Wyoming Highway Patrol avoids appearance of evil in issuing citations

The Wyoming Highway Patrol will no longer measure a trooper’s job performance during job evaluations by the number of traffic stops made and citations issued.

Patrol Administrator Col. John Butler said the standards had been included by the patrol as a component of the State of Wyoming’s performance appraisal system.

“We understand that our policy of setting forth the expected numbers of traffic stops and citations during a certain period of time is perceived by some as constituting a quota system,” Butler said. “Although we in the patrol have never considered it as such, we acknowledge that the perception exists and that’s why we are taking steps to address the issue.”

Butler said that troopers are directed to initiate a traffic stop when they witness a violation, they do have discretion whether that stop will result in a citation or a warning.

The exception will be seat-belt violations. Butler said troopers would be expected to issue a citation for that particular offense.