To the cop who thinks its funny!

[KG1]

I don't know what your occupation is but if you were in LE would you write another LEO? A person that might be your backup someday.

On the flip side of the coin. How would you feel if you'd NEVER write another LEO a ticket for ANYTHING and that LEO had the propencity to speed or drive 60 in a 40 on a motorcycle as was indicated earlier in this thread and they injured or killed someone?

 

[j706]

OK, I understand that its an unwritten rule.
Are you saying that since the LEO might be your backup someday, you're concerned he might not be there for you if you gave him a ticket?

Not what I am saying. They would be there. But It would be awkward I would think.

 

[Cru]

Honest question j706... no disrespect intended...

Why would an officer not be able to just accept his ticket and accept the fact he was breaking the law just like any other citizen that gets ticketed?

 

[ReSSurrected]

Not what I am saying. They would be there. But It would be awkward I would think.

Would the awkwardness be due to the fact that you expected fellow LEOs to follow the laws the same as "regular citizens", and had the audacity to reprimand him, an LEO, who feels that the laws are simply things for him to enforce and "others" to abide by?

 

[j706]

J........a couple questions here:


How many traffic stops do you make in a average month?
How many of those stops result in a ticket vs a warning?
Out of the same monthly average of stops....how many of those are LEO?



I can't and won't speak for any other officer but myself........I really don't write tickets very often. I look at traffic stops this way (as it pertains to tickets), my job is to change the behavior that I stopped you for. If I can do that without writing a ticket, then I will choose that every single time. If your driving record sucks or you give a serious attitude for stopping you when you were doing wrong........you bet your ass I'll write the ticket.

I could not agree more. I make on average one or two stops a shift. I work 3rd so I spend most of my time in industrial and residential areas.
When working traffic very few people I stop percentage wish are LEO's. I might write around 30 to 50 tickets a year on the high end estimation, usually super high speeds, OWI's, susp. inf/misd. ect. Ridiculous speeds like 30 over combined with unsafe lane movement,tailgating,kids in the car,I usually jail.

 

[1032JBT]

I could not agree more. I make on average one or two stops a shift. I work 3rd so I spend most of my time in industrial and residential areas.
When working traffic very few people I stop percentage wish are LEO's. I might write around 30 to 50 tickets a year on the high end estimation, usually super high speeds, OWI's, susp. inf/misd. ect. Ridiculous speeds like 30 over combined with unsafe lane movement,tailgating,kids in the car,I usually jail.

So in a sense........the small percentage of officers you let off with a warning is a drop in the bucket to the other people you give warnings too?


And to those that think I am just trying to defend a brother........think again. Tickets are just one way to punish someone that does something wrong. Most times I find that just stopping them is enough. Sometimes they need a butt-chewing, and sometimes they need the ticket. For LEO's I normally find I get better results if I contact the on duty supervisor of their department if I feel further action needs to be taken. A ticket in my eyes is my last resort.........LEO or not.


I hate to do this but I will, I would assume you also do not write firefighters, nurses, EMT's/Medics either if you know about it. I nknow I won't..........I also don't write Active Duty Military either. So the Professional Curtosey that I, and I assume you, extend doesn't start and stop with LEO's.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I hate to be the one to say this because I do not usually, but it appears once again LEO's are above the law and they wonder why we get our panties in a bunch over some of this stuff.

 

[rmabrey]

=

I hate to do this but I will, I would assume you also do not write firefighters, nurses, EMT's/Medics either if you know about it. I nknow I won't..........I also don't write Active Duty Military either. So the Professional Curtosey that I, and I assume you, extend doesn't start and stop with LEO's.

I may or may not get flamed for this, but I am perfectly ok with LEO's not writing EMT's tickets


And to add, I would assume he does not, since he is using the "have my back" argument

 

[j706]

Honest question j706... no disrespect intended...

Why would an officer not be able to just accept his ticket and accept the fact he was breaking the law just like any other citizen that gets ticketed?

None taken. I would in fact take a ticket if I had it coming. I have only been stopped once since I have been in LE. It was by a ISP rookie on his very first stop. The only way he knew about my occupation was because my wallet was in a carry bag in the back seat of my wife's SUV as was one of my handguns. I felt that I should tell him that I was armed. Once I told him and he stopped doing his gotta pea dance, he asked if I had a permit. (It was really rather funny and he FTO thought so to) Then and only then did I tell him I worked as a LEO. Otherwise I would not have.

By the way I was running 70 in a 55. I would have took the ticket and properly paid it and notified my chain of command that I had received one.

 

[j706]

So in a sense........the small percentage of officers you let off with a warning is a drop in the bucket to the other people you give warnings too?


And to those that think I am just trying to defend a brother........think again. Tickets are just one way to punish someone that does something wrong. Most times I find that just stopping them is enough. Sometimes they need a butt-chewing, and sometimes they need the ticket. For LEO's I normally find I get better results if I contact the on duty supervisor of their department if I feel further action needs to be taken. A ticket in my eyes is my last resort.........LEO or not.


I hate to do this but I will, I would assume you also do not write firefighters, nurses, EMT's/Medics either if you know about it. I nknow I won't..........I also don't write Active Duty Military either. So the Professional Curtosey that I, and I assume you, extend doesn't start and stop with LEO's.

You said it better than I could.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Glad to hear you would at least take a ticket without complaining about it

 

[j706]

I hate to be the one to say this because I do not usually, but it appears once again LEO's are above the law and they wonder why we get our panties in a bunch over some of this stuff.

Not at all. You would sure not like the amount of scrutiny we get. You would think you was in a communist country somewhere. Everything from car inspections to **** tests,credit checks and everything in between. No one is above the law...no one.

 

[ReSSurrected]

So in a sense........the small percentage of officers you let off with a warning is a drop in the bucket to the other people you give warnings too?


And to those that think I am just trying to defend a brother........think again. Tickets are just one way to punish someone that does something wrong. Most times I find that just stopping them is enough. Sometimes they need a butt-chewing, and sometimes they need the ticket. For LEO's I normally find I get better results if I contact the on duty supervisor of their department if I feel further action needs to be taken. A ticket in my eyes is my last resort.........LEO or not.


I hate to do this but I will, I would assume you also do not write firefighters, nurses, EMT's/Medics either if you know about it. I nknow I won't..........I also don't write Active Duty Military either. So the Professional Curtosey that I, and I assume you, extend doesn't start and stop with LEO's.

My opinion is that law enforcement and "Professional Courtesy" mix about as well as oil and water. If you let someone's profession be the deciding factor in doing your job or "looking the other way" just one time, you are unfit to be in law enforcement.

Further, when you make a traffic stop and find that I am not LEO/med/.mil, and deem that I will get a citation because of that, all you're saying to me is that since I'm not in your "circle" or on your list of favorites, I will suffer the consequences of my actions, and that they will not.

I'm all for private citizens and entities providing LEO/med/.mil with whatever bennies they want- discounts, free admission, free slurpees, and yes, even free donuts. But if YOU- the person who took a job where your main function is to enforce the LAW- refuse to do so on the basis of employment- you are not fit to hold that position. Period.

 

[eric001]

Honestly, I actually LIKE cops that speed on 465 or an interstate--I'll follow them...If their lights/sirens aren't on, they're being just as illegal as I am to speed, and I get their plate # (which I've never needed) and just follow along a ways back. However, really unsafe driving habits (tailgaiting, not using signals when cutting into a line of traffic, running red lights, backing out into traffic without looking, etc.) should be dealt with equally no matter who you are or think you are. Driving over the limit in a safe (not swerving through lanes, riding up people's bumpers, etc.) manner is something that really endangers nobody. Everything else I listed above could easily cause an accident and possibly fatality(ies) depending on how good others are at managing to get out of the way. I'd be just as ticked off if it was a teenager, an octagenarian, anyone in between, a LEO, or anybody else without sirens and lights running to make everyone aware that they HAD to back out in front of me and make me slam on my brakes. Period, and end of story.

 

[j706]

My opinion is that law enforcement and "Professional Courtesy" mix about as well as oil and water. If you let someone's profession be the deciding factor in doing your job or "looking the other way" just one time, you are unfit to be in law enforcement.

Further, when you make a traffic stop and find that I am not LEO/med/.mil, and deem that I will get a citation because of that, all you're saying to me is that since I'm not in your "circle" or on your list of favorites, I will suffer the consequences of my actions, and that they will not.

I'm all for private citizens and entities providing LEO/med/.mil with whatever bennies they want- discounts, free admission, free slurpees, and yes, even free donuts. But if YOU- the person who took a job where your main function is to enforce the LAW- refuse to do so on the basis of employment- you are not fit to hold that position. Period.

We disagree then. I for one refuse to take what you call the bennies, I will not take a free drink or anything like that. I know people that do and it is fine with me but I will not.

But as far as the PC goes, I stand by my earlier post's.

Man we have sure got off track on this thread.

 

[1032JBT]

My opinion is that law enforcement and "Professional Courtesy" mix about as well as oil and water. If you let someone's profession be the deciding factor in doing your job or "looking the other way" just one time, you are unfit to be in law enforcement.

Further, when you make a traffic stop and find that I am not LEO/med/.mil, and deem that I will get a citation because of that, all you're saying to me is that since I'm not in your "circle" or on your list of favorites, I will suffer the consequences of my actions, and that they will not.

I'm all for private citizens and entities providing LEO/med/.mil with whatever bennies they want- discounts, free admission, free slurpees, and yes, even free donuts. But if YOU- the person who took a job where your main function is to enforce the LAW- refuse to do so on the basis of employment- you are not fit to hold that position. Period.

Your opinion in just that......your opinion. I can't even imagine the backlash and outcry that would be posted here and screamed from the mountain tops if I wrote every single person a ticket I could or arrested every single person I could. But hey......whatever. I'm never going to make everyone happy so I don't even try too.


Have a happy 4th!!!!!

 

[GREEN607]

No sir that is not what I was saying. I have never wrote a citation for someone backing out in front of someone. However it is irritating when people do that. I have wrote un told thousands of tickets over the years for speed and such. I have never wrote a LEO a ticket for anything and I never would for anything. I don't write many tickets now period. I know a lot of people are just trying to get by financially these days. I usually ask them if they have a extra 140.00 this week to give to the state. I just don't have the heart to be a part of that right now.

Sorry...... I don't know you, and to make it clear....I have every bit of respect for LEO's in general for the service they provide to the public and for the sacrifices that both they and their families make. But this kind of post/statement makes me believe that, if some legilator proposed a law that would take us closer to "a police state" in this country.... you would be first in line, to vote for it.

Edited to ad: I have no comment and will reserve judgement on the incident where the cop on his bike went speeding past the OP. Occassionally speeding is something I have personally witnessed most drivers do (citizens, cops or otherwise) And breaking the speed limit is against the law.....but LEO's should not be punished any more than civlians, if there is no LE in the immediate vicinity to apprehend them. IMHO, they should not be punished any less either, if they are apprehended.

But regarding the cop who (in his cruiser), backed out in front of the OP's wife..... that is a dangerous situation and the cop is either stupid, or used poor judgement, or did it purposely due to an 'elite' attitude. I have no reason to doubt the OP's honesty, or his wife's honesty in the matter. I believe it did, in fact, happen. Should she/they file a complaint? Absolutely! That officer took an oath to uphold the law and to defend the publics' safety.... not endanger it. What he did could have turned out so much worse , if the OP's wife had been, even momentarily, distracted from the road ahead of her. I'm glad she is OK.....

 

[PatriotPride]

Damn man. Glad she's ok.

 

[ReSSurrected]

Your opinion in just that......your opinion. I can't even imagine the backlash and outcry that would be posted here and screamed from the mountain tops if I wrote every single person a ticket I could or arrested every single person I could. But hey......whatever. I'm never going to make everyone happy so I don't even try too.


Have a happy 4th!!!!!

I don't recall saying anything about writing every ticket or making every arrest, so please stop trying to twist it into that. What I have an issue with is letting someone's profession determine what degree of punishment- if any- they receive. It's wrong, no matter how you try to justify it. It's saying that if my paycheck is drawn on the right account, I am above the law. If a guy is FBI, does he get away with more? After all, he's even higher up the food chain than a local LEO, right? Where does it stop? Maybe we should issue a license to kill to Eric Holder, or even the SCOTUS justices??

If you discriminate based on someone's employer while enforcing laws you swore to uphold, you're wrong.

I really don't want to make an enemy out of this, but you're never going to convince me there's a place for "professional courtesy" where enforcement of law is concerned. If a law is applicable to me and the rest of the "regular citizens", please, justify to me how it is acceptable for you to either not abide by it, or willfully allow someone else to not abide by it.

And you enjoy the holiday too.

 

[1032JBT]

I don't recall saying anything about writing every ticket or making every arrest, so please stop trying to twist it into that. What I have an issue with is letting someone's profession determine what degree of punishment- if any- they receive. It's wrong, no matter how you try to justify it. It's saying that if my paycheck is drawn on the right account, I am above the law. If a guy is FBI, does he get away with more? After all, he's even higher up the food chain than a local LEO, right? Where does it stop? Maybe we should issue a license to kill to Eric Holder, or even the SCOTUS justices??

If you discriminate based on someone's employer while enforcing laws you swore to uphold, you're wrong.

I really don't want to make an enemy out of this, but you're never going to convince me there's a place for "professional courtesy" where enforcement of law is concerned. If a law is applicable to me and the rest of the "regular citizens", please, justify to me how it is acceptable for you to either not abide by it, or willfully allow someone else to not abide by it.

And you enjoy the holiday too.

Then you are misunderstanding what I was typing........and if you are misunderstanding it then it's my fault.

I will write ANYONE a ticket IF they deserve one. The fact of the matter is most people don't deserve it.......at least in my eyes. If anyone wants to argue with me on the side of the road then they will just get the ticket and we can argue in court.

Now with bad attitudes out of the way.........unless they are going mach14, I pretty much don't write tickets to anyone. As far as the job descriptions I listed.........yes, I do give them more slack than anyone else. Is it wrong? I'm sure in some peoples eyes.......maybe even yours. But I have yet to have one of that group, on a simple infraction stop, give me the attitude I get from John Q. Public. They at least know what they did and if they don't they accept that I'm not just making crap up to harrass them. So yes.......I do give them a break. Is it soley because of the job title? No..........it's because of the respect I have them doing the job they do. You may not agree with me and that's fine.......we can at least agree to disagree.

If said stop/contact moves past the infraction level into a criminal area.......then all bets are off.