New Illinois Law Prohibits Ticket Quotas

On Sunday, Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law restricting police departments from imposing ticket quotas on officers in Illinois. The Governor stated that officers should “not be forced to ticket motorists to satisfy a quota system” and explained that the new law will “prevent motorists from facing unnecessary anxiety when they encounter a police vehicle.” The new law applies to all ticket types including traffic tickets (i.e. speeding tickets) and parking tickets. The new law even extends to hunting and fishing citations.

Effective immediately, officers in Illinois cannot be required to issue a certain number of citations within a specific timeframe. The new law also prohibits a county or municipality from comparing the number of tickets issued by one officer to another officer for purposes of evaluating job performance. While critics argue that the law restricts departments from holding officers accountable for performance, supporters believe the law allows officers with the freedom to do their job protecting the public.

Gov. Quinn signs bill banning ticket quotas for police, www.suntimes.com, June 15, 2014