No Ticket Quotas, Eh?

After reporting on a questionable shopping-bag-on-seat infraction, the Post notes that the City plans to boost its general fund by hiring more revenue-producing traffic agents:

So there are no ticket quotas, huh?

The NYPD disclosed plans yesterday to hire 117 new traffic agents who are supposed to bring in $17.4 million for the city’s $55.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2007, which starts July 1.

Cops are also going to step up towing activity to generate another $3.7 million.

“This is not good news for New Yorkers, in light of recent revelations about so-called ‘performance measures,'” said City Councilman John Liu, who chairs the Transportation Committee. “This is not going to sit well with New Yorkers. We are looking at this issue very carefully.”

The NYPD defended the plan.

“That’s hardly a blitz,” said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne, “considering the fact that the number of tickets issued in the city declined to 9.2 million in [fiscal year] 2005, compared to 9.7 million the year before.”

There are now 2,600 traffic agents. The added troops are expected to write an additional 412,000 tickets.