“In February, you solely wrote seven citations whereas patrolling for ninety hours. That you must write extra citations when you’re out patrolling,” Lieutenant Daniel Chavez despatched to Officer Fetty in a March twenty fourth e-mail.
A month later, the identical lieutenant despatched the next e-mail:
In March you labored 13 days in district and wrote 4 citations. In comparison with different officers that is very low and you should challenge extra site visitors citations. There are a number of problematic areas in Albuquerque you may patrol to implement site visitors violations. Contemplate this e-mail correspondence as a verbal counseling. In case your exercise doesn’t decide up, you’ll obtain counseling by progressive self-discipline.
“It doesn’t matter what else I’ve executed, it doesn’t matter how many individuals I’ve spoken too, none of that comes into play,” Officer Fetty mentioned. “All they care about is citations.”
The New Mexico Legal Protection Attorneys Affiliation (NMCDLA) mentioned they imagine if an officer appears like their discretion is in jeopardy, this might legally be a difficulty for State Police.
“New Mexico does have a statute it’s 66-8-137 that truly offers an individualized protection to people who’re cited if they’ll present that the officer or the decide or anybody else concerned within the course of had their compensation tied indirectly to the inducement to challenge the quotation, or make the arrest, and that’s beneath the motorcar code,” mentioned Carter Harrison, a board member on the New Mexico Legal Protection Attorneys Affiliation (NMCDLA).
However Chief Thornton mentioned this doesn’t qualify.
“My officers don’t have an unwritten quota, what they’ve are work expectations which can be meant to maintain our communities secure,” he mentioned partly in an announcement to KOB 4. “We owe it to the residents we serve to work arduous on daily basis, and a part of that’s uniformed officers making site visitors stops, issuing citations when wanted, and arresting criminals and getting them off the road.”
KOB 4 has introduced the difficulty of quotas to the NMCDLA and State Police earlier than. A public information request from KOB 4 in 2010 confirmed New Mexico State Cops got a patrol plan that mandated 100 citations and three DWI arrests per thirty days for officers in a minimum of two districts.
Then-NMSP Chief Faron Segotta denied that the requirement was a quota. He known as them “minimal efficiency requirements” and mentioned many authorities jobs require workers to be held to sure requirements.
Officer Fetty mentioned greater than a decade later, they’re nonetheless having the identical dialog.
“They’ll reword it the way in which they need to, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a quota. You’re nonetheless counting,” Officer Fetty mentioned.
Officer Fetty instructed KOB 4 he was placed on administrative depart late final month, and that he nonetheless hasn’t been given a proper motive why.
