A March memo from the acting post commander to state police at a Birmingham post threatened troopers with punishment if they did not make at least three Alabama DUI arrests before the end of the month. The number of tickets issued for suspicion of driving under the influence in the Birmingham area doubled.
Troopers defend the memo, which threatened shift assignments and opportunity for over-time pay if the apparent quotas for drunk driving citations were not met. They say it was simply a poorly worded email to motivate troopers to target impaired drivers on Alabama roads. The memo was issued to corporals in Jefferson, Blount, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties, and some forwarded the memo to troopers at the post.
Alabama DUI defense attorneys cite this as another example of a positive cause impacting innocent drivers. With perceived quotas, troopers will be inclined to create evidence or arrest details to justify the traffic stop.
The author of the memo retired in May and was not available for comment.
Do you need help with your Alabama DUI?
