(CBS4) DENVER Some Denver police officers are under more pressure these days to write traffic tickets. CBS4 investigator Brian Maass learned a ticket writing quota has been instituted for officers in the Traffic Operations Bureau.
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For about two dozen motorcycle officers, the order is to write 16 tickets for an eight hour shift. Fall short, and they will have to explain their slacking to superior officers.
Captain Eric Rubin, commander of 79 officers in the Traffic Operations Bureau, contends it’s “not a quota,” but he calls it a “measure of performance” for officers whose primary duty is to enforce traffic laws. “It’s a goal we are striving for,” he said.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines quota in part as â€a production assignment.”
Rubin said he instituted the quota system last September and the 16 tickets per shift for some 26 motorcycle officers was arrived at after six months of studying officers’ typical ticket writing patterns.
“We’re always looking at performance,” said Rubin.
Rubin said many officers exceed the 16 tickets per shift, and those that do not, have some explaining to do.
“If an officer is under the average set we might discuss it with the officer,” Rubin said.
No officers have been disciplined or transferred for missing their ticket writing quota, according to Rubin. He said the increased pressure on his officers is aimed at reducing crashes and promoting public safety. He said the ticket writing quota is not an effort to increase revenues for the city.
But that’s a tough sell with some Denver drivers.
“They’re making sure they’re making money and that’s not right,” driver Dan Blanchard said. “They are going to pull people over for doing ten over, five over, whatever it is. That’s not right.”
“I guess it forces them to, you know, maybe someone that they wouldn’t pull over before they would consider pulling over now because they need to meet their quota,” driver Stephen Gulau said. “It’s not giving someone a ticket because they broke the law; it’s giving someone a ticket because they are supposed to give someone a ticket.”
Asked if the quota system had increased the number of tickets written, Rubin said he had no figures readily available.
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