Beware Ft Worth police quota time

[TBoat]

Originally Posted by MD2595

Running radar in upscale neighborhoods makes for police presence. Would you rather there be NO police presence in nice neighborhoods? That way if someone was to mug some old lady in a parking lot, the police would be guaranteed to be far away from the scene and therefore take longer to respond.

You can't enforce the law in just the low income areas of town. You have to be fair about it. Can't you see the conundrum this would create?

+ 1

If they only patroled the high crime areas then the police would be accused of profiling.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by MD2595

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the OP said the "Fort Worth Police" as a whole. There was no mention of just traffic officers.

But it is a lot more honest and accurate to separate the traffic and patrol units, as they do different jobs. Patrol doesn't write traffic tickets. So touting that "there are no quotas" and giving proof that a cop didn't write any tickets when that isn't his job is misleading at best.

I bet the major case detectives didn't write a single speeding or front plate ticket last year. That doesn't mean that traffic cops don't have numbers they are trying to meet, even if they refuse to call it a quota.

[toverman]

This has already been answered, but yes, license plates are required in the front and back. From the Texas Department of Public Safety site:

"How many license plates am I required to display?
State law requires that you display two (2) license plates, one to the front and one to the rear. Placement or mounting of license plates is not defined.

*This guidance is referenced in TXDOT's requirements to properly display the registration certificate. DPS does not inspect the license plate itself, but instead inspects the license plate lamp.

* View Transportation Code
View Sec. 502.404. OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITHOUT LICENSE PLATE OR REGISTRATION INSIGNIA
* View Department Rules/Regulation Inspection criteria
View 04.20.00 Details of Inspection & Search for 20.18 License Plate Lamp"

[CallMeAl]

Originally Posted by tech1961

Patroling areas that are high crime is what I am for, not hiding in the bushes of a low crime upscale neighborhood with a radar gun.

Most of the times dedicated traffic enforcement in neighborhood, whether upscale or not, is a response to a complaint of traffic problems from someone in that neighborhood. Believe me, if the goal was to just write as many tickets as possible, running radar in a neighborhood is not the best way to do it.

There have been many posts during my time on this forum of people complaining about recieving a ticket or an issue with the police. Although most times people are just wanting to vent their frustration and/or create controversy, I suggest people really try to understand things from an officer's viewpoint. The laws of Texas and each jurisdiction are vast. I would venture to say that I could follow you for a mile and find a violation to stop you for if I chose to do so. If you are the officer, what violations do you stop for? What offenses do you write citations for or which one do you give a break and only give a warning for? How do you justify doing what you do? Would you write your mother...your friend...another officer...a teacher or doctor? Every time you stop someone, you make those decisions and have to stand by them and or answer for your decisions. This is not a complaint about the job. If I didn't like it, I'd quit. It's also not an excuse for a bad cop's behavior, but I'd like to know what you would do if you were the officer?
And I have been on the receiving end of things as well. I have been given warnings and I have received citations (for which I took defensive driving).

[CallMeAl]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

But it is a lot more honest and accurate to separate the traffic and patrol units, as they do different jobs. Patrol doesn't write traffic tickets.

It would be nice if that was always the case, but unfortunately, a lot of cities just don't have the manpower to have a separate traffic and patrol division. And even in those cities where they do, patrol officers still have the responsibility to enforce traffic laws when necessary. Usually, it's only in cases where hazardous violation occur in their presence and immediate enforcement is called for. And true, most detectives are not issuing citations. Mostly, because they are not in uniform and driving marked patrol units.

[tech1961]

Originally Posted by MD2595

Running radar in upscale neighborhoods makes for police presence. Would you rather there be NO police presence in nice neighborhoods? That way if someone was to mug some old lady in a parking lot, the police would be guaranteed to be far away from the scene and therefore take longer to respond.

You can't enforce the law in just the low income areas of town. You have to be fair about it. Can't you see the conundrum this would create?

Patrol the neighborhood not harass the neighborhood

[tech1961]

Originally Posted by TBoat

+ 1

If they only patroled the high crime areas then the police would be accused of profiling.

Just like the terrorist, god forbid we go after the type of person that is terrorizing us. lets go after grandma. Gee I wonder who you vote for.

[Hanky]

Perhaps some of the posters could join the police corps and improve it.

[kimberley]

man think of all the free time the cops would have if people would stop BREAKIN THE LAW!!!...

Really cops have nothing better to do than pull over people not following the rules...your plates were an issue and looks like your mouth was also...keep your mouth shut respect the law and you shouldnt have a problem....

speed, your ganna get a ticket, not pay the meter, your ganna get a ticket, inspections sticker expired your ganna get a ticket....follow the rules and give these under paid under appreciated men and women a break, and If I hear one more guy use PMS for a womans bad mood Im going to flip, maybe you calling her blind, I dont know, maybe TICKED her off, hence your very deserved ticket, maybe if more bozos like yourself would respect the law and its officers they would be in better moods and FYI it wasnt PMS that Im sure put her in the bad mood, its having to pull over people not following the rules like you and taking time away from real criminals issue that Im sure put her in the mood she was in....just a thought....maybe guys who are in bad moods and act stupid have TIS Testosterone Induced Stupidity!! Just a thought :)

[tech1961]

Originally Posted by kimberley

man think of all the free time the cops would have if people would stop BREAKIN THE LAW!!!...

Really cops have nothing better to do than pull over people not following the rules...your plates were an issue and looks like your mouth was also...keep your mouth shut respect the law and you shouldnt have a problem....

speed, your ganna get a ticket, not pay the meter, your ganna get a ticket, inspections sticker expired your ganna get a ticket....follow the rules and give these under paid under appreciated men and women a break, and If I hear one more guy use PMS for a womans bad mood Im going to flip, maybe you calling her blind, I dont know, maybe TICKED her off, hence your very deserved ticket, maybe if more bozos like yourself would respect the law and its officers they would be in better moods and FYI it wasnt PMS that Im sure put her in the bad mood, its having to pull over people not following the rules like you and taking time away from real criminals issue that Im sure put her in the mood she was in....just a thought....maybe guys who are in bad moods and act stupid have TIS Testosterone Induced Stupidity!! Just a thought :)

Typical reply

[andyz]

Originally Posted by toverman

This has already been answered, but yes, license plates are required in the front and back. From the Texas Department of Public Safety site:

"How many license plates am I required to display?
State law requires that you display two (2) license plates, one to the front and one to the rear. Placement or mounting of license plates is not defined.

*This guidance is referenced in TXDOT's requirements to properly display the registration certificate. DPS does not inspect the license plate itself, but instead inspects the license plate lamp.

* View Transportation Code
View Sec. 502.404. OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITHOUT LICENSE PLATE OR REGISTRATION INSIGNIA
* View Department Rules/Regulation Inspection criteria
View 04.20.00 Details of Inspection & Search for 20.18 License Plate Lamp"

The OP said she had both plates, but the was written up because it wasn't visible. Her attitude may have been the worst part of the stop. I'd say if it was there, take a photo of the plate and show it to the court. Any other photos from the past that support this, take them in too. If the cop then says it wasn't visible, that may be a different cite that she wasn't ticketed for, but was the cop correct? Was it visible? We don't know.

Some cops do have quotas. That is why there are speedtraps. We had one near here for many years and it was known that revenue for the city was generated this way. They cleaned it up years ago though.

And in some small areas traffic and patrol units do both issue tickets. Traffic often has the increased role of investigating traffic accidents.

The last time I was stopped it was for 45 in a 30. I told the officer on this clear, dry, early Sunday morning (about 7AM) that they recently increased the limit on this road. "You'll have to prove that," he said and I pointed to the next 45 MPH sign about 20 yards ahead of me. I told him there was another back where I turned on. Now he said he'd let me go this time. That is why I remember it. "Let me go this time," because I was driving the limit. As one who did that for a living years before, I thought it was a poor response. But I respect what they do and I still have friends on the force. ARe cops perfect, no. Do they make mistakes, yes. We're all human.

[MD2595]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

But it is a lot more honest and accurate to separate the traffic and patrol units, as they do different jobs. Patrol doesn't write traffic tickets. So touting that "there are no quotas" and giving proof that a cop didn't write any tickets when that isn't his job is misleading at best.

I bet the major case detectives didn't write a single speeding or front plate ticket last year. That doesn't mean that traffic cops don't have numbers they are trying to meet, even if they refuse to call it a quota.

There are 51 police officers (including supervisors) assigned to traffic enforcement. This is out of an almost 1400 officer department. That means there is only 3.6% of the department allocated for traffic enforcement. I don't think that's an unreasonable number.

Also, detectives don't drive marked units, so making that comparison is rediculous since they can't conduct traffic stops to begin with.

[MD2595]

Originally Posted by tech1961

Patrol the neighborhood not harass the neighborhood

This is such a "whoa is me" attitude.

So you only want police there to enforce specific laws, and not any laws that you might be guilty of???

[Tom]

Originally Posted by MD2595

There are 51 police officers (including supervisors) assigned to traffic enforcement. This is out of an almost 1400 officer department. That means there is only 3.6% of the department allocated for traffic enforcement. I don't think that's an unreasonable number.

Also, detectives don't drive marked units, so making that comparison is rediculous since they can't conduct traffic stops to begin with.

It is not a ridiculous comparison.

It is not patrol's job to make routine traffic stops. It is not homicide's job to make routine traffic stops.

However, it is ridiculous to try to portray the truth as "Cops don't have to make quotas or meet numbers, and for proof, I know one that only wrote one ticket in 6 months and nothing bad happened to them!" when the truth is that writing tickets is not his job and not performance he is judged on.

[MD2595]

Originally Posted by andyz

The OP said she had both plates, but the was written up because it wasn't visible.

Having both plates and having them properly affixed can be two different things.

Like having the plate in the front windshield instead of affixed to the front of the car.

I asked for a pic, and there still isn't one. Being a photography forum, I find this odd.