The official "Ask a cop/deputy anything!" thread

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

How often do you guys ticket jack-wagons that park illegally in handicapped spots? Often, I hope.

I haven't personally written a single handicap parking ticket in my entire career, but I have partners who love to write them.

[UncleWede]

It's 30 minutes before shift change, all your reports are written, and a call comes in. Who gets it? Especially if you just worked graveyard.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

It's 30 minutes before shift change, all your reports are written, and a call comes in. Who gets it? Especially if you just worked graveyard.

Depends on the call. If low priority dispatchers will usually park it for the dayshift. If higher priority it get's responded to and the station will usually get someone out on the road to relieve you if necessary. But a lot depends on the call and circumstances.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

It's 30 minutes before shift change, all your reports are written, and a call comes in. Who gets it? Especially if you just worked graveyard.

We have 4 hours of overlap at the end of my shift; the shift before me has 2 hours of overlap at the end of their shift (…I start at 1400 hours and their shift ends at 1600 hours; they stop receiving calls as soon as we are logged on). My regular shift ends at midnight, but the early-morning/graveyard shift starts at 2000 hours (…at the very latest they are logged in by 2100 hours). I wouldn’t ever get a call even close to the end of shift (…barring something really crazy occurring). I definitely don’t get a call after 2200 hours.

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

Depends on the call. If low priority dispatchers will usually park it for the dayshift. If higher priority it get's responded to and the station will usually get someone out on the road to relieve you if necessary. But a lot depends on the call and circumstances.

This as well! Dispatchers will hold any routine call for the next shift, but priority or emergent calls will be dispatched. It’s how I handle calls when I dispatch as well.

[Sedan_Clan]

The rifle round that nearly missed another one of my partner’s heads and hit the spotlight on the patrol unit….

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

The rifle round that nearly missed another one of my partner’s heads and hit the spotlight on the patrol unit….

Way too close for comfort.

[Murf the Surf]

Play safe my brothers & sisters.

[jbellk75rt]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

The rifle round that nearly missed another one of my partner’s heads and hit the spotlight on the patrol unit….

I hope you mean "narrowly" missed, nearly missed is a whole 'nother situation. Gulp.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

I hope you mean "narrowly" missed, nearly missed is a whole 'nother situation. Gulp.

Both mean more or less the same thing to me. The round impacted less than a foot from his head. He still is having hearing issues in his right ear.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

I hope you mean "narrowly" missed, nearly missed is a whole 'nother situation. Gulp.

Kind of like "near miss?" They almost missed, but they didn't. I always chuckled at that verbiage. Should be "near hit," and I've seen way too many.

[jbellk75rt]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Kind of like "near miss?" They almost missed, but they didn't. I always chuckled at that verbiage. Should be "near hit," and I've seen way too many.

Crickey, what kind of sonar shack did you run?

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

We have 4 hours of overlap at the end of my shift; the shift before me has 2 hours of overlap at the end of their shift (…I start at 1400 hours and their shift ends at 1600 hours; they stop receiving calls as soon as we are logged on). My regular shift ends at midnight, but the early-morning/graveyard shift starts at 2000 hours (…at the very latest they are logged in by 2100 hours). I wouldn’t ever get a call even close to the end of shift (…barring something really crazy occurring). I definitely don’t get a call after 2200 hours.




This as well! Dispatchers will hold any routine call for the next shift, but priority or emergent calls will be dispatched. It’s how I handle calls when I dispatch as well.

whats a routine call? isn't everything relatively time sensitive?

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

I hope you mean "narrowly" missed, nearly missed is a whole 'nother situation. Gulp.

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

Crickey, what kind of sonar shack did you run?

I was radar and then an Air traffic Controller when I got out. They still call them "near-misses" for some reason. The controller motto is it's a big sky and they hardly ever hit.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

whats a routine call? isn't everything relatively time sensitive?

That's an interesting question. I know that in Toronto with staffing levels being so low that they set up units called ARU, Alternate Response. They take reports over the phone for stuff like lost wallets, minor property damage, minor thefts etc. And most divisions will put out an ARU car who can attend calls that require an officer attend but aren't time sensitive. Book an appointment and the officer will attend to take a report.

Some B&E's wait for as much as 24-48 hours.

Having said that some busy nights the calls get so backed up that a sound of gunshots might wait an hour or more for a car to be available to attend. This isn't because of current staffing levels, that's been the case for decades. There sometimes are just too many calls for available staff. Other times you sit around with no calls to respond to. Catch up on reports or do some proactive policing. (hunting).

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

whats a routine call? isn't everything relatively time sensitive?

About the only call type I would consider routine - and by “routine” I mean usually a big nothing 95% of the time - are audible burglary alarms. Usually it’s just faulty wiring, sensors, etc. The other 5% of the time a legitimate crime has occurred.

Our policy states we have 60 minutes to respond to a routine call, 15 minutes to a priority call and about 3-5 minutes for an emergent call. During a heightened situation like what occurred last week, we stop responding to ALL routine calls and will only respond to priority and emergent calls.

[jbellk75rt]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I was radar and then an Air traffic Controller when I got out. They still call them "near-misses" for some reason. The controller motto is it's a big sky and they hardly ever hit.

Oops, sorry, it's been well over 50 years since I was in and I thought your insignia was sonar, not radar. I went in as an ET and came out an SK due to a bit of color blindness (didn't affect my work but I couldn't pass the test.)

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

Oops, sorry, it's been well over 50 years since I was in and I thought your insignia was sonar, not radar. I went in as an ET and came out an SK due to a bit of color blindness (didn't affect my work but I couldn't pass the test.)

No worries! We squids are all the same! As an OS, I was also an Air intercept Controller. I figured that as hard as it was to get two airplanes together (cutoff angles and all that), keeping them apart would be gravy. Then I found out that the only difference is there were many, many more of them and they all wanted to go to the same place! So I spent my career packing 10# of airplanes into a 5# airport! It sure was fun, though! Talk about an adrenaline rush!

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

About the only call type I would consider routine - and by “routine” I mean usually a big nothing 95% of the time - are audible burglary alarms. Usually it’s just faulty wiring, sensors, etc. The other 5% of the time a legitimate crime has occurred.

Our policy states we have 60 minutes to respond to a routine call, 15 minutes to a priority call and about 3-5 minutes for an emergent call. During a heightened situation like what occurred last week, we stop responding to ALL routine calls and will only respond to priority and emergent calls.

gotcha, the cry wolf and alarms is so fucked on both sides. you have your pearl clutchers with sensitive ass alarms and then you guys slow down response time because of false alarms.

there should be some sort of ordinance on alarm installation and sensitives.

and thats coming from a major ordinance and government keep your nose out my shit "person"

[jbellk75rt]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

So I spent my career packing 10# of airplanes into a 5# airport! It sure was fun, though! Talk about an adrenaline rush!

Ahhhh, the ole blivet.

Difference between the services:
Given the order to secure a building.........
Marines--Attack it.
Army--Post guards, nobody in nobody out.
Air Force--Buy it.
Navy--Turn off the lights, lock the doors, go home.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by jbellk75rt

Ahhhh, the ole blivet.

Difference between the services:
Given the order to secure a building.........
Marines--Attack it.
Army--Post guards, nobody in nobody out.
Air Force--Buy it.
Navy--Turn off the lights, lock the doors, go home.

One of my favorites...

The Army & Marines sleep under the stars...
The Navy navigates by the stars...
The (Ch)Air Force rates hotels by stars.

[T0RM3NT]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

One of my favorites...

The Army & Marines sleep under the stars...
The Navy navigates by the stars...
The (C)Air Force rates hotels by stars.

Bathrooms:

Army: Latrine

Navy: Head

Marines: Latrine, on land.. Head, deployed on a ship..

Air Force: Powder Room

[ricardofors68]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one with appreciation for squid life.