Reps. Sweeney, Miller Provide Sponsor Testimony to Prohibit Ticket Quotas for Police

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) and Kevin Miller (R-Newark) today provided sponsor testimony on House Bill (HB) 131, their bipartisan legislation to prohibit ticket and arrest quotas for law enforcement. 

A ticket quota is an arbitrary number of traffic or parking citations that a police officer must issue within a specified time period. Ticket quotas can be used by local municipalities to help generate additional revenue for the city, often at the expense of Ohio residents.

“Currently, in Ohio, it is perfectly legal to mandate that a police officer issue a certain number of tickets every day, regardless of the public safety implications or needs of their community. This is bad for police and bad for our communities,” said Rep. Sweeney. “Law enforcement officers should be evaluated based upon the quality of their police work, not the quantity of tickets they can write.”

Legislation banning quotas has been enacted in 25 other states, including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

“If the Ohio State Highway Patrol, arguably the most proactive law enforcement agency in Ohio, can operate with a quota prohibition, so can the other law enforcement agencies in the state,” said Rep. Miller.

HB 131 is also supported by the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (OPBA) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

“The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association commends Reps. Sweeney, Miller for working to prohibit ticket and arrest quotas and avoid unnecessary conflict between law enforcement and the people we proudly serve. When agencies arbitrarily dictate a certain number of arrests or citations that an officer must issue to keep their job, the trust between the public and law enforcement, as well as the very nature of constitutional policing, is needlessly tested,” said George Sakellakis, OPBA Director of Organization. “Ohioans must be assured that any citation or arrest is valid, legitimate, and necessary. Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and troopers are true professionals who risk their lives to serve our communities, not revenue generators. They got into this business to protect our neighborhoods, not occupy them. We are thankful that the legislature is tackling this important issue and urge them to pass this bill and end the practice of quotas in Ohio.”

HB 131 now awaits further testimony in the House Public Safety Committee.