Row over NZ Police memo on issuing traffic tickets

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 

According to a leaked memorandum, sent to New Zealand Police officers in the Levin district last year, they will be penalised if they do not perform well in the issuing tickets.

The penalties for not reaching the target will be:

• Pay deductions, 20% loss of pay
• Loss of additional training courses or specialised duties
• 'Named and shamed'
• Demotion

The requirement for issuing tickets is one per hour and the requirement for catching a drunk driver is one per ten hours.

Simon Power, Law and Order spokesman for the New Zealand National Party, said "It is very disturbing that police officers are being put under internal and financial pressure to write traffic tickets. And just yesterday Annette King told me in answer to a written question that police do not receive incentives, financial or otherwise, if they issue a particular number of tickets."

Two weeks ago a different memo was leaked which showed the police officers have quotas, which the Police Minister, Annette King, dismissed.

However if police officers are performing well the Area or District Commanders will be informed which could lead to extra benefits.

The Police Central District Commander, Superintendent Mark Lammas, said that there was nothing wrong with the memo as it is reasonable for officers to be told they may not receive a pay increase if they consistently fail to enforce.

Sources

• Simon Power. "Police threatened with pay penalties over traffic tickets" — New Zealand National Party, 19 July 2006
• K E Burbery, Senior Sergeant. "Memorandum: Re: Traffic Performance Levin Station (alleged/unverified copy of)" — Levin Police Central District, January 21, 2005
• "Police defend second ticket memo" — TVNZ, Jul 19, 2006