Many of those who closely follow the work of the Enforcement Division tend to evaluate its effectiveness based on metrics such as the number of enforcement actions the Commission brings each year and the total amount of penalties and disgorgement ordered by the Commission or federal district courts. These quantitative metrics are of some value in assessing the work of the Division; they certainly provide a rough measure of our overall activity level. But statistics such as these do not provide a full and meaningful picture of the quality, nature, and effectiveness of our efforts. Indeed, in my view, when numbers are the primary lens through which our work is viewed, that perspective can be counterproductive.
via SEC.gov | Remedies and Relief in SEC Enforcement Actions.
