Last week, a state police lieutenant based in the Bethany barracks wrote an e-mail that urges troopers in the barracks to write 180 tickets in 24 hours.
Twenty four hours after the message went out, Gov. Dannel Malloy called for an investigation to ensure that state police aren't taking advantage of drivers to fill a quota.
“Quotas are not appropriate and they are illegal and that's why I've asked the commissioner to report to me no later than Monday on this subject,” Malloy said.
On Monday, he released a memo from Commissioner Reuben Bradford that says the memo "establishes suggested goals for his troop" and that he "can see how this memo might be misinterpreted by some as a quota system," but denied that is what it is.
You can read the full memo here.
"Lt. Schirllo's intention was to encourage the hard working men and women within his command in their efforts to enhance public safety. Lt. Schirillo has acknowledged that his email outlining his unit's objective was not properly phrased, and he regrets any misunderstanding this may have created," Bradford wrote to the governor.
NBC Connecticut obtained the email, which calls on Bethany area troopers to outperform other jurisdictions in the state and suggests that other barracks have also competed for tickets in the past.
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"A quota system does not exist within the Division of State Police or any other division within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection," Bradford wrote. "Our own Troopers, Sergeants and the current administration, in a coordinated effort, developed strategies to reduce fatal and injury causing accidents this spring."
A state police spokesman said the email was taken out of context. While there was a scheduled crackdown, there is not a contest for writing tickets, police said.
The president of the state police union said they don't support a quote and never will.
“Our members will not perform or be involved in illegal activity or something that's unethical -- issuing tickets to people just to find a reason to issue someone a ticket,” Andrew Matthews said.
"The priority of the Division of State Police is unchanged - we are committed to consistently enforcing traffic safety, including speed limits," Bradford wrote.
