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

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Fly320s

Officers, how do you decide which laws to enforce on any given day?

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by Merami fan

Is highway patrol presence light lately or is it just me? I just drove 1,700 miles in 24 hours, including fuel stops and a quick nap. You can imagine what kind of speeds I was able to hold at times, road surface and slow vehicles in the left lane permitting. I didn't see many cops, and 90% of them were marked on Waze. The fact that I didn't get pulled over in 20+ hours of speeding seems odd, since I didn't dare to go more than 9 over the limit before in my home state of NY (LI).

PS: impressive fuel economy cruising at 90+ MPH with hundreds of pounds of cargo.

PSS: saw a car stopped on the side of the highway. On a level, straight stretch of road. At night. Charger taillights visible a mile away... I would imagine that officer issued 0 tickets that shift.

I've noticed a decline on LEOs along the highways as well.

When I was younger, I drove my first car (a used 95 Accord) up and down the I95 traveling to and from my parent's house and first duty station almost every month. That car couldn't go over 90 MPH without feeling unstable if I remember correctly, so I would get pulled over constantly by various State Highway patrol officers a bit more frequently than I'm proud of. Going about 80-85 MPH in 65MPH zones.

Fast forward to present day, now I'm driving either an X6M or 1299s at "slightly" higher speeds when I travel from my current duty station to visit family and this year it seems like the route is definitely les patrolled than in previous years.

Maybe traffic monitoring apps are helping out more, or LEOs are just spread thin during these difficult times. Maybe a combination of both or more factors.

While I can admit I get to enjoy my toys a bit more recently... I hope it's not at the expense of our Police forces' safety and well being.

Now here's a question... do those "Photo Enforced" speed zones capture and ticket EVERY vehicle going faster than the posted limit...?

I try to keep my speedometer at no more than 5 over when I encounter those zones (learned my lesson a couple times) but even when I try to flow with traffic, I just have to more to the right and let countless cars pass me atmich higher speeds.

Is the camera really capable of tagging multiple cars in a cluster like that?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Fly320s

Officers, how do you decide which laws to enforce on any given day?

We just pick and choose. It depends on the car and who's behind the wheel. If we enforced everything, everybody would get cited every single day they drive.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Merami fan

Is highway patrol presence light lately or is it just me? I just drove 1,700 miles in 24 hours, including fuel stops and a quick nap. You can imagine what kind of speeds I was able to hold at times, road surface and slow vehicles in the left lane permitting. I didn't see many cops, and 90% of them were marked on Waze. The fact that I didn't get pulled over in 20+ hours of speeding seems odd, since I didn't dare to go more than 9 over the limit before in my home state of NY (LI).

PS: impressive fuel economy cruising at 90+ MPH with hundreds of pounds of cargo.

PSS: saw a car stopped on the side of the highway. On a level, straight stretch of road. At night. Charger taillights visible a mile away... I would imagine that officer issued 0 tickets that shift.

Trust me, people still commit violations......some they don't even realize they are/were committing. The vehicle code is nearly 3.5" thick and the font is tiny. Where California is concerned, do you think anybody knows they are supposed to signal at least 100 feet prior to making a turn?.....or that making a right turn too far away from the curb or edge of the roadway is a violation? How about opening a car door and not immediately exiting, causing the door to impede the roadway?

[Merami fan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Trust me, people still commit violations......some they don't even realize they are/were committing. The vehicle code is nearly 3.5" thick and the font is tiny. Where California is concerned, do you think anybody knows they are supposed to signal at least 100 feet prior to making a turn?.....or that making a right turn too far away from the curb or edge of the roadway is a violation? How about opening a car door and not immediately exiting, causing the door to impede the roadway?

Those are all common sense! But I get your point, most people commit violations all the time. I just hope most officers agree that these ignorant drivers are more dangerous than someone going 20 over the limit on an empty stretch of road, especially in a car that is still very stable at even higher speeds...

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Merami fan

Those are all common sense! But I get your point, most people commit violations all the time. I just hope most officers agree that these ignorant drivers are more dangerous than someone going 20 over the limit on an empty stretch of road, especially in a car that is still very stable at even higher speeds...

....and for the most part we do, which is why we typically don't start issuing citations until 10-15 over the prima facie speed limit (...which on a desolate road in California equates to 85-90 mph; there's no justifiable reason to be traveling over 90 mph on a public road).

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Merami fan

Those are all common sense! But I get your point, most people commit violations all the time. I just hope most officers agree that these ignorant drivers are more dangerous than someone going 20 over the limit on an empty stretch of road, especially in a car that is still very stable at even higher speeds...

You'd almost not get out of the parking lot if you enforced every single law and every violation you saw. Police officers have and use discretion. Some days all you want to do is get back to the station and go home and it's like you are cursed, even when you are turning a blind eye to everything the dispatcher seems to have it in for you and gives you a call that will turn into an arrest. You learn after a while what needs to be dealt with and what you let go. Think of the movie Colours, sorry, Colors.....Robert Duval is telling Sean Penn the story of the two bulls on the hill. The young bull says lets run down the hill and fuck a cow, and the old bull say's lets walk down the hill and fuck all of them.

[Merami fan]

Originally Posted by Samurai of 2day

I've noticed a decline on LEOs along the highways as well.

When I was younger, I drove my first car (a used 95 Accord) up and down the I95 traveling to and from my parent's house and first duty station almost every month. That car couldn't go over 90 MPH without feeling unstable if I remember correctly, so I would get pulled over constantly by various State Highway patrol officers a bit more frequently than I'm proud of. Going about 80-85 MPH in 65MPH zones.

Fast forward to present day, now I'm driving either an X6M or 1299s at "slightly" higher speeds when I travel from my current duty station to visit family and this year it seems like the route is definitely les patrolled than in previous years.

Maybe traffic monitoring apps are helping out more, or LEOs are just spread thin during these difficult times. Maybe a combination of both or more factors.

While I can admit I get to enjoy my toys a bit more recently... I hope it's not at the expense of our Police forces' safety and well being.

Now here's a question... do those "Photo Enforced" speed zones capture and ticket EVERY vehicle going faster than the posted limit...?

I try to keep my speedometer at no more than 5 over when I encounter those zones (learned my lesson a couple times) but even when I try to flow with traffic, I just have to more to the right and let countless cars pass me atmich higher speeds.

Is the camera really capable of tagging multiple cars in a cluster like that?

Maybe it had something to do with the election? Doubtful. Maybe there are just more cops in my old county. Less crime, more time for highway patrol. I saw a lot of 'authorized vehicle only' spots for cops to sit in, but very few cops. I cut across all of Tennessee, saw that singular Charger. Zero in Arkansas. Nothing in Texas until I reached Austin.

Cameras are definitely capable of capturing almost any number of pictures in a given time frame, but it depends on the specs.

[Merami fan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

....and for the most part we do, which is why we typically don't start issuing citations until 10-15 over the prima facie speed limit (...which on a desolate road in California equates to 85-90 mph; there's no justifiable reason to be traveling over 90 mph on a public road).

Texas has prima facie as well. Most people are going 10-15 over in the left lane. Not sure how strictly it's enforced here... I just know that 20+ over is bad. I would be happy to go 90 mph without being pulled over (in a 70 or 75 zone). 100+ in a sports car is not the same as in a bigger, heavier vehicle, but I agree that it's not necessary to go that fast om public roads.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf993

You'd almost not get out of the parking lot if you enforced every single law and every violation you saw. Police officers have and use discretion. Some days all you want to do is get back to the station and go home and it's like you are cursed, even when you are turning a blind eye to everything the dispatcher seems to have it in for you and gives you a call that will turn into an arrest. You learn after a while what needs to be dealt with and what you let go. Think of the movie Colours, sorry, Colors.....Robert Duval is telling Sean Penn the story of the two bulls on the hill. The young bull says lets run down the hill and fuck a cow, and the old bull say's lets walk down the hill and fuck all of them.

Great point(s), especially about the dispatcher seemingly slinging you hot shit when you just want to go home.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Great point(s), especially about the dispatcher seemingly slinging you hot shit when you just want to go home.

I loved and respected my dispatchers.....never ever piss them off though, they had a saying. "Start your day with a DOA"

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf993

I loved and respected my dispatchers.....never ever piss them off though, they had a saying. "Start your day with a DOA"

Definitely. I take care of my Watch Deputy/Dispatcher. Take care of them and they'll take care of you.

[F30lolz]

When finishing your shift (driving back to the station/barracks), have you ever encountered a vehicle that had expired tags or doing something that’s minor offensive like turning right on red when a sign posted says otherwise and you just want to get home, do you let that slide?

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

When finishing your shift (driving back to the station/barracks), have you ever encountered a vehicle that had expired tags or doing something that’s minor offensive like turning right on red when a sign posted says otherwise and you just want to get home, do you let that slide?

I sure as hell did, there were some guys who wouldn't even if their mom was the offender.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Merami fan

I just hope most officers agree that these ignorant drivers are more dangerous than someone going 20 over the limit on an empty stretch of road, especially in a car that is still very stable at even higher speeds...

sounds like a confession

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

When finishing your shift (driving back to the station/barracks), have you ever encountered a vehicle that had expired tags or doing something that's minor offensive like turning right on red when a sign posted says otherwise and you just want to get home, do you let that slide?

Every single day. I actually stop hunting about 3 hours before the end of my shift.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Every single day. I actually stop hunting about 3 hours before the end of my shift.

Experience will tell you that even the simplest traffic stop can turn into hours of paperwork, sometimes you want the OT and other times you want to go home.

[Fast.F10]

A past encounter I had, was it justifiable?

While my E60 was in the shop, the shop owner let me borrow his older M5 for my daily commute since my E60 was going to be in the shop for about 2 weeks getting mods installed as well as new bearings. I did a cash transaction with the owner and on the night before I was set to pickup my E60, I went to the ATM around the corner from my house to collect more funds (2 different accounts in total $800.00). While pulling out from 7-11 at/around 9:00pm, I noted a police officer about a block away parked (looking for violators) in the medium where I was turning on to. By default I always come to a dead stop at stop signs (no rolling stops since I was t-bones a few years ago and totaled my car; no my fault for reference; guy ran his stop sign) and since I saw the officer sitting there, I even recall counting to 2 or 3 seconds before I turned onto the road. Made a left hand turn about 400feet from pulling out from 7-11 and was quickly pulled over. After being greeted at the window by the officer and her seeing the $800 on the passenger seat she stated I was pulled over for a possible drug transaction in which she said she saw someone hand me something as I exited 7-11 and not stopping at the stop sign and then collected by drivers license/owners registration and insurance card and returned to her patrol car. I did note there as a younger lady hanging out front of 7-11 but didnt even look twice or speak to her. Nor could the patrol car see this area from where she was parked. After about 5 minutes of sitting in the car, 2 other police cars showed up all with lights on. Original officer was parked behind me, 1 pulled in front of me, and one at the rear corner panel of the loaner car. I was asked to step out, walk backwards to the rear and they placed me in handcuffs at the rear of the M5. Then a K9 unit arrived and did a sweep of the M5 as well as officers searching inside. I had to show them how to open the center console as they could not figure it out. I was informed that the K9 hit on something and the mood of the officers quickly changed to more aggressive questioning/mood. After about 30-45 minutes of being in handcuffs, they said all was clear and let me go.

I felt this was an unjustified stop/search and I contacted my local Police station the following day to question it. A few days later I received a call from a Sergent (I believe) and apologized about the event and noted that this area is known for drug trafficking. Really...i've lived in this same area/subdivision (which is about 1/2 mile from 7-11...if that) for over 20years.

A cliff note to this: informed my wife that I was running upto 7-11 real quick and to keep an eye on my 1yr old son. Not being allowed to call her for from my stand point on an unwarranted stop REALLY pissed me off.

Whats our kind Officers in this thread take on this?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Fast.F10

A past encounter I had, was it justifiable?

While my E60 was in the shop, the shop owner let me borrow his older M5 for my daily commute since my E60 was going to be in the shop for about 2 weeks getting mods installed as well as new bearings. I did a cash transaction with the owner and on the night before I was set to pickup my E60, I went to the ATM around the corner from my house to collect more funds (2 different accounts in total $800.00). While pulling out from 7-11 at/around 9:00pm, I noted a police officer about a block away parked (looking for violators) in the medium where I was turning on to. By default I always come to a dead stop at stop signs (no rolling stops since I was t-bones a few years ago and totaled my car; no my fault for reference; guy ran his stop sign) and since I saw the officer sitting there, I even recall counting to 2 or 3 seconds before I turned onto the road. Made a left hand turn about 400feet from pulling out from 7-11 and was quickly pulled over. After being greeted at the window by the officer and her seeing the $800 on the passenger seat she stated I was pulled over for a possible drug transaction in which she said she saw someone hand me something as I exited 7-11 and not stopping at the stop sign and then collected by drivers license/owners registration and insurance card and returned to her patrol car. I did note there as a younger lady hanging out front of 7-11 but didnt even look twice or speak to her. Nor could the patrol car see this area from where she was parked. After about 5 minutes of sitting in the car, 2 other police cars showed up all with lights on. Original officer was parked behind me, 1 pulled in front of me, and one at the rear corner panel of the loaner car. I was asked to step out, walk backwards to the rear and they placed me in handcuffs at the rear of the M5. Then a K9 unit arrived and did a sweep of the M5 as well as officers searching inside. I had to show them how to open the center console as they could not figure it out. I was informed that the K9 hit on something and the mood of the officers quickly changed to more aggressive questioning/mood. After about 30-45 minutes of being in handcuffs, they said all was clear and let me go.

I felt this was an unjustified stop/search and I contacted my local Police station the following day to question it. A few days later I received a call from a Sergent (I believe) and apologized about the event and noted that this area is known for drug trafficking. Really...i've lived in this same area/subdivision (which is about 1/2 mile from 7-11...if that) for over 20years.

A cliff note to this: informed my wife that I was running upto 7-11 real quick and to keep an eye on my 1yr old son. Not being allowed to call her for from my stand point on an unwarranted stop REALLY pissed me off.

Whats our kind Officers in this thread take on this?

It's quite possibly true that....

• The stop was a reach by that officer.
• The officer actually thought something transpired.
• It's a high crime/drug trafficking area.

Despite having lived in the area for 20 years, there's an underbelly to your city that you may not be privy to.

In the area(s) that I patrol, a casual drive through would have you believe that it's a nice area to be in. Negative!!! It amazes me because as I drive to the station I always find myself looking at problem spots and saying to myself, "Nobody would ever guess that X, Y and Z always happens at that place."
Even in my own city - a really nice suburban area with a fairly affluent resident base - there's a cocaine underbelly that I only became aware of because I knew somebody who was a part of that party/drug scene. High crime areas are even a part of case law, allowing for traffic stops, etc. You having the lump sum of cash was also an articulable reason to investigate, not because it's a crime, but because you had it after leaving a location known for drug transactions.

[Merami fan]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

sounds like a confession

Have to catch me in the act to mean anything (I would never operate a motor vehicle at excessive speeds on public roads).

[mahalom3]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Definitely. I take care of my Watch Deputy/Dispatcher. Take care of them and they'll take care of you.

I'm friends with all our Dispatchers. And yes you do have to be nice to them especially when it's your Friday.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by mahalom3

I'm friends with all our Dispatchers. And yes you do have to be nice to them especially when it's your Friday.

You're with RSO right?