House Bill 333 would prohibit ticket and arrest quotas

State Reps. Kevin Miller (R-Newark) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) recently introduced legislation that will prohibit ticket and arrest quotas.

House Bill 333 defines a quota as a mandate of a certain number of arrests made or citations issued for any offense that a local or state police officer must meet in a specified time period. It also clarifies what is not considered a quota, such as community contacts or analyzing data on arrests or citations.

“As a retired state trooper, my goal was always to keep motorists safe and change unwanted behavior,” Miller said. “Sometimes this was accomplished with a citation while many times a friendly warning would suffice. Our law-enforcement officers need discretion versus an arbitrary quota system used to generate local revenue.”

Legislation banning quotas has been passed in 25 other states including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

“Requiring officers to meet arbitrary quotas distracts from the primary objective of law enforcement, which must always be to preserve public safety. Quotas not only add unnecessary pressure to an already difficult job, but they also harm police-community relations,” Sweeney said. “Banning this practice will shore up the public trust in law enforcement that is so essential for civil society, and it will ensure that officers have the professional discretion to make arrests or write tickets in the interest of public safety.”

House Bill 333 is supported by the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.

“The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association commends Reps. Miller and Sweeney for working to prohibit ticket and arrest quotas and avoid unnecessary conflict between law enforcement and the people we proudly serve. When agencies arbitrarily dictate a certain number of arrests or citations that an officer must issue to keep their job, the trust between the public and law enforcement, as well as the very nature of constitutional policing, is needlessly tested,” said George Sakellakis, OPBA director of organization. “Ohioans must be assured that any citation or arrest is valid, legitimate and necessary.

“Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and troopers are true professionals who risk their lives to serve our communities, not revenue generators. They got into this business to protect our neighborhoods, not occupy them. We are thankful that the legislature is tackling this important issue and urge them to pass this bill and end the practice of quotas in Ohio.”

House Bill 333 awaits committee assignment.