Q. So here it is, the end of the month, and I’m wondering if it is just a coincidence that I’m seeing more police presence on the roads, or is there something to the idea that there are minimum ticket quotas required by police departments?

– D. Hall, Rancho Santa Margarita

A. No, officers aren’t pushing to meet their monthly number.

The two police agencies you are most likely to see about say they absolutely do not have any such standard.

“The California Highway Patrol does not have a quota,” Fran Clader, the CHP’s director of communications, told Honk in an email.

“Ticket quotas are against the law – California Vehicle Code section 41603 prohibits a state or local agency from using ‘the number of arrests or citations as the sole (criterion) for promotion, demotion, dismissal, or the earning of any benefit provided by the agency,’ ” she said.

Good, good – but how does a supervisor ensure officers under his or her watch are doing their job?

“Every employer expects productivity from employees – and the people of California are no different when an employee’s productivity protects the safety of our roadways,” Clader said. “The CHP evaluates its officers’ productivity based on a range of activity during a shift, which might include traffic citations, arrests, verbal warnings, ‘fix-it’ tickets, parking enforcement, crash and criminal investigations and assistance to motorists.”

Honk also gave a jingle to Sgt. Scott Steinle, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which serves Rancho Santa Margarita.

“There’s never been any type of quota system for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and there never will be,” he said. “Our focus is on safety.”

Patrol deputies focus on areas that have had traffic collisions, and on complaints from the locals – perhaps a street is suffering from a lot of speeders.

“We use traffic enforcement as a safety measure only,” the sergeant said.

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Q. I have a handicapped placard for my car. When I park in a lot I pay for the parking, but I am guessing that I don’t have to. What is the rule on that?

– Glenn Clarke, Ladera Ranch

A. Depends.

“Payment for parking is a local parking issue,” Chris Orrock, a spokesman for the Department of Motor Vehicles, told Honk in an email.

“Some cities allow vehicles displaying a disabled-person placard or license plate to park anywhere (in city-owned lots) without paying, while others restrict it. …

“Privately operated parking lots may decide to charge for parking,” Orrock said.

HONKIN’ FACT: When Michigan man Brandon Dalaly unlocks his home’s front door, he does so with an empty left hand. To get into his locked Tesla and start it up, his empty right hand does the trick. He had chips implanted into his hands. “It’s a perfect back up,” he told Fox 2 in Detroit. “You can never forget it, it never breaks, something that won’t fail you.”

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk