"Over the past decade and continuing to the present, the NYPD [New York Police Department] has pursued an unofficial policy of directing, instructing, compelling and mandating its employees to perform a mandatory number of arrests, issue a mandatory number of summons or write a mandatory number of tickets," the lawsuit stated.
The officers were told to each carry out at least one arrest and issue 20 tickets a month, according to the lawsuit.
The officers alleged those who failed to meet the quota set by the NYPD were punished, while those who met the quota were rewarded, according to the lawsuit.
Moreover, the officers also alleged they were forced to fulfill their quotas in minority communities, ultimately unfairly targeting African American and Latino residents of New York.
When the officers, who are all African American or Latino, refused to fulfill the quotas, they were punished, according to court documents.
A NYPD spokesman, however, said the use of quotas by the police department has always been prohibited.
Bratton joins a growing number of defendants which include New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Chief of Department James O'Neill and Commanding Officer of Patrol Services Carlos Gomez.
