The New York Police Department says there’s no such thing as a ticket quota, but memos posted at a Brooklyn stationhouse say otherwise. Two notices obtained by the New York Daily News clearly spell out how many moving-violation summonses cops should be handing out. The memos were posted in a roll call room for the stationhouse of the crime-ridden 77th Precinct.
One for the week of April 5 to April 11 began, “Good day we need the following” – then gave the number of tickets to give drivers for cell phone, seat belt, double-parking, bus stop, tinted window and truck route violations. The notice instructed officers to hand out the summonses at accident-prone locations and specified five intersections. A memo for Oct. 18 to Oct. 24 said the precinct needed to tally 75 summonses for talking on a cell phone while driving, and 50 seat belt violations. Police spokesman Paul Browne said an officer had posted the memos without approval. The notices stayed up for weeks in the roll call room – where officers get orders from supervisors before going on duty, a source said. Police union spokesman Al O’Leary said it would be surprising for an officer to post the memos without consent from above.