HONOLULU — Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard has apologized after a memo that asked officers to fulfill weekly ticket quotas was made public by a local television station.
HONOLULU — Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard has apologized after a memo that asked officers to fulfill weekly ticket quotas was made public by a local television station.
KHON-TV reported last Friday that the memo set for officers a weekly minimum of five moving citations, five parking citations and two DUI stops.
The police officers union, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, known as SHOPO, said the policy is not allowed under the current contract.
“When the union found out it was being implemented, we immediately sent a letter to the chief and she responded saying basically it was not supposed to be starting,” said Malcolm Lutu, who heads the union.
Ballard apologized in an internal video to officers.
“First off, I want to apologize to the officers and I want to apologize to SHOPO as well,” Ballard said. “That information was sent out without my approval or any authorization from me to do that.”
The memo also asked sergeants and lieutenants to submit reports to the police chief explaining what they would do to “train and assist low performing officers.”
The union said it was willing to discuss whether similar quotas should become a part of the next contract.
