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A flash of red and blue in the rearview mirror is enough to ruin anyone's day. Whether you rolled through a stop sign on an abandoned neighborhood thoroughfare or strapped a measly three or four kilos to the belly of your vehicle, that siren is going to make you late for work.
Of course, traffic safety is a huge concern in any city of any size. I join the early morning rush for prime parking spaces at the U and could attest to the risks some people will take at the helm of a ton of steel and glass.
I've been pulled over a number of times. A few times, I deserved it, and other times, I really deserved it. It's a frustrating, costly and time-consuming experience and one that is indispensable in maintaining some semblance of order on the notoriously dangerous roadways of Utah.
Without question, if you speed or drive recklessly, you should be cited -- it's in the public interest. That's basically the premise of resurrected House Bill 264, formerly H.B. 255.
Brainchild of Rep. Neil A. Hansen (D-Ogden), the bill seeks to ban law enforcement agencies from imposing ticket quotas on their officers.
Of course, ticket quotas have never actually existed. Ask any cop or police chief, and you'll hear the same thing. The quota is a figment of your 16-year-old imagination. Remember when all the cops of the world were out to get you?
As it turns out, teenagers aren't the only ones who have taken note of the rash of ticket-writing that culminates at the end of the month. Several Utah lawmakers tried to push this ordinance through the Senate in the 2007 legislative session, only to be railroaded by Ogden Police Chief and State Senator Jon Greiner.
Greiner and the Utah Chiefs of Police Association are united firmly against the proposed bill, because basically, they insist they don't need to be prohibited from doing what they claim they've never done.
Simply put, the bill's only function is to ease the burden on an already burdened police force. Cops are free to write tickets as they deem necessary, but the department shouldn't be allowed to hold its officers to a quota -- especially one that affects their pay scale.
This law isn't about speeders trying to get to work faster without the threat of repercussion. A performance evaluation should be based on more than revenue for the department. The performance of a police officer can't be measured by the same ruler as a salesperson. Keeping the peace shouldn't be a business venture. Besides, if no such practice exists, then lower your guard.
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