Patton Holds Press Conference to Announce Bill Eliminating Arrest Quotas

COLUMBUS—State Senator Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) held a press conference this morning announcing he is sponsoring Senate Bill 114 that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from requiring officers to meet ticket and arrest quotas. Senator Patton's bill has garnered strong bipartisan support.

"Law enforcement officers already have the difficult task of keeping us all safe, and should not be saddled with the additional and unreasonable burden of generating revenue for the bureaucracies they serve," said Senator Patton. "Quotas make officers' jobs even harder by undermining public trust in law enforcement. Filling quotas also encourage unnecessary encounters between the public and officers, further hindering our primary goal of maintaining public safety."

The legislation defines a quota as "a mandate of a certain number of arrests made, or citations issued, for any offense that a local or state police officer must meet in a specified time period." 

Senate Bill 114 also prevents law enforcement agencies from using quotas to evaluate, promote, compensate, transfer, or discipline a local or state police officer. The bill also prohibits agencies from offering a financial reward or other benefits to officers for meeting quotas.

Joining Senator Patton at the press conference to support SB 114 were Representative Kevin Miller (R-Newark), Representative Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake), and members of the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.