Charging people doesn't solve the problem, so if an officer can use the situation to teach a lesson (most often to teenagers) then he might take this opportunity instead of issue a ticket or other sanction (personal communications, November 11, 2015). The police may also base their actions on whether or not the community would support the decision as they want to maintain a good working relationship with the public. They are also less likely to let people off if it is nearing the end of the month and the officer has not reached the distribution quota of 20 tickets. Additional factors may be the severity of the crime, the strength of the evidence, the victim's preference, and the relationship between the victim and suspect (Goff, 2011, p. 186). If it's a small problem or there isn't much evidence, officers may not bother to proceed, especially if there are more pressing matters at hand. A