Twin Falls Sergeant Shares That Ticket ‘Quotas’ Aren’t A Thing; It Costs Them Money

Everyone has heard the theory that law enforcement has a specific amount of tickets they must write in order to fill a "quota", and that is why more people supposedly get pulled over at the end of the month. After speaking with Twin Falls Sergeant, not only is that completely untrue, writing tickets actually costs the department money.

Sergeant Ken Mencl with the Twin Falls Sheriff's Office explained exactly what happens with the money that is "generated" through ticket writing. He also explained that it actually costs the department money and they do not see any revenue from the ticket itself.

There is actually a website where you can see exactly where the money goes from a ticket. For instance, say you get written a speeding ticket for 1-15 miles over the limit, that is a $90 dollar fine. Court costs are $16.50, County Justice Fund Fee is $5, Peace Officer Training Fee is $15, ISTARS technology fund fee is $10, Fixed Penalty is $33.50 and an emergency surcharge fee is $10. Not a single dollar goes back toward the sheriff's office.

I also asked how much it actually costs the department to write a ticket. After estimations of gas, deputy salaries, paper, paperwork with the court system, the deputy having to go to court and paying for that time; the estimated cost for the department per ticket is about $200 dollars.

Mencl also stated he actually has deputies that do not write tickets at all because of the amount of work it takes to go to court and the cost behind it. Therefore, he proves that the Twin Falls Sheriff's Office does not actually have a quota. In fact, writing a ticket is actually less cost-efficient for the department. He also stated the only reason they write tickets is to try to prevent the behavior associated with it.

Give your local law enforcement a break every once in a while. They don't want to write you a ticket any more than you want to get one. Their jobs are difficult, stressful, and deadly.

For more breakdown information about the cost of tickets and where that money goes click here.