DRIVERS could get a break from racking up traffic fines at the end of the month if a new proposal aimed at banning fine quotas becomes law.
Despite denials from dozens of police departments that ticket quotas exist, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is doing everything they can to ensure drivers don’t have to worry about meeting monthly ticket minimums.
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State lawmakers in Columbus, Ohio, are taking steps to ban the ticketing practice statewide, eliminating it as a measure in police officer performance evaluations.
“I think it’s an antiquated philosophy and I hope people aren’t doing it anymore,” Phil Plummer, a state representative and former Montgomery County sheriff, explained to the local CBS affiliate. WKRC on Tuesday.
“This bill will eliminate it,” he said.
This proposed change could offer relief to drivers and mark a shift toward a more community-focused approach to law enforcement.
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Ken Kober, president of the Fraternal Order of Police union group in Cincinnati, told local reporters that he has never witnessed a quota system in use, but remembers when such measures were seen as a standard of success.
“Departments would set goals for officers each month – write a certain number of ticketsmaking arrests, issuing parking violations,” he recalled.
He highlighted that although official quotas have practically disappeared, drivers’ concerns about them persist.
“I’m sure there are small agencies across Ohio and the country that try to base some of their traffic enforcement around revenue,” he said.
The FOP is the largest police organization of active officers in the world, with more than 350,000 members.
BETTER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
State House Representative Plummer advocated for a new standard of success for police that focuses on community engagement.
“Get out of your cruiser, go see your community, talk to them.”
“They will tell you what’s going on if you build that relationship,” he emphasized.
If the bill passes, officers will be able to use an online platform to anonymously report departments that still use illegal quotas.
The lawmaker said he hopes the bill can encourage a stronger relationship between law enforcement and the community.
“We should be focusing on the strengths of law enforcement officers and not on generating revenue for the department,” Kober added.
How to Fight a Parking Ticket
You can avoid being fined by following all published laws and regulations, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets can be avoided by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes can be made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket comes as a surprise to you, there are some things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would render the ticket invalid.
- Take pictures. The vehicle in the space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that were not cited for performing the same parking service. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with time and date is accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or on crooked posts, or that are not “obvious” are also great things to photograph.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Immediately follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have appeal instructions. Waiting until the last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was going to move my car.”
- “I can’t pay this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said everything was fine.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you are facing obstacles and feel stuck, you may want to contact a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
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EXIT TIME FOR QUOTAS
As the ticket quota debate heats up, all eyes are on Columbus to see how far the initiative will go.
The project has already been presented in the Chamber and forwarded to the Internal Security Committee.
An initial hearing on the proposal is scheduled for next a few days.
Ohio would join 25 other states that have already banned ticket quotas if the proposal becomes law.
The Cincinnati FOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The US Sun.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
