Free Talk Live

Auburn, NY -- Three days before Christmas, Auburn Police Chief Gary Giannotta laid down the law for his command staff. At the closed meeting Dec. 22 in the department basement, Giannotta gave this ultimatum: Tell your patrol officers to write more vehicle and traffic tickets — at least one each per shift — or there will be repercussions for those who don’t.

Giannotta told the dozen or so captains, lieutenants and sergeants at the meeting that City Manager Mark Palesh had told him he expects the department to start making $10,000 a month from vehicle and traffic fines, according to officers who were there. The department averaged about $7,500 monthly last year.