number of tickets that troopers must now meet is known as the "station average." Each trooper must log the number of traffic stops and citations and if a trooper for any reason issues fewer tickets than his colleagues -- the station average -- he will be disciplined.

And, according to Newspaper.com at least five police officers in Monroe, Louisiana have been disciplined for not writing a sufficient number of traffic tickets. These officers were told they could not work a second job while off-duty to help make ends meet. Because this punishment is outside of the normal disciplinary process, the officers have no right to appeal the decision.

While traffic ticket quotas are not legally mandated, there is enough evidence to suggest they do exist in some law enforcement agencies.

I have often wondered what people think about traffic ticket quotas and if they even exist.

I was told that if X amounts of tickets were written, then they get an appliance. A stove, fridge, or microwave.

I think that wherever such a travesty exists, it sucks. Big time. It puts pressure on officers to write citations whether there has actually been a violation of the law or not.