CINCINNATI — Some Ohio lawmakers want to ban law enforcement agencies from utilizing quota systems for citations and arrests. They're now considering a bill that would do just that.
“Sometimes it feels like there's a lot more cops out at the end of the month,” said Chris Fenton-Wells, who once got a traffic ticket out of state.
The sentiment is a common one, but experts say it’s not a reality.
“I think it's been completely phased out,” said Cincinnati FOP president Ken Kober.
Kober said when quota systems are in place, they tend to be more common in smaller departments that “focus on traffic enforcement as a means for revenue” in their small city.
“In my experience, it's never been an issue with the big cities,” Kober said.
Kober said Cincinnati police used a “goal” system 15 to 20 years ago, but it wasn’t used to specifically measure how many tickets an officer wrote. That system is no longer in use, he said.
Cincinnati police do not currently use quotas for citations or arrests. Neither does the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
"To me, this is kind of more of a ceremonious thing," Kober said.
Still, supporters of the bill —including Kober — believe it would improve public perception of policing.
“It'll probably help with community relations,” he said.
The bill would also establish an anonymous reporting tool for officers to report their departments for using quotas.
Lawmakers who proposed the bill say similar laws have been enacted in 25 other states.
Though quotas aren’t the cause, traffic stops were up in Cincinnati last year. City data documents 16,688 traffic stops in 2023, a 32% increase from 2022 and a 78% increase compared to 2021.
“During COVID, when the country shut down, policing kind of shut down as well,” Kober said. “(The) Cincinnati traffic unit has made it more of a priority to do traffic blitzes to focus on hotspot areas.”
The bill is in committee. You can track its progress here.
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