The coercive effect of requiring police officers to make a minimum number of DUI arrests during a given period is obvious. Drivers who the investigating officer does not feel there is probable cause to arrest for DUI will be arrested anyway. Worst-case scenario: cops will arrest drivers who they realize are not driving under the influence. Of course, law enforcement — and local governmental agencies who pocket the extensive fines and fees — routinely deny having such policies. And, as I’ve posted repeatedly in the past, it is a well-documented fact that drunk driving quotas are common across the country. See, for example, “Inside Edition” Documents DUI Quotas Across U.S..
Consider the following commentary appearing yesterday:
NHTSA Says Federal Law Requires Ticket Quotas
Jan. 30. The Newspaper – Federal regulators are refusing to budge when it comes to requiring local police forces to use ticket quotas. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday finalized the procedures local police departments use to receive their share of $450 million in traffic safety grants paid for by the federal tax on gasoline. In response to complaints from the National Motorists Association (NMA), the agency claimed it was powerless to change the way it allocated the funds…
“To qualify for funding, NHTSA requires an annual traffic safety plan from each state that must include statistics on seat-belt citations, impaired driving arrests, and speeding citations issued during grant-funded enforcement activities the previous year,” NMA President Gary Biller told TheNewspaper on Monday. “What outcome is expected other than the perpetuation of federally sanctioned ticket quotas?”…
“The federal statute further requires that highway safety plans be based on performance measures developed by NHTSA and GHSA,” the agency explained. “That report includes activity measures related to seat belt citations, impaired driving arrests and speeding citations… NHTSA may not waive these statutory requirements.”
So in addition to pocketing fees and fines for false DUI arrests, law enforcement has the added incentive of receiving federal funds. But, of course, such quotas don’t exist, right?
(Thanks to Joe.)
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