Internal Memo Shows Cincinatti Police Given Quotas

A memorandum sent out to third-shift Cincinnati police officers included a list of monthly goals that appear to be a quota, News 5's Amy Wagner reported.

The goals include examples such as five curfew arrests, one DUI, 20 traffic violations and 20 parking tickets.

An anonymous source within the department called the goals quotas, but the department flatly denied the claim.

"I don' think you can use the word 'quota' and 'goal' interchangeably," Lt. Kurt Byrd said.

The Fraternal Order of Police disagreed with Byrd's assessment, Wagner reported.

"The Cincinnati Police Department's policy has always been that they do not have quotas," FOP vice president Keith Fangman said. "I have heard reports recently of officers being put on desk duty and walking patrols for not meeting quotas. Obviously, this appears to be a major change in police department policy as it relates to quotas."

Byrd said the list is just a bar that the department sets for officers.

"It's more of a way of grading somebody," he said. "Are you reaching the standard that the citizens of Cincinnati are paying you to meet?"

The anonymous source claimed that if officers don't meet the goals, they are punished, either directly or indirectly -- a claim the department vehemently denies. Byrd said that putting an officer on desk duty isn't punishment, because the pay is the same.

"I question what he means by punished directly or indirectly," Byrd said.

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