PBA Cards Broken Down 1

PBA Cards Broken Down:

How Do They Work, and How Should They?

Taylor Shargay

Intro to Research
Professor Ronda
October 22, 2014

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PBA Cards Broken Down:

How Do They Work, and How Should They?
The Police Benevolence Association issues PBA Cards to active and retired members of
police departments all over the country. There are many types of cards that each carries a
different weight when using them, and they are given to friends and family of officers. The cards
have printed on them: The bearer of this card is a supporter of the PBA and you should try to
extend every courtesy possible. These cards are used to acknowledge that the holder knows or is
related to an active or retired officer, and so the officer pulling them over is encouraged to be
courteous. Researchers have analyzed when and how these cards are used, as well as the publics
opinion on them. Researchers from all over look to answer questions such as the following:
1. How do police decide when to honor them/give them out?
2. How do police/citizens feel about PBA Cards, and the fairness issue they
raise?
This review of the literature on PBA Cards, their uses, and public opinions concentrates on these
two research questions.
How do police decide when
to honor/give out PBA Cards?
Manahan (2012) explains how hard it was to get officers to discuss their use of discretion
to accept PBA cards. He then discussed the variables used in deciding when to regard this card
for minor offenses. Some variables included the location of where the card came from in
comparison to where it is being used, as well as how minor the offense was. Furthermore, Sgt.
Jon Ciccocke (Pba cards!! n.d.) explains that cards are given to direct family members, and/or

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close family friends, in the hopes that some leeway will be given by fellow officers. Adam
Rosenblum (2013) wrote an insightful article titled Do PBA Cards Really Work?. He uses his
legal experience with traffic violations to discuss the circumstances in which police will and will
not consider accepting the cards, therefore letting drivers off with a warning. He explains that as
long as the officer who provided the PBA card is recognized, or from a familiar department, and
the cardholder is polite and humble, then the officer who has pulled the cardholder over will do
his best to respectfully honor the PBA card for minor offenses. He explains that a PBA card is
like gambling, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose; there are no guarantees. He discusses
instances in which officers will honor the card, but then confiscate it to inhibit further use.
Rosenblum accurately and informatively explains the circumstances used in accepting these
cards.
How do police/citizens
feel about PBA Cards?
There are mixed feelings among officers and the public especially on the morality of the
subject. Feelings range from blissfully content, all the way to accusations of corruption and
immorality. The unnamed author of the article PBA cards, an easy way to prove your bribery
dues are paid (2013) clearly has some strong feelings on the subject as recognized by the article
title. This article is a strongly worded argument against the use of PBA Cards, claiming that they
are illegal, corrupt, and bribery. This article claims that family and friends of officers are paying
or using familiar ties to not let the laws apply to them. This author believes laws should be even
more strongly enforced on police officers families than others. On the other hand, Officer
Johnson (2004) explains exactly his feelings on the use of PBA cards in a much more positive
light. He believes they are simply to fairly identify someone as a friend, relative, or supporter of

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Law Enforcement so that the Officer viewing their PBA card can take this into consideration
when applying his own discretion to the situation. Regardless of the presence of a PBA card or
not, police still have the right to use discretion when issuing a ticket or summons to a citizen.
Just because a citizen commits a minor infraction, does not mean the responding officer is
obligated to write a ticket. PBA card or not, the officer has full discretion in the matter. In some
cases, the PBA card means nothing to an officer. Corey Kilgannon (2006) wrote about this
perk for those well acquainted with law enforcement officials. He discussed that to the NYPD
these cards are not viewed as privileges in anyway. They are simply indicators of family and
friends, and they should be treated with the same discretion that an officer would give any other
polite citizen. He discussed that by handling the cards this way, it makes them beneficial to keep
around and in use. Officers would never allow a cardholder to escape a serious offense with it.
Do police/citizens
find them to be fair?
In another article, Julie Ele (2011) explains how she believes these cards are unfair. She
explains that it makes the card-holder feel too secure, and limitless. She believes it falsely
convinces them that they can bend the rules without repercussion. Therefore, these cards are not
simply courtesies from one officer to another, but they are now encouraging people to commit
minor infractions with the intention that they can get out of them. On the other hand, a
contributor to a poll called Ethics poll: PBA cards (2011) explains how she believes the cards
are fair. Her husband has a close friend who is a cop, and he says they are fair because they are
not a guarantee, and many other factors contribute to letting someone get out of a ticket. He also
believes they are fair because they resemble a matter of loyalty from one officer to another. He
explains how he tries to be understanding and lenient with cardholders when he can be, because

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he would want another officer to do the same for his family and friends. In addition, Christopher
Kudlac (2007) talks all about police discretion and how it is a core part of the criminal justice
system. He also discusses how fair this discretion and courtesy actually is, and how much power
and control it should hold. Lastly, a video put up by NYC Resistance (2012) talks about PBA
cards and how they are sold on the black market in NYC. The reporter refers to PBA cards as
police favoritism and asks the question who is actually benefitting from this favoritism and
how? He uncovers a story of how these authentic cards coming from real retired officers are
being collected and then sold for profit. This is one of the reasons people view PBA cards as
unfair, or a way of buying a get out of jail free card. This is one of the contributors to the
negative feelings on PBA cards: those old retired officers giving their cards to sellers so that
others can overpay for a non-guarantee of getting out of a traffic violation.
Evidently, there are various contrasting views on the morality and validity of PBA cards.
There are many different reasons officers use to distribute and accept them, and there is an
overwhelming police support behind these cards. On the other hand, the views of the public seem
to be split. Whether or not the cards are considered fair is subjective and still unresolved. In
conclusion, PBA Cards are supported by most officers who give and accept them, while there is
much more controversy in the "fairness" of them among citizens.

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References
Ele, J. (2011, December 15). The Real Get Out of Jail Free Cards. Retrieved October 24, 2014,
from http://gameofroles.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/the-real-get-of-jail-free-cards/
Ethics poll: PBA cards. (2011, April 1). Retrieved October 24, 2014, from
http://forums.thenest.com/discussion/6706094/ethics-poll-pba-cards
Johnson, A., & Scarth, L. (2004, May 13). Are They Fair? More About PBA Cards. Retrieved
October 24, 2014, from http://www.newsday.com/opinion/letters-1.546834
Kilgannon, C. (2006, January 10). A Perk for Friends of the Police, Now on eBay. Retrieved
October 24, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/nyregion/
11cards.html?_r=0
Kudlac, C. , 2007-11-14 "PBA Cards and Police Discretion: How Far Does Professional
Courtesy Extend?" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AMERICAN SOCIETY
OF CRIMINOLOGY, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia Online <PDF>. 201312-15 fromhttp://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p201023_index.html
Manahan, K. (2012, May 20). PBA cards: Do they work, and should they? Retrieved October 3,
2014, from http://www.nj.com/njvoices/index.ssf/2012/05/pba_cards_do_they
_work_and_sho.html
Nycresistance. (2012, February 15). Massive NYPD Extortion forces citizens to buy black-market

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PBA cards for protection! [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jItFwg_imug.
PBA cards, an easy way to prove your bribery dues are paid. (2013, March 22). Retrieved
October 12, 2014, from http://fuseki.net/home/pba.html

Pba cards!! | Officer.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2014, from

http://forums.officer.com/t164351/
Rosenblum, A. (2013, June 19). Do PBA Cards Really Work? Retrieved October 3, 2014, from
http://www.ticketdefenselaw.com/blog/pba-cards-work/