Police officer fired after revealing ticket quotas
AUBURN, AL — After a department’s change in leadership, policing took a turn for the worse in this small Alabama town. One honorable police officer took issue with the offensive new tactics and documented his supervisor giving controversial orders to generate traffic tickets whether they were justified or not. The cop who blew the whistle was fired.
“When I first heard about the quotas I was appalled,” said former Auburn police officer Justin Hanners, who was ordered to hassle and ticket certain number of citizens per shift. “I got into law enforcement to serve and protect, not be a bully.”
Hanners audio recorded his sergeant making demands that officers create 100 contacts per month, which included tickets, arrests, field interviews, and warnings, reported Reason.
When Stossel asked about the police acronym, P.O.P., Hanners explained, “What they’re saying is that they charged him for Pissing Off the Police.”