LAPD officers awarded $2m for ticket quota

[hks786]

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers have been award $2 million in a lawsuit claiming the department endorsed a “quota system” that required officers to write at least 18 traffic tickets per day.

The suit, filed in 2009 by officers Howard Chan and David Benioff, alleged the captain of the LAPD’s West Traffic Division required motor officers to write at least 18 tickets per day. Moreover, officers were told to give out what are known as “major movers” – tickets for offenses like speeding and land straddling that carried several hundred dollar tickets.

The officers also testified that the department used terms like “orchard” and “cherry patch” to describe locations that were “laser certified” and yielded the most traffic tickets.

Although the officers’ claims seem to be more detrimental to the general public, the jury sided with the officers 11 to 1 and awarded a $2 million judgment for loss of reputation and employment sanctions levied upon the officers after they reported the quota system.

“We’re very hopeful that this will put an end to fleecing motorists on the West side of Los Angeles,” said Benioff’s attorney, Gregory Smith. “Quotas are a direct violation of the vehicle code and this case was about these officers being asked to break the law.”

The LAPD maintains there was never a quota system and that it focused more on broad goals to increase road safety.

[hks786]

I swear that shit happens over here too. 99% of traffic police are dicks. Parking wardens too.

[stylinexpat]

Basically they give out tickets for revenue and nothing more most of the times.

[darkcloud]

Yep, as much as officers want to say otherwise tickets a majority of the time are to generate revenue not for road safety.

Main reason why, if they were for safety then traffic cops wouldn't hide behind things or not be in clear sight. By hiding they are pretty much proving they are just out to issue a speeding ticket for revenue. Not to catch the crazy drivers tailgating and making 3 lane changes, etc.

Don't even start about camera tickets. Those are 100% for revenue generation. You don't even know you got a ticket until 30 or so days after the day you were photographed. And forget trying to fight them, I did twice. First time the officer told me if I was going and no joke, "1 mph slower" he would have waived the ticket(I was camera'd going 32 in a 25). Second time there were 2 cars in the photo, me and another car. At this time I knew the area I was in was a major camera zone so I was barely going over 25 the entire time. Ticket came doing 34 in a 25. I tried to fight that it was not me speeding but the other car, both license plates were easily readable on the picture, officer says, "that's your defense. Anything else? Guilty". Bullshit!

[KingOfJericho]

Ticket "quotas" have been illegal for decades. I'm glad to hear this outcome.

[Chewy734]

darkcloud, guaranteed Cleveland Heights is pulling the same shit here every month. Those people are like hawks... 26 in a 25... ticket. Rolling stop... ticket. It's pretty sad.

[GregTheStig]

Well I'm glad they won that, 18 tickets per day? I'd feel like a colossal moron for handing out that many tickets. $2 million might be enough for a condo in LA.

[Blake]

lol my cop friend says they don't call it quota, but rather a 'goal' of handing out X amount of tickets per day. they aren't required, but it's definitely suggested. he hates writing tickets anyway, so he does the bare minimum to make chief happy.

[CasperSYTFU]

guaranteed its up here too. gotta be smart and careful

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by Blake

lol my cop friend says they don't call it quota, but rather a 'goal' of handing out X amount of tickets per day. they aren't required, but it's definitely suggested. he hates writing tickets anyway, so he does the bare minimum to make chief happy.

Office Space???

[06E90Rostik]

I remember they did a story on this in This American Life. As far as I remember the whole station was after that whistleblower, didn't end well for the poor guy.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by 06E90Rostik

I remember they did a story on this in This American Life. As far as I remember the whole station was after that whistleblower, didn't end well for the poor guy.

2 officers end up with 2 million dollars. how did that now end well for them again?

[Blake]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

Office Space???

pretty much. he spends more time at nightclubs than doing real police work

[persian54]

good outcome

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

darkcloud, guaranteed Cleveland Heights is pulling the same shit here every month. Those people are like hawks... 26 in a 25... ticket. Rolling stop... ticket. It's pretty sad.

oh I know. I've actually never gotten pulled over there until a few weeks back. didn't get a ticket though.

btw. I saw you driving on cedar last week. right by the popeyes. I would have honked but I was going the other direction and you would have been like who the f is that haha.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Ticket "quotas" have been illegal for decades. I'm glad to hear this outcome.

yeah it is illegal to force and officer to write tickets, it is a labor and union law not a law for you and I. Even though this case proves they used quotes to make the police do their jobs, you can not go in and say they gave you an illegal ticket because of the quote.

it sounds like the officer were retaliated against for not writing 18 ticket thus the reason they got $2M.

They can have quotes all they like as long as it not a requirement of the job to keep your job or get promoted or raises.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

oh I know. I've actually never gotten pulled over there until a few weeks back. didn't get a ticket though.

btw. I saw you driving on cedar last week. right by the popeyes. I would have honked but I was going the other direction and you would have been like who the f is that haha.

haha... Popeyes. Another fine establishment that closes at dusk.

[monkeyjuice5150]

The LAPD is just going to go back to their old habbits again. Every officer should file suit in each part of the city. The citizen should get some of this money too, those who got ticketed.

[McMuffin]

Fucking old cops were about to retire and still managed to milk the City for more cash.

[cipher5]

I don't understand why people cry about getting speeding tickets. If you're speeding, you're breaking the law, the cop giving you a ticket is him/her doing their job. Most motorists speed, we hope we never get caught, but when it happens, accept the ticket and pay your fine, simple as that.

Yes there are much worse crimes happening elsewhere, but these officers are assigned traffic duty, so that's what they do.

[josephr25]

Originally Posted by cipher5

I don't understand why people cry about getting speeding tickets. If you're speeding, you're breaking the law, the cop giving you a ticket is him/her doing their job. Most motorists speed, we hope we never get caught, but when it happens, accept the ticket and pay your fine, simple as that.

Yes there are much worse crimes happening elsewhere, but these officers are assigned traffic duty, so that's what they do.

A lot of us wouldn't complain as much if we actually FELT we were pulled over for safety reasons as opposed for revenue stream reasons.

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

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