Pittsburgh Police Say,
"NO OVERTIME,
NO TICKETS"


Are Pittsburghers driving more safely?

It would appear so, based on the sharp decrease in traffic tickets issued this year by the Pittsburgh Police. In fact, from January through April, the city issued almost 60 percent fewer traffic citations than during the first four months of 1995.

Have Pittsburghers finally decided to use their turn signals? Have they stopped slowing down in tunnels? No, it seems that the great ticket decline is a conscious campaign by Pittsburgh police officers to write fewer tickets. "The Strike," as some insiders call it, is a silent protest against the city's new liaison program -- which prevents Pittsburgh police from earning previously-guaranteed overtime pay.

An Uproar Over Overtime

Before the program was initiated in January, officers had to appear in Traffic Court to testify about the tickets they issued. If an officer was off-duty when the hearing was scheduled, he or she was paid a minimum of three hours' overtime ($87). In 1995, the city's bill for Traffic Court overtime was $340,000.

Under the new system, one liaison officer appears in Traffic Court to read the facts of every case. The officer who wrote the ticket appears in court only if the defendant specifically requests him or her -- and that request is seldom made. The result is that officers are earning less Traffic Court overtime -- and are issuing more traffic warnings than tickets.

The Fraternal Order of Police, which denies that the officers have organized any type of protest, opposes the liaison program. Along with some judges, the FOP claims that the program denies a person the right to face his accuser.

Mayor Tom Murphy and other supporters point out that the liaison program has reduced the amount of overtime pay. However, it may cost Pittsburgh more than it saves. During the first third of 1996, Pittsburgh has lost over $145,000 in projected fees from traffic violations. If the officers' silent protest continues throughout the year, the city could lose more revenue than it paid in overtime last year.

Maybe bad drivers are staying home...

The situation has raised several questions around Traffic Court. Were the tickets issued under the old system really justified, or were they justification for officers' overtime? And, how can officers be forced to write out more traffic tickets, short of being asked to meet a quota?

The mayor's office has promised to review the matter. Until then, you'll get off with just a warning.

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