Ticket Quotas

[Zephyr]

Do you think that they're right or wrong to have police trying to fulfill a ticket quota for the month?

[CaptainObvious]

Do you think that they're right or wrong to have police trying to fulfill a ticket quota for the month?

Absolutely wrong to do that. I have a big problem with the way ticketing is handled in most jurisdictions, in wich it often becomes more a revenue-raising tool than a tool for actually changing driving behavior.

I worked at a hospital doing IT for the past 2 summers; every morning, going to work, I'd have to drive across this bridge in downtown Toronto. On either side of the bridge, the speed limit is 50. For some reason, on the bridge and for a little bit after it, the speed limit is 40. There's no clear reason for the speed change (the bridge does not narrow at all), and it's not always well-signed.

So guess what? There's almost always a cop there ticketing drivers. Is this because that road is some kind of safety hazard on which drivers really need to slow down for safety? Hell no, nothing of the sort: there's always officers there because it's an easy place to write lots of tickets.

The problem is that tickets are not just supposed to be revenue-raising tools, they're supposed to be tools to maintain public order and safety. When you institute a quota, you incentivize cops to write useless tickets to meet the quota, should they fall behind, and potentially introduce all kinds of motivations to not just write tickets for legitimately dangerous things. That is a big problem, in my opinion.

[Camazotz]

Although I don't know if ticket quotas actually exist, I shall assume they do. But as Oneshyguy explained, putting a quota will effect the jobs of law enforcement because they will issue unnecessary tickets.

[Koman]

I can see it necessary to fit bugetary needs, but otherwise it is unjust.

[Antares]

That is absolutely ridiculous and it should be declared illegal.
Cops are supposed to ticket you when you break a law, not when they feel like it.
They aren't really supposed to "not" ticket you, so they shouldn't be able to choose "when" to ticket you.
By having quotas it is insinuating that the cops are only after your money and really don't care about enforcing the law rather than just giving out tickets when they need to.

[INFERNO]

I am against ticket quotas. They promote police officers to write tickets simply to meet the quota and not to protect the public safety. If someone is going 80 in a 40 zone, then obviously, ticket them. However, with this quota, if someone is going 42 in a 40 zone, if the police need to write out tickets, then there's a greater chance to ticket that driver. Sure they're going above the speed limit, however, who are they endangering? Nobody.

Simply put, hand out the tickets in order to protect the public safety, not to meet a designated amount of tickets. It's not a competition to see who can hand out the most tickets nor which division can meet the quota the fastest. It should be about which is the safest and which hands out tickets for justifiable and proper reasons.

It may help the budget, however, doing so through such means I find to be rather disgusting. You increase the budget yet you sky-rocket the chaos and that leads nowhere beneficial.



I worked at a hospital doing IT for the past 2 summers; every morning, going to work, I'd have to drive across this bridge in downtown Toronto.

Heh, a fellow Torontonian. Other than that, which hospitals involve you handing out tickets?


On either side of the bridge, the speed limit is 50. For some reason, on the bridge and for a little bit after it, the speed limit is 40. There's no clear reason for the speed change (the bridge does not narrow at all), and it's not always well-signed.

As annoying as those speed-changes are, how exactly does this support your argument?


So guess what? There's almost always a cop there ticketing drivers. Is this because that road is some kind of safety hazard on which drivers really need to slow down for safety? Hell no, nothing of the sort: there's always officers there because it's an easy place to write lots of tickets.

It'd also be a great place to enforce the law of preventing people from speeding.


The problem is that tickets are not just supposed to be revenue-raising tools, they're supposed to be tools to maintain public order and safety.

I agree with this.

When you institute a quota, you incentivize cops to write useless tickets to meet the quota, should they fall behind, and potentially introduce all kinds of motivations to not just write tickets for legitimately dangerous things. That is a big problem, in my opinion.

Agree also.

[Trickster]

Its wrong to put a ticket quota. Its basically saying "If you dont get enough tickets then there will be consequnces(cant spell)" . Under pressure of losing something valuable people will do stupid things just to keep it. This should be illegal, not only is it pressuring good cops but its saying there is enough people out there being dumb, speeding, as in not obeying law for all of you to meet the quota. Its wrong, its unjust and just plain dumb to have ticket quotas

[Modus Operandi]

I absolutley don't agree with "ticket quotas" AT ALL. Kind of playing devils advocate here, but there might be at least one racist cop on the force. This gives them an excellent chance to do their racist thing-singling out blacks, or latinos or whoever to ticket for no apparent reason-with valid reasoning. Also, tickets can f**k up your driving record.

[Atonement]

I believe that if they think a officer is not issuing enough tickets as to pullovers etc. Or drastically below the average, they should be expected to do their job and issue more.

[nachtspiegel]

I understand the reasoning behind a quota, but I think that it should be carefully maintained and change as trends do.

[sebbie]

The idea that tickets are given out to fill quotas - It is wrong that tickets be given out to meet the financial needs of the establishment, they are as an above poster mentioned a method of keeping the public safe and act as a disciplinary tool for anyone breaking the rules.

However you need to remember that they would not be able to issue tickets for no reason, a person will have had to broken a law / rule and thus a ticket can be rightfully issued.