DeWine signs bill banning police arrest, citation quotas

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law that prohibits law enforcement agencies from using quotas for arrests and citations.

Senate Bill 114, sponsored by state Sen. Thomas Patton, R-Strongsville, makes it illegal for police agencies to establish or maintain formal or informal plans that use quotas as a basis for evaluating, promoting, compensating, transferring or disciplining officers.

The new law, which takes effect 90 days, defines a quota as a "mandate of a finite number of arrests made or citations issued for any offense that a local or state police officer must meet in a specified time period."

It also prohibits agencies from requiring or suggesting that officers are expected to meet quotas, or from offering financial rewards or other benefits based on quota achievement.

However, the legislation does not prevent agencies from collecting, analyzing, and applying information on arrests and citations to ensure officers comply with legal obligations, or from assessing the proportion of arrests and citations made by officers.

The bill designates the attorney general to establish an online form for officers to report quota violations. Upon receiving a report, the attorney general's office is mandated to investigate the allegations within one year and, if a violation is found, order the agency to cease and desist.

The measure applies to a wide range of law enforcement entities, including county sheriffs, village marshals, municipal and township police departments, township constables, police districts, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.