Why are COPS such little people?

[Mariner]

Go get em. :biggrin:
How tall are you?

About 6 feet. I guess I look small next to some of my coworkers though.



A few notes on comments in this thread:

In the area I work, there aren't many crooked cops (I don't think I know any). Maybe because we are relatively well paid (I'm on nsxprime, aren't I?).

Just because my cop car doesn't move for a 1/2 hour or hour doesn't mean I'm not working. Some of my best arrests have come from sitting and watching folks go by. Besides, I work 12 hour shifts, and driving for 12 hours straight in a beat would make me dizzy.

Some agencies encourage discretion (mine) others consider citations part of the mission statement (*cough*chp*cough*). I've given verbal warnings for people driving 130 mph, and I've written cites for driving with a headlight out. It usually comes down to wether or not I believe, mostly based on the person's attitude, if a lecture will suffice in correcting a behavior, or if stronger encouragement is needed :wink:

Based on his post, I'd imagine that's what happened to the OP.

 

[liftshard]

Some agencies encourage discretion (mine) others consider citations part of the mission statement (*cough*chp*cough*). I've given verbal warnings for people driving 130 mph, and I've written cites for driving with a headlight out. It usually comes down to wether or not I believe, mostly based on the person's attitude...

As an attorney, I always love to hear when a State Actor admits to unconstitutional behavior on a public forum. You have just given us a recitation of "arbitrary and capricious enforcement."

 

[Wheelman]

I just love it when attorney's cut off the whole picture to give their point of view.. :tongue:

if a lecture will suffice in correcting a behavior, or if stronger encouragement is needed

 

[nsxpilot]

Attorney's (defense variety I'm guessing) are trained at twisting reality.

 

[Russ]

Attorney's (defense variety I'm guessing) are trained at twisting reality.

There are at least two sides to every story.

 

[steveny]

There are at least two sides to every story.

....and then there is the truth.

 

[brahtw8]

....and then there is the truth.

. . . which usually lies somewhere in between . . .

 

[terrypancake]

Mainer, keep up the good work and thanks for what you do. I have a law enforcement background also. 99.9999999999% of the guys I know and or work with just want to do a GREAT job.

 

[Mariner]

As an attorney, I always love to hear when a State Actor admits to unconstitutional behavior on a public forum. You have just given us a recitation of "arbitrary and capricious enforcement."

Please explain how giving warnings based on my interpretation of the violator's likelyhood to continue the offense is "unconstitutional". And please try to limit the $3 words, I'm a cop afterall.

 

[Russ]

If it exists at all.

. . . which usually lies somewhere in between . . .

 

[robr]

Attorney's (defense variety I'm guessing) are trained at twisting reality.

are you kidding? that's the prosecutors job. i watched them twist the truth in my case so far beyond reality that it wasn't even recognizable to anyone when they were done. they then used their "truth" to try and stick me with 11 million in restitution (where i didnt make a single cent and had no criminal intent) and lock me up for 5 years (the maximum allowed for my crime). thankfully the judge saw through them. too bad in federal courts, the prosecution holds almost all the cards when it comes time for the judge to try to depart from the federal sentencing guidelines. also too bad it cost me a quarter of a million dollars to plead GUILTY!!! i wanted it over with, but i couldnt plead guilty with them claiming all these ridiculous things. i had to pay to fight their accusations in order to get my 'point score' into a more reasonable sentencing zone in the guideline tables. btw, most good defense attorneys were prosecutors at one point.

 

[nsxpilot]

are you kidding? that's the prosecutors job. i watched them twist the truth in my case so far beyond reality that it wasn't even recognizable to anyone when they were done. they then used their "truth" to try and stick me with 11 million in restitution (where i didnt make a single cent and had no criminal intent) and lock me up for 5 years (the maximum allowed for my crime). thankfully the judge saw through them. too bad in federal courts, the prosecution holds almost all the cards when it comes time for the judge to try to depart from the federal sentencing guidelines. also too bad it cost me a quarter of a million dollars to plead GUILTY!!! i wanted it over with, but i couldnt plead guilty with them claiming all these ridiculous things. i had to pay to fight their accusations in order to get my 'point score' into a more reasonable sentencing zone in the guideline tables. btw, most good defense attorneys were prosecutors at one point.

Those inept/corrupt prosecutors!

 

[MiamiMermaid]

are you kidding? that's the prosecutors job. i watched them twist the truth in my case so far beyond reality that it wasn't even recognizable to anyone when they were done. they then used their "truth" to try and stick me with 11 million in restitution (where i didnt make a single cent and had no criminal intent) and lock me up for 5 years (the maximum allowed for my crime). thankfully the judge saw through them. too bad in federal courts, the prosecution holds almost all the cards when it comes time for the judge to try to depart from the federal sentencing guidelines. also too bad it cost me a quarter of a million dollars to plead GUILTY!!! i wanted it over with, but i couldnt plead guilty with them claiming all these ridiculous things. i had to pay to fight their accusations in order to get my 'point score' into a more reasonable sentencing zone in the guideline tables. btw, most good defense attorneys were prosecutors at one point.

Sorry, my friend, I must ask what was your crime? pm me if you want

 

[robr]

pick up this months money magazine (sept issue), its still on the stands for another week or so.

edit:
or you can read up at:
http://www.freerobrothberg.com
http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/17/pf/long_road_0509/

 

[Autophile]

Man, Rob, I had no idea that you experienced that. You have a beautiful family, and that is more than many people will ever know. I hope things turn around for you.

 

[nsxsupra]

Just got another bad experience today in my beater with cop.

I have my front plate on + Lexus quiet 50state legal ultra restrictive exhaust, driving extremely careful within speed limit 45mph. No prior speeding, no running red light, absolutely no prior wrong doing.

Out of nowhere a cop started to tailgatting me right on my rear bumper. My initial thought were "what did I do wrong now?" It lasted for a while, he eventually took off. Oh well maybe he thought the car was stolen.

There are a lot of cops that drive like lunatics on the road, it is almost like no one taught them how to use turn signals. I have never ever seen a cop use a turn signal before, are police cars equiped with turn signals?

As a professional serving common citizens and role model. They should be setting good examples for others, at very least use some common courtesy when driving on the road.

 

[kam3ham3]

There are a lot of cops that drive like lunatics on the road...

I couldn't agree more. I remember seeing a cop get impatient with a red light so he flashed his siren and took off... but then cut the siren and stopped at the next light!!! LOL! Wish I had a dash cam...

 

[Cairo94507]

"I have never seen a cop use his turn signals..." Oh come on. I agree that at times they do not use them, just as at times some of us don't use them. But for the most part they use them as they should.

As for the cop busting a light using his lights/siren and stopping at the next, is it possible that the call he was trying to get to quickly, resolved? Or perhaps other officers arrived and cancelled additional units? I am pretty sure the cop didn't just use his stuff becasue he was tired of waiting at the light only to stop and wait at the next light.

I would love to have put one of you critics in a police car with me for a shift so you can see what the heck actually is going on in the car while you are driving from call to call.

 

[queenlives]

Just got another bad experience today in my beater with cop.

I have my front plate on + Lexus quiet 50state legal ultra restrictive exhaust, driving extremely careful within speed limit 45mph. No prior speeding, no running red light, absolutely no prior wrong doing.

Out of nowhere a cop started to tailgatting me right on my rear bumper. My initial thought were "what did I do wrong now?" It lasted for a while, he eventually took off. Oh well maybe he thought the car was stolen.

There are a lot of cops that drive like lunatics on the road, it is almost like no one taught them how to use turn signals. I have never ever seen a cop use a turn signal before, are police cars equiped with turn signals?

As a professional serving common citizens and role model. They should be setting good examples for others, at very least use some common courtesy when driving on the road.

i wouldn't consider that a bad police experience, i would consider that a "police in action" situation... quite likely there was **something** the officer suspected wrt your vehicle - once he determined it wasn't of specific interest, he moved on. if i ever have a vehicle stolen, i hope law enforcement is as cautious.

as for cops, turn signals and courtesy, by and large, it's no biggee to me. should they set a perfect example 100% of the time? in a perfect world. sadly, it ain't a perfect world and cops are just as human as you/me/anybody else you know.

 

[nsxpilot]

"I have never seen a cop use his turn signals..." Oh come on. I agree that at times they do not use them, just as at times some of us don't use them. But for the most part they use them as they should.

As for the cop busting a light using his lights/siren and stopping at the next, is it possible that the call he was trying to get to quickly, resolved? Or perhaps other officers arrived and cancelled additional units? I am pretty sure the cop didn't just use his stuff becasue he was tired of waiting at the light only to stop and wait at the next light.

I would love to have put one of you critics in a police car with me for a shift so you can see what the heck actually is going on in the car while you are driving from call to call.

And that brings up a another point. Every concerned citizen should spend a shift with an officer on a "ride along" to see how their tax dollars are being spent. It's educational.

 

[Wheelman]

I agree, people should do a ride along to see that officers do certain things for certain reasons..I can think of at least one situation in Houston, where an officer had a ride along, and he got killed in front of his ride along by gang members. If that didn't change her (the ride along) perception of the dangers of law enforcement than I don't know what would..

Police work 95% boredom
5% adrenaline rush

 

[Mariner]

If I'm tailgating you, I'm trying to read your plate. sorry.



And I've always chuckled at people who get mad about police 'abusing' thier authority by turning on the lights and going through an intersection. I'm going to a call, promise. Why would I be in a hurry to get somewhere that isn't police related? I'm here all night, no chance of going home early, and Jack in the Box is open late. Might as well take my time.

 

[steveny]

Mariner
What do you make of this one? A few years back my wife and I left my buddy's house around 1 o'clock after a poker game and headed back to my house in the next county over. We were pulled over and told we did not use our turning signal at the last intersection. My wife was driving and I was quite a few beers from sober. She always uses her turning signals and is always reminding me to use mine.
The officer leaned way in the vehicle for a second and then stood back up. I said "hey you pulled us over to see if we were drunk because this road is a passage from one county to another where the bars are open for another hour." He was pissed started yelling at me to keep my mouth shut and that he was not talking to me and that what ever he does is not my business. He went on for 10 minutes before he let us leave.
Why wouldn't he just tell the truth and say you know you are right I did pull you over to see if the driver was drinking?

 

[nsxsupra]

"I have never seen a cop use his turn signals..." Oh come on. I agree that at times they do not use them, just as at times some of us don't use them. But for the most part they use them as they should.

"Never" is incorrect, perhaps replace it with rarely.

There are some cops who actually use them when they are on a bike, in a police car extremely rare .

In my experience in both Northern and Southern California, 8~9 times out of 10 they don't use it. Each and everytime I saw this I wonder why?

Whenever I have a passenger in the car, I always mention this if we encounter one of the bad examples, and joke about it.

But for the most part they use them as they should.

I wish this is ture , it is one of the most basic common manner afterall.

I would love to get a ride along, but it could be misleading one way or another as there are great cops and bad ones. Turn signals aside, I believe majority of cops are good if not great, it is usually the very few that leave a bad impression.

 

[steveny]

I would love to get a ride along, but it could be misleading one way or another as there are great cops and bad ones.

I have several friends and some family members who are officers. On the last ride along I learned something I would have never guessed...my friend in a very skilled driver! :biggrin: What a ride I had chasing a speeder down on a road.full of curves