Is it true that police officers have a speeding ticket quota they must meet every month? If so, why?

Here it is because the local taxes do not equal the expenditures. In order to balance the town budget, the moneys from speeding tickets (and traffic court) help.

@gailcalled: Thank you! That makes sense. :)

edit: monies.

In this rural farm area, the houses are few and far between. Most of us own a lot of land. Personally I have 20 acres, but the acre where my house is sited is taxed at a higher rate than the rest. And the area has 57 miles of dirt roads that the highway dept. has to gravel, grade, fill, plow, and generally keep drivable. That is getting more and more expensive.

The state gives us less money, therefore the cops are out (or lurking in the bushes) all the time.

@gailcalled That sucks. I’d rather just open up my check book and pay a little more in taxes or directly to the local cops at the beginning of the year, and not feel freaked about driving a little too fast.

Traffic Tickets 1
Traffic Tickets 2
Traffic Tickets 3

The speeding ticket industry is supposedly a $13 billion industry in the US…compared to the $3 billion lottery industry,,,,per item #3 above (left column).

When tax revenues go down, speeding ticket revenues go up. This from an Alabama attorney whose total practice is defending speeding ticket and DUI cases in every county in Alabama. So yes, according to her, quotas do play a role when the county needs revenue.

I had the pleasure of meeting this lady about a year ago when I was stopped for speeding in AL twice in one seven day period. According to her, the state police had a 7 day “blitz” on speeding tickets. Cost me every bit as much as paying the fine…and more for atty fees, but I was well satisfied. She did a great job for me, and no hassle for me.

As she said, the state doesn’t really care whether you’re guilty or not, and would prefer that you not come to court…as long as they get paid, which is what she facilitated..and I avoided points on my record.

I am all for the cops getting funds from DUI, its the 5 miles over the speed limit tickets that piss me off. Oh, and getting caught in a camera at an intersection can be really annoying also, that has not happened to me yet.

@JLeslie Yes me too. And I was more than 5 miles over on mine, and deserved the tickets.

Awesome info, plethora.
Other than the frivolous 5-over-the-limit tickets, it seems like it’s fair…if you’re breaking the law, you’re breaking the law (cue the Judas Priest homage).

@SundayKittens: I agree with you except a lot of people get off scott-free until the last few days of the month. Then, it’s not so cool. I regularly drive 80 on 55 roads and if I got stopped, even once, it would take my speed down at least 15 miles an hour.

I heard they do here in New Zealand, not like they don’t get enough people as it is.

@KatawaGrey That is true….consistency is important in matters like that. Be loose or be strict, but do it all the time so people know how to behave.

I know we could easily make it so there are no more speeding tickets or other types of violations. The technology is there.

But, that would interfere with revenue. Can’t have that happen.

Just like prisons. If there was a way to end the use of them. No one would pursuit that. It is too big a business.

Some jurisdictions do this, even if it is unspoken. It’s revenue for the city plain and simple.

my previous supervisor’s husband was a cop, and she told me that certain times of the year they have a push to write tickets.

i know in my area, a wealthy, rural area, the cops are all the time lurking and god help you if you are going 40 in a 35, they will get you. i have gotten pulled over several times but have always talked my way out of it, and now i crawl down the road so slowly, and i don’t care who is behind me. the last time i got pulled over i was being tailgated, and speeding because the guy was up my ass, and i was the one pulled over. that was the time that taught me a lesson – no matter how impatient the guy behind you is, ignore him, because you will be the one pulled over by the cop.

No, this is not true. The speeding ticket quota for cops is daily, not monthly!!!