States are turning up the heat on ticket quotas. Lawmakers are trying to stop police departments from pushing officers to write more tickets.
Nearly half the country has already taken steps to kill off quota-style systems that pressure officers to write tickets. Last year, Ohio joined the list with new rules to tackle the issue.
Now, more states are stepping in to shut down ticket quotas for good.
Illinois
In Illinois, House lawmakers are going after what they call over-the-top enforcement tactics.
State law already bans any requirement to hit a set number of tickets in a certain time. Police departments also can’t judge officers based on how many tickets they write.
But there’s a catch. State, county and municipal police departments can still track “officer contacts.” The exercise covers any interaction with the public.
HB5011 takes aim at the loophole.
Rep. Patrick Sheehan, R-Homer Glen, said some departments are using “performance metrics” as a backdoor way to keep ticket quotas alive.
His bill would shut that down by banning those metrics when they act like hidden ticket quotas.
He said even though quotas are already illegal, some agencies still push officers based on traffic stops and detentions.
“This bill puts an end to these backdoor quota systems that push unnecessary stops and detainments,” Sheehan said.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers want to go even further.
HB1955 would lock in stricter rules to stop ticket quotas.
The bill would ban departments from forcing officers to hit certain numbers. It would also outlaw “station averaging,” in which officers are judged by comparing their ticket totals to those of other officers.
Bottom line: if it’s tied to a quota, the ticket gets tossed out.
The bill also tackles speed enforcement.
Pennsylvania is the only state where local police can’t use speed radar. Since 1961, only state troopers have been allowed to use it.
Right now, local officers rely on tools like VASCAR, which measures the time it takes a vehicle to travel between two points.
The bill would let full-time local officers use speed radar.
But there’s a limit. Tickets could be issued only if a driver was going at least 10 mph over the posted speed limit.
The bill is in the House Transportation Committee.
Utah
Utah lawmakers tried again – and came up just short.
A 2018 law already bans police agencies from requiring or even hinting at ticket quotas. State and local police departments also can’t reward or punish officers based on those numbers.
But concerns haven’t gone away.
Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Cross Woods, said some areas may still be systems that feel a lot like quotas.
For the second year in a row, he pushed a bill to tighten the rules.
Like last year’s bill, SB67 would not limit warnings as an alternative to tickets.
Supporters said that approach would allow officers to meet expectations without handing out tickets.
But for the second straight year, the effort fell one vote short of reaching the governor’s desk. LL
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