The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper has printed an article stating that Roswell police on the night shift have been ordered to make a minimum number of GA DUI arrests or face transfer. The paper obtained a memo showing that officers were to meet a goal of 25 arrests for driving under the influence in Georgia each year. Failure to do so would mean reassignment from the overnight shift. The memo also noted that one officer was transferred less than two weeks after failing to meet the quota.
DUI patrol officers receive overtime pay and realize advancement in the department sooner, meaning there is financial incentive and personal motivation to be a part of the shift rotation.
The Roswell Police Department said the Georgia DUI goal was one of several benchmarks used to evaluate officer productivity. The quota however raises the question of falsifying information to justify an arrest. DUI arrests can be initiated based solely on an officer’s assumption of impairment, and not evidence from a breath or blood test.
Arrests for GA DUI in the northern Fulton County/Atlanta area have risen sharply during 2010.
Have you been charged with a Georgia DUI?
