Chicago DUI attorney comments on the City indicating not enough tickets are being written

This Chicago DUI attorney has posted here and here about the decrease in crime.  Still she is deeply troubled by the latest news that the police aren’t issuing enough tickets according to the city.

August 17, Chicago, Il:

The Aug. 10 memo, which doesn't explicitly ask police to boost tickets, tells district commanders and other supervisors that police ticket-writing dropped nearly 25 percent in July compared to the same month in 2009. It lists the five districts with the least and most tickets.

 A top police official, speaking anonymously, said the department doesn't instruct officers to write additional tickets based on city budget concerns. District lieutenants and sergeants said they don't know of any directives to write more tickets.

The memo said the department issued about 850,000 tickets in July 2009 and only about 642,000 this July.

The Revenue Department warning about lagging ticket-writing comes at a time when the city is scrounging for every available dollar to erase a record $654.7 million budget shortfall. Earlier this month, Fitch Ratings downgraded Chicago's bond rating, citing the worst shortfall in the city's history and Mayor Daley's "accelerated use of reserves to balance operations." Daley said he expected the move.

 Why is this disturbing?  It suggests that car owners need to pick up more of the burden of the City’ budget, not through the already notorious permit parking or even City Stickers but through payment of parking and traffic tickets issued to them.  Unfortunately, this suggests that tickets are being issued out of economic need, not actual violations.