NCJ Number
208675
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2005 Pages: 60-64
Date Published
January 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the results of a survey of 36 law enforcement agencies regarding their views on ticket-fixing policies.
Abstract
Sixty-one percent of the responding agencies reported that they have "no fix" policies that govern the issuance of traffic tickets. One police chief reported that all traffic stops are documented and logged. Every ticket is processed through the proper channels, which means that any citizen who wishes to challenge the validity of a ticket must do so through legal proceedings. Officers are generally given the discretion to either write a ticket or issue a warning when a stop is made for a traffic violation; however, once a citation is written, it must pass through standard processing procedures. Any adjustments must be done by the county attorney, not police officials. The enforcement of a "no-fix" policy by law enforcement agencies requires that the processing of tickets be audited regularly to ascertain the number of tickets lost or voided. Although 25 percent of the survey respondents reported that their States have rigorously enforced "no-fix" laws aimed as discouraging corruption and favoritism, only 12 percent cited outside authorities or review boards as monitors of ticket-issuance trails. Accurate records on ticket-writing and processing that are regularly audited by an independent agency can help ensure that tickets are not being diverted or terminated prior to disposition by court authorities.