NYPD Accused of Using Quotas for Traffic Tickets
A controversy has erupted in New York after several NYPD officers have claimed that the police department imposes mandatory quotas for arrests and summonses. If true, this would be a direct violation of a ban on arrest quotas that was imposed in 2010.
So far, 12 NYPD officers have joined a federal class action lawsuit against the police department. The police officers claim that they, and others, have been punished for failing to meet the required arrest quotas.
One NYPD officer said that officers who have not met their quotas at the end of the month are “pressured to find something.” Several officers in the civil lawsuit have claimed that the pressure they get from their supervisors to meet the required quotas can be “intense.”
Worse yet, allege some police officers, the NYPD quotas uniquely harm members of minority communities. One officer in the lawsuit said that his supervisor has explicitly told him to pull over drivers who appear to be black or Hispanic and issue traffic citations to them. Moreover, Julio Diaz, the president of the New York chapter of the Latino Officers Association, said that the officers affected by the quotas work in neighborhoods with high minority populations.
Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton has come out strong in his defense of the department’s practices, saying that the allegations of quotas are baseless. Bratton argued that if more arrests are being made in certain communities, that’s only because the NYPD is responding to conditions in those communities with the goal of reducing criminal activity.
The attorney representing the police officers in the class action lawsuit has countered Bratton, stating that he has proof – in the form of testimony, recordings and documents – that NYPD arrest quotas exist.
For additional information, read the NBCNewYork.com article, “I-Team: More NYPD Officers Say There’s Proof of Quota-Driven Arrests.”
If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime like marijuana possession or disorderly conduct, or you have been cited for a traffic violation, anywhere in New York, you should talk to a qualified criminal defense lawyer immediately. The experienced criminal defense attorneys at the LaDuca Law Firm can help you fight your charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at our office in Rochester, New York.
