An email exclusively obtained by FOX 17 shows Metro police leaders are forcing officers to make a certain numbers of petty arrests and traffic stops. The Metro department denies this is a quota, saying they are just “performance goals.” An officer forwarded us this email. It’s from a lieutenant at the Central precinct. It tells officers to step-up arrests and traffic stops. Police officers are here to protect and serve but some Metro officers say a department directive is building distrust in the community. “I live in the area where all this nonsense occurs,” said Downtown Resident Bobby Mosely. “I see it constantly.”
In the email sent to Central Precinct officers, a lieutenant tells them to increase people stops, including traffic stops and stopping suspicious people. It asks officers to increase physical arrests and to take a zero tolerance approach, even making arrests for quality of life offenses, like being drunk in public. Patrol officers are told to make 2 arrests and 11 traffic stops a week. Flex officers, often in high crime areas, are asked to make 3 arrests and 20 traffic stops a week. (continue reading at Fox17)