As every experienced DUI attorney (and patrol cop) knows, DUI quotas commonly exist — despite the repeated denials of police bureaucrats. See my past posts DUI Quotas, "Inside Edition" Documents DUI Quotas Across U.S. and "What DUI Quotas?".
They may be unwritten, or disguised as "suggestions" or "guidelines", but the intent to the patrol cop is clear: make the quota or else. And the coercive effect of this can be considerable, leading many cops to make arrests where there may be insufficient reason to do so.
In today’s headlines:
Alabama Troopers at Birmingham Post Instructed to Cite More for DUI
Birmingham, AL. June 13 —
The number of tickets for DUI written by state police from the Birmingham post doubled in March after a memo from the acting post commander threatened to punish any trooper who did not make at least three DUI arrests by the end of that month.
Trooper officials defended the memo from now-retired Sgt. Steve Bryant and obtained by The Birmingham News. The memo said each trooper should make at least three DUI arrests by the end of March, and that those who failed to do so could lose their day-shift assignments or opportunities for overtime pay…
"Initially, this issue is lose-lose for both sides of the table; the trooper on the roadway and the citizens of this area," said Whitney Polson, a DUI defense attorney in Homewood. "The arrest determination should be based upon facts, not threats of lost pay and time away from the family," Polson said.
Polson and another attorney also said they believed the quota in the e-mail could cast doubt on the legitimacy of DUI arrests.
Phillip Price, a Huntsville attorney and author of the legal reference Alabama DUI Handbook, said he believes quotas exist in law enforcement but he had never seen it put in writing like that before…
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