By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A former motorcycle officer with the Riverside Police Department was awarded $2.8 million by a jury after he filed a lawsuit alleging his supervisors retaliated against him for speaking out against what he said were ticket quotas, the Mercury News reports.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, states Shawn Casteel reported that his supervisors prevented him from being promoted, leading to loss of overtime work, pay and negative evaluations.
Under the provisions of Section 41600 of the California State Vehicle Code, it is prohibited for law enforcement agencies to mandate officers to reach a specific number of arrests or issue a set number of traffic or parking citations. Furthermore, it is not permissible for agencies to evaluate one officer’s performance by comparing their arrest or citation numbers to those of another officer.
In its formal reply to the lawsuit, the city argued that Casteel did not adhere to internal complaint and grievance processes.
“I respect the jury’s decision, but I’m disappointed,” Police Chief Larry Gonzalez told the Mercury News. “I really stand by what I testified to in court: This department does not engage in quotas or retaliation and everything we do is lawful and appropriate.”
During the two-week trial, jurors heard testimonies from officers who supported Casteel. One officer said in a sworn statement that during a roll call, a police captain “told the motor squad that he expects us to write more than 10 tickets per shift,” the Mercury News reported.
Another officer stated that Casteel was assigned to events at schools and churches, which led to Casteel writing fewer tickets.