Ticket quotas? What ticket quotas?

For years, the California Highway Patrol has denied that its officers are required to write a set number of tickets, a practice that’s illegal under state law.

But testimony in a Sacramento federal court this month by a veteran CHP officer appears to poke holes in the agency’s longstanding denials.

CHP motorcycle Officer Jay Brame testified that his superiors admonished him on a monthly basis to boost his “enforcement contacts” with motorists to at least 100 a month, a practice that continued for years, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Brame, along with the CHP, is being sued in a false arrest case.

Brame also testified that he was encouraged to turn his verbal warnings to motorists into written citations to get his numbers up, the Bee reported.

“And you were aware that the CHP had a goal for you of 100 law enforcement contacts a month?” the plaintiff’s attorney Michael Haddad reportedly asked.

“Not the CHP, but our supervisors at the – the area commander, yes,” Brame reportedly replied.

“And whether or not you encountered 100 drivers who deserved tickets, right?” Haddad asked.

“Correct,” Brame said.

In Orange County, the CHP has repeatedly said there are no quotas. A local CHP office referred us to Sacramento for a comment, so we’ll update this as soon as we have information from them.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article24540853.html#storylink=cpy

As part of the case, Brame’s performance evaluations also were introduced into evidence. Here’s one example of an evaluation that the Bee reported:

“You have averaged five enforcement contacts per day for the first 15 days of the month, this is well below the shift average and not acceptable for a (motorcycle). You will need to pick up your enforcement activity the second half of the month and use the (motorcycle) for what it is intended to be used for.”

The federal judge in the case was reported to have called the evaluations “terrible,” according to the Bee’s story.

“I would think that the CHP should be ashamed of that document,” U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb was reported saying.

Closing arguments are expected Monday.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article24540853.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article24540853.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article24540853.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article24540853.html#storylink=cpy