Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog
A veteran Fort Lauderdale patrolman says he was penalized for not issuing enough tickets and marking enough arrests.
Fort Lauderdale police are investigating claims that its own officers are being pressured by supervisors to hand out tickets and make ”unnecessary” arrests as part of a department-wide quota system to boost arrest numbers.
”It’s all about numbers for them,” he said. “An arrest is an arrest. They don’t care if it’s an arrest for murder or for someone drinking a Natural Ice on a bench.’ ‘Sgt. Frank Sousa, a department spokesman, vehemently denies any type of quota system, saying instead there is a department-wide “performance standard.” ”A performance standard is an expectation, where a quota is a mandate,” he said. “You need a standard to measure your employees and evaluate what they’re doing.”
