A group of New Jersey police officers filed a lawsuit against their chief and township Monday alleging ticket quotas were instated to help raise revenue.
The six officers filed the suit in Mercer County Superior Court against Police Chief Brian Caloiaro as well as the Lawrence township government, claiming they were ordered to write citations and impound vehicles “every time they are eligible and without discretion” to boost revenue.
“Lawrence Township developed a systematic way to use motor vehicle enforcement to generate revenue,” the suit states. “The system is intricate and places a substantial financial burden on anybody (who) commits a motor vehicle offense in Lawrence Township.”
The lawsuit claims Lawrence Caloiaro and his brothers, Lt. Joseph Caloiaro and Sgt. Scott Caloiaro, began requiring officers to not let any infraction off with a warning, according to NJ.com.
“The advisement campaign is over. No more catch and release, revenue needs to go up,” Lawrence Caloiaro allegedly said in March.
The suit also claimed cars would be impounded “regardless of the criminal or motor vehicle offense” and people were forced to pay $300 to retrieve their car which wouldn’t be refunded regardless if they were found not guilty.
The suit states that an ATM in the impound lot’s lobby was used by drivers to get cash, but would only dispense $200 at a time and charged high fees that went straight back to the township.
“Therefore, upon the issuance of a ticket, regardless of the guilt of a motorist, he/she is already required to pay the township close to $475 between impound fees and towing costs just to get his/her car back,” the officers say in a court filing. “This is prior to a motorist being found guilty of an offense.”
The lawsuit states that if officers did not meet their quotas would be the target of “frivolous allegations and internal affairs complaints” and put on the township’s “hit list.”
One officer even claimed that after he complained about the quota system, he had his assignments taken away and was “targeted for discipline and internal affairs investigations.”
Lt. Joseph Caloiaro was also accused of abusing his power for chasing down, arresting and impounding the car of a driver who flipped him off.
Chief Caloiaro and the township did not respond to NJ.com for comment.
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