Do speeding ticket quotas really exist?

(WHNT) — we’ve all been there — flashing blue lights in the rear view, white knuckles on the steering wheel, and wondering if I can explain the lead foot.

“Do you have a meeting quota, cop?”

Law enforcement officers hear it all the time. But what was once a joke has found agencies across the country fighting every day. The misconception also implies that speed traps have been set up to try and extract more money from residents to benefit the department.

But speeding tickets and traffic violation “quotas” are actually prohibited or prohibited in some states, There is a threat of penalties if quotas are carried out in other regions.

“Ticket quotas match donut quotas. “Seriously, we don’t put quotas on tickets. I understand it’s illegal to have such quotas.”

There are now over 20 states across the country. Alabama and Tennesseehas made efforts to discourage the tradition of pressuring law enforcement to meet ticket quotas.

Tuscumbia, Alabama Police Chief Tony Logan said, “There are no quotas for tickets, warnings or arrests.” , is to try to have two contacts for each 12 hour shift, which you can walk through in any school/daycare in Tuscumbia, be it the owner/operator of the business, the outside resident working in the yard. You can easily talk to someone who is a member of the community, or who is walking the playground to exercise.The main goal is to further improve our relationship with the community.”

Other police departments across the state have also strongly denied having quotes.

“The Huntsville, Alabama, police department has no quota for traffic enforcement,” Sergeant added. Rosalind White. “Our traffic enforcement is about educating the public about road safety and reducing traffic accidents in areas with relatively high traffic accidents. We are taking proactive measures, often through high-profile saturation patrols or mass traffic stoppages in targeted areas.”

Priceville, Alabama Police Chief Jerry Holmes said there were “no speeding ticket allotments” and explained that police were in what he called “a dangerous section of the highway.”

“The speed limit on Highway 67 within the city limits is 50 mph,” Holmes said. “I have found that if this is not closely monitored, speeders will mindlessly go over 70 to 80 mph and cause traffic accidents. Trust me, it’s all about safety. It’s to save lives.”

Other jurisdictions state that issuing subpoenas is at the discretion of officers.

Rocky Hahnen, of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, said it was “complete deputy discretion,” “based on severity, area (school zone), and driver demeanor.”

Willie Orr, chief of staff for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, agreed. “Law enforcement has a great deal of discretion and, where possible, we allow our agents to make decisions about whether to take law enforcement action.”

The Fayetteville, Tennessee Police Department also denied quotas, saying the police were taking a “proactive” approach.

“I like that officers are actively working to stop traffic in certain areas of particular concern,” said Administrative Commander Coby Templeton. “Throughout the week, we have received complaints about speeding, loud music, truck violations, or other traffic violations in various areas of town. We will actively patrol these areas. and

“There is also for-profit policing. Police are not a means of making money. Certain moral issues and implications are raised by this action. Our aim should be to promote public welfare, peace and security.”

Other states avoiding citations include:

However, some communities Japan Automobile Association He said that “speeding crackdowns” do exist (despite some state bans) and called such crackdowns “traffic crackdowns focused on extracting revenue from drivers rather than improving safety.” defined as an area where

However, the funds from the ticket are not split as expected. In fact, law enforcement gets very little out of tickets issued, and most of the money goes directly to city and state funds.

The funds will also be donated to the DNA Database Fund and the Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

Of course, every agency, municipality and state is different. If you’re interested, it’s as easy as asking your local office for a breakdown.