It’s a popular myth that cities can balance their budget – or at least pay for police officers – by issuing tons of tickets.
Manteca’s police officers in 2008 issued 10,802 vehicle code citations. Of that, Manteca received $149,962 or $13.80 per citation. It was just more than enough to cover the salary, benefits and payroll costs of one police officer. There were actually more citations issued in 2008 – 10,802. Those tickets, though, brought the city only $104,345 or $9.80 per citation. That isn’t enough to cover the cost of one officer.
Then where does all the money go when you pay the court for a $150 ticket? Most of it goes to the state which helps fund the criminal justice system including courts.
The reason for the wide variation on the average Manteca receives on tickets issued depends upon the violations. Manteca receives a small percentage of the actual tickets but not court surcharges. The more expensive the fine assessed the larger Manteca’s slice.
There was a time in California where speed traps in small towns did indeed pay for the lion’s share of a small police agency’s budget. Changes in state law over the past decades have changed that to assure that tickets are not issued for the purpose of generating revenue.
The numbers reflect Police Chief Dave Bricker’s assertion that police officers issue tickets first and foremost to promote public safety and to educate drivers. The education, in this case, is the fairly heavy fine and court charges the state levies plus potential impacts on your driver’s record which in turn can impact insurance premiums.
Local ordinance tickets – such as Toter and code violations and parking tickets – generated $100,099 in 2008 and $69,146 in 2007.
Altogether Manteca receives $292,224 from fines and forfeitures in 2008 and $189,764 in 2007.
The current budget projects such revenue to reach $293,000 this fiscal year.
The average cost to pay the salary, benefits, and payroll related costs of a police officer is $120,000 a year. That means all fines generated by Manteca police officers would only cover the cost of just under 2.5 officers.
And when you consider the bulk of the tickets were written by Manteca’s five officer traffic unit – that has now been reduced down to two officers due to budget constraints – tickets barely generate enough to cover half the cost of on-the-street traffic enforcement. It still costs the city money to process tickets at police headquarters.
Manteca’s police officers in 2008 issued 10,802 vehicle code citations. Of that, Manteca received $149,962 or $13.80 per citation. It was just more than enough to cover the salary, benefits and payroll costs of one police officer. There were actually more citations issued in 2008 – 10,802. Those tickets, though, brought the city only $104,345 or $9.80 per citation. That isn’t enough to cover the cost of one officer.
Then where does all the money go when you pay the court for a $150 ticket? Most of it goes to the state which helps fund the criminal justice system including courts.
The reason for the wide variation on the average Manteca receives on tickets issued depends upon the violations. Manteca receives a small percentage of the actual tickets but not court surcharges. The more expensive the fine assessed the larger Manteca’s slice.
There was a time in California where speed traps in small towns did indeed pay for the lion’s share of a small police agency’s budget. Changes in state law over the past decades have changed that to assure that tickets are not issued for the purpose of generating revenue.
The numbers reflect Police Chief Dave Bricker’s assertion that police officers issue tickets first and foremost to promote public safety and to educate drivers. The education, in this case, is the fairly heavy fine and court charges the state levies plus potential impacts on your driver’s record which in turn can impact insurance premiums.
Local ordinance tickets – such as Toter and code violations and parking tickets – generated $100,099 in 2008 and $69,146 in 2007.
Altogether Manteca receives $292,224 from fines and forfeitures in 2008 and $189,764 in 2007.
The current budget projects such revenue to reach $293,000 this fiscal year.
The average cost to pay the salary, benefits, and payroll related costs of a police officer is $120,000 a year. That means all fines generated by Manteca police officers would only cover the cost of just under 2.5 officers.
And when you consider the bulk of the tickets were written by Manteca’s five officer traffic unit – that has now been reduced down to two officers due to budget constraints – tickets barely generate enough to cover half the cost of on-the-street traffic enforcement. It still costs the city money to process tickets at police headquarters.
