LAPD loses lawsuit over parking ticket quotas, insists they were just “goals”

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http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2011/04/12/tentative-traffic-ticket/LAPD
loses lawsuit over parking ticket quotas, insists they were just “goals”
Chris Yarzab/Flckr

LAPD Traffic Stop on Woodman Ave. in Arleta CA.

LAPD Ticket Quota System Busted LA City Council: Dennis Zine The story dates back to 2006 when two motorcycle officers in the Los Angeles Police Department traffic division registered a complaint with their superiors about the number of tickets they were expected to issue each day. The two officers, Howard Chan and David Benioff, said they were expected to write at least 18 tickets each day and that the number of citations an officer wrote was to be recorded on their performance reviews. Officers Chan & Benioff disagreed with the quotas and as a result were subjected to negative performance reviews, threats from superiors and given undesirable assignments. Keep in mind that ticket quotas are illegal under state law, and as such the LAPD argued in court that there quotas were never enforced, there were merely suggested “goals” of the amount of tickets that should be written. Yesterday a jury awarded Officers Chan & Benioff $2 million in their lawsuit against the LAPD. Especially in these tough financial times for cities, do you believe that there are unofficial quotas for police officers issuing tickets?

Guests:
Dennis Zine, Los Angeles city councilman representing the 3rd District; former motorcycle sergeant in the LAPD
Gregory Smith, attorney representing Officers Chan & Benioff