AURORA, Ill. – In an effort to improve public safety, legislation supported by state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, to prohibit law enforcement agencies from being forced to meet quotas of traffic citations was signed into law on Sunday.
“The primary responsibility of our law enforcement officers is to protect and serve,” Kifowit said. “Pressuring our officers to write citations takes them away from their true responsibility, and can distract from their ability to look out for possible risks.”
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Kifowit voted in favor of Senate Bill 3411, which prevents local law enforcement departments from using ticket quotas or using the number of tickets an officer writes in a performance evaluation. The measure also protects local departments from losing state or federal grant money as a result of eliminating quotas. The legislation does give management the ability to ensure that law enforcement officers have a minimum number of contacts.
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“Eliminating ticket quotas will also improve trust in our local police departments by assuring residents that officers are there to protect and serve, not to use them as a source of revenue,” Kifowit said. “This will help create a better dialogue between law enforcement and the communities they serve, which ultimately means increased safety.”
For more information, please contact Rep. Kifowit’s constituent service office at 630-585-1308, email Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net, or visit www.ILDistrict84.com.
