Last week, our founding editor Will Folks wrote a report on the deteriorating situation in the South Carolina Department of Public Security (SCDPS) – which should be entering an era of enhanced leadership after the disastrous inauguration of the former director Leroy Smith.
In his report, Folks noted how the agency’s most visible subsidiary – SC Highway Patrol (SCHP) – continued to struggle amid chronic shortages of soldiers and low morale.
In addition to not hiring enough soldiers – or paying them enough money – SCDPS leaders continue to destroy this agency, unduly applying its scarce resources to secondary priorities, such as speeding citations and seat belt violations.
Included in the last FITSNews report was an internal SCDPS memo from last November that showed agency leaders demanding the submission of weekly reports that documented the number of seat belt quotes and other “contacts” – that is, “tickets and notices “during the previous seven day period.
Or quotas …
“No matter how much you try to rotate, this is a quota,” said the source who provided us with the document. “Especially when we receive emails and phone calls, if you don’t reach the magic numbers.”
Oh, and don’t forget the text messages … including one recently obtained through this medium that made it clear that ticket / notice submissions were expected much more often than “weekly”.
(Click to view)
(Via: Provided)
According to our sources, the text message in the photo above was sent from an SCHP leader to his subordinates during last fall’s inspection blitz. Your sender requested updates “every three hours” regarding the total “contacts, tickets and notices issued” by specific commands.
Micromanage a lot?
As this news outlet has frequently noted, the SC Code of Laws § 23-1-245 expressly prohibits the use of quotas by leaders in public security agencies.
“An agency, department or law enforcement division cannot require a police officer employed by the agency, department or division to issue a specific amount or achieve a quota for the number of citations he issues during a designated period of time,” the law states.
A year ago, acting director of SCDPS Robert G. Woods IV issued a memo (.pdf) to its commanders ostensibly stating this ban.
“All personnel are prohibited from establishing a defined number of enforcement contacts – warnings, fines and arrests – as objectives to recognize or reward employee performance,” wrote Woods.
Why is the agency still using quotas, then? Good question …
SCDPS declined to respond to our repeated requests for comment – although, as noted earlier, we will continue to offer our microphone to their leaders if they wish to address this issue (or any other matter related to public security).
FITSNews has an open mic policy … part of its continued commitment to advancing the market for ideas in the state of Palmetto. This microphone is open to SCDPS, as well as to agency critics.
Woods, incidentally, must appear (.pdf) at a meeting of the SC Senate Judiciary Subcommittee next Wednesday (February 24) at 11 am EDT, while seeking confirmation from the Senate as governor Henry McMasteris a full-time director. It will be interesting to see if any of the legislators on the five-person panel question him about the quota issue.
(Click to view)
(Via: SCDPS)
Law enforcement officials said they feel increasing pressure to issue more speeding tickets and seat belt violations to drivers in Palmetto State as part of an ongoing enforcement blitz aimed at addressing the unexpected increase in road deaths in 2020.
Last year should have seen a decline in traffic deaths as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent social closures – resulting in sharp declines in the miles of vehicles driven on Palmetto state roads.
But that didn’t happen …
Despite a decline of more than ten percent in vehicle miles driven last year, traffic fatalities have unexpectedly increased – eclipsing the 1,000 score for the third time in the last 12 years.
This seems to reinforce the claim that aggressive speeding and seat belt application are no Working.
*****
DON’T MISS A STORY … SIGN TODAY!
*****
The trend of high mortality continued in 2021. As of today (February 21), a total of 110 people died in 100 different fatal accidents in the state of Palmetto since the beginning of the year – which represents just three fewer deaths than occurred at the same time a year ago, according to the latest data from the SCDPS.
In other words, the state is on its way to another year of high fatalities – despite its aggressive “Meta Zero” inspection campaign.
As Folks wrote earlier this month, it was hoped that the recent change in SCDPS leadership “would have been accompanied by a renewed focus on the agency’s core mission – public security. ”The agency’s new leadership was also expected to have announced“ a long-awaited shift in policing priorities – and the appropriation of scarce resources for those priorities ”.
Once again, law enforcement is a central defining function of government – and must be financed and managed in a manner consistent with the essential role it plays in protecting life, freedom and property.
Unfortunately, this is not happening in South Carolina …
(SPONSORED CONTENT)
-FITSNews
*****
WANT TO TURN OFF THE SOUND?
Is there anything you would like to say in response to one of our stories? We have an open mic policy! Send your own letter to the editor (or guest column) by email HERE. Do you have a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Have a technical question or failure to report? CLICK HERE.
Flag: SCDPS