Kennewick police denounce ‘quota’ video
Apr 9, 2015, 8:33 AM | Updated: 12:08 pm
Kennewick police says it has launched an internal investigation after one of its officers was recorded on video in a heated exchange with three people during a traffic stop in late March.
Kennewick police says it has launched an internal investigation after one of its officers was recorded on video in a heated exchange with three people during a traffic stop in late March.
The Tri-City Herald reports Officer Glenn Ball is heard saying on the video that there are expectations of so many arrests or tickets a month.
“We don’t have a quota. We have expectations. What that means is you will make so many arrests a month. You should write so many tickets a month and you should call so many dumb—- to jail a month.”
Ball then asked, “So would you like to be a part of my quota tonight?”
“On what grounds?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ball said. “I’ll think of something. How about aiding and abetting reckless driving?”
Later Ball told 20-year-old Omar Abarca, “Now, let me tell you the difference between being a dumb— and a smart guy is. You sit there with a —-eating grin on your face. Let’s see your ID. I wasn’t even going to ask you.”
“It’s cool. It’s fair enough. I have a clean record,” Abarca said.
“Yeah, but you know what,” Ball said. “I’m the guy who can make that record look dirty. So be smart.”
Kennewick Sgt. Ken Lattin said officers are not expected to make a certain number of arrests or issue a certain number of tickets a month.
He said the way that Ball, a 21-year veteran, spoke to the group is not the way officers should treat citizens.
“There’s no way to polish this,” Lattin told the Herald. “It looks bad and we just have to take responsibility for it.”
The nighttime video was taken by Abarca’s younger brother, who along with a cousin was stopped March 31.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
