| Author |
Message |
|
Pakrat
|
Post subject: Cop issues fake tickets  Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:37 am |
|
| Forum Moderator/<br>AV Geek |
 |
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:56 am
Posts: 2422
Location: Hopkins, MN
|
TELL ME THERE ARE NO QUOTA'S, G'AHEAD, TELL ME! Oh wait, they admit it??!
Quote: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S384504.shtml?cat=1Hastings cop charged for fake tickets  A former Hastings police officer was charged with misconduct Wednesday, after she allegedly filed false reports and issued warning tickets to people who didn’t exist. Sgt. Valerie Scharfe allegedly filed 37 false tickets between January 2006 and December 2008, so she wouldn’t be in violation of the department’s policy, according to officials. The Hastings Police Department requires officers to make at least two traffic stops per 11-hour shift.Thirteen of the false tickets were issued to people who do not exist, according to the criminal complaint. Of the remaining 24 tickets, 22 were issued to people who are in the Department of Motor Vehicles’ records. Investigators contacted the people who were ticketed and all of them denied even driving in Hastings on the dates Scharfe recorded. "She made some poor choices and it discredits the 14 years of good service she has done," said Hastings Police Chief Mike McMenomy. Scharfe’s charge is a gross misdemeanor. She faces a year in jail and possibly a $3,000 fine. "For her to disregard expectations is a discredit to the people and the department," McMenomy told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. Scharfe resigned on January 16, after learning a complaint was filed about her and that the department would be conducting an internal investigation. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS visited Scharfe's residence on Wednesday, but she was unavailable for comment. Scharfe was a 15-year veteran of the Hastings Police force. Can anyone tell me any laws or case law, that makes quotas illegal or improper? I would like to know if there can be a counter-suit or a defense to the charges.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
mrokern
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:56 am |
|
| Longtime Regular |
 |
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:40 pm
Posts: 2264
Location: Eden Prairie
|
|
Woohoo, caught red-handed! And I'm not referring to the former officer.
-Mark
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DeanC
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:24 am |
|
| Longtime Regular |
 |
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 5270
Location: Minneapolis
|
|
I'm not surprised by the quotas. I am surprised that in an 11 hour shift she was repeatedly unable to find a reason to write two traffic tickets.
I must see 10 violations in every 20 minutes of daily driving.
_________________
I am defending myself... in favor of that!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ttousi
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:28 am |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:20 am
Posts: 3311
Location: St. Paul, MN.
|
Quote: The Hastings Police Department requires officers to make at least two traffic stops per 11-hour shift.
Stops not tickets.............
_________________
http://is.gd/37LKr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dick Unger
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:05 am |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 2:54 am
Posts: 2444
Location: West Central MN
|
DeanC wrote: I'm not surprised by the quotas. I am surprised that in an 11 hour shift she was repeatedly unable to find a reason to write two traffic tickets.
I must see 10 violations in every 20 minutes of daily driving. Wow! I never see this stuff. Except for a few miles over the limit, or failing to signal when there is nobody to signal to, or basic discourtesy, I seldom see anything that justifies a stop. But if I was a cop I could find a tecnnical reason to stop almost anyone.
The "bad driving' I see is when conditions are bad, slippery roads or bad visibility. People don't slow down and then they start having accidents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lenny7
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:31 am |
|
| Longtime Regular |
 |
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:09 am
Posts: 1060
Location: Savage, MN
|
Dick Unger wrote: Wow! I never see this stuff. Except for a few miles over the limit, or failing to signal when there is nobody to signal to, or basic discourtesy, I seldom see anything that justifies a stop. But if I was a cop I could find a tecnnical reason to stop almost anyone. In our citizen's police academy last month we rode with a cop to run the radar and do a traffic stop. We went to his favorite place to <s>set up a speed trap</s> monitor traffic with the intent of promoting safe driving habits. It was after dark, we parked maybe 20 yard off highway and watched as traffic transitioned from a 55mph zone to 45mph. I'd say 90% of the cars we checked were over by at least 5mph and 10mph+ was very common.
What really got me though, was how well this cop could estimate speed. He'd see a car approach and tell us how fast he thought it was going and he was within 2mph EVERY time. I was impressed.
To this cop's credit, he said his threshold for a stop is 10mph over or more. He also said that if he pulls someone over going 15mph+ over, he always gives a ticket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DeanC
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:00 am |
|
| Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 5270
Location: Minneapolis
|
Dick Unger wrote: Wow! I never see this stuff. That's because you don't drive down 394 into downtown twice a day 5 days a week during the rushes.
I am exaggerating the amount I see of course, but she can't come up with 2 stops in 11 hours?
_________________
I am defending myself... in favor of that!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KonaSeven
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:17 am |
|
| Longtime Regular |
 |
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:17 pm
Posts: 908
Location: Meeker Co., MN
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tepin
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:57 am |
|
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:00 pm
Posts: 1064
Location: Minneapolis, MN
|
Sgt. Valerie Scharfe wrote: MY BAD!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dick Unger
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:13 am |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 2:54 am
Posts: 2444
Location: West Central MN
|
DeanC wrote: Dick Unger wrote: Wow! I never see this stuff. That's because you don't drive down 394 into downtown twice a day 5 days a week during the rushes. I am exaggerating the amount I see of course, but she can't come up with 2 stops in 11 hours? In Hastings? Probably not. It's this sort of stopping people for immaterial "violations" that create "cop bashers".
She shouldn 't have made it up, of course. I suppose it's hard to tell the cops that are conciensious from those who are just lazy.
I know they catch druggies and wanted folks on these stops, but I think they could actually walk a beat to catch druggies, and LOOK for wanted folks. Instead they send officers out to hassel motorists and hope they get lucky.
Theo officers have a Hobson's choice, either stop people who should not be stopped or complain publicly about the Chief's policy. The solution is to change the policy, and the officer needs a different career, as well.
And, Hastings probably needs a new Chief.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sipowicz
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:41 am |
|
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:04 am
Posts: 337
Location: FarmLakeMount
|
|
RE: quotas - departments cannot have quotas for tickets. I don't know the statute off the top of my head, but it was reviewed in Skills.
Obviously, Hastings found a loophole in the law which allowed them to make a policy of writing two tickets in each 11 hour shift. You can call it what you want, but apparently according to the text of the statute the 2 ticket per shift requirement isn't a quota. Bottom line is it doesn't matter what you call it, what matters is the legal definition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
plblark
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:01 pm |
|
| Longtime Regular |
 |
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:41 am
Posts: 4468
|
Quote: at least two traffic stops per 11-hour shift There's a big difference between legal and right.
_________________
Certified Carry Permit Instructor (MNTactics.com and ShootingSafely.com)
Click here for current Carry Classes
"There is no safety for honest men, except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edwin Burke
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pakrat
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:25 pm |
|
| Forum Moderator/<br>AV Geek |
|
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:56 am
Posts: 2422
Location: Hopkins, MN
|
I found the statute I wanted:
Quote: 169.985 TRAFFIC CITATION QUOTA PROHIBITED.
A law enforcement agency may not order, mandate, require, or suggest to a peace officer a quota for the issuance of traffic citations on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. I would think that being told how many traffic stops to make per day definately SUGGESTS that tickets should be issued. These cops aren't pulling people over for their health, they are doing it because people are "breaking the law". If the cop doesn't issue a ticket in, what like half of the stops, the chief would get on them for letting too many people go free.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fubar
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:35 pm |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:12 pm
Posts: 289
|
|
As it's been noted, there's a difference between a quota of traffic stops and a quota of traffic citations. I have to admit, I was a bit amused by the folks who excitedly jumped up and down like something profound had been admitted.
I'm aware of a few departments in the metro area that have "traffic initiatives" with expected measurable performance standards. Officer's activity is either measured by the number of traffic stops recorded by computer, or by the collective number of written warnings or citations issued.
The motivation for these mandates are usually explained by the higher-ups to reduce fatal crashes, fender benders, and the speed of the motoring public. If the cities actually received more than a slice of the fines they issue, I'd probably be a bit suspicious.
I've met a number of officers who haven't been able to hide their distain for these initiatives, mostly because they either hate doing traffic or because they don't like quantifiable expectations placed on them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dick Unger
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:25 pm |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 2:54 am
Posts: 2444
Location: West Central MN
|
|
Almost a departments apply for "Safe and Sober" grants which is money for extra time and a half pay for cops to work "extra" to do pre-text stops to hook DUI's.
Before the department can get next year's money they have to do a "Grant Report" stating how many stops were made and tickets issued during the designated hours the cops worked.
It takes the discretion out of the hands of the officer, and makes them liars about the true reason for the stop. It's one of the most dishonest programs I've ever seen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.
All times are UTC - 6 hours
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 145 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
|
