Your Law Enforcement Questions

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Okay... I've had several instances where folks have asked for information from me, either about law enforcement in general, or to get a law enforcement perspective.

I thought that it might not be a bad idea for me to have a sort of central location for folks to pop in here and ask something in that area.

I preface this by stating that any/all information here is given with the intent to inform or advise, not to direct or order. I am not a "legal expert" in any sense of the word - I'm just the grunt with his boots on the ground, so to speak.

Whatever you choose to do with information from here is your own choice. Insert appropriate clause here, passing off liability etc etc ad infinitum ad nauseum.

I suppose you could call this an "Ask Me Anything" thread, if you'd like, but anyone with LE experience is welcome to weigh in (Frankie, obviously - I know at least one forumite has a spouse who is/was law enforcement, as well.)

If you're nervous about your question, by all means, ask under an alias.

Any trolling will be treated like how I have to deal with it on the street.

Wall of text done. Fire away, folks!
 
I got pulled over a while back for something minor, no ticket given. I only had an old insurance card on me. The cop took it, looked it up and said, ok, you are fine, everything is current and waved me on.
I got rear-ended recently, and again, only had an old insurance card on me and the cop took it, I assumed looked it up to see that I was current, then wrote me a ticket.

In your opinion why the difference? If they can look it up and see everything is current is this just a "each cop will deal with it individually" kind of thing?
 
Aren't you required to have proof of current insurance? I think the first cop in that just decided not to enforce it since it was something minor. An accident was involved with the second, requiring a bit more by the book.

Just my guess.
 

Dave

Staff member
How much racial profiling actually occurs?

Even though quotas is something everyone thinks exists but probably doesn't, is there some pressure to write a certain amount of tickets per month regardless?
 
Aren't you required to have proof of current insurance? I think the first cop in that just decided not to enforce it since it was something minor. An accident was involved with the second, requiring a bit more by the book.

Just my guess.
Yes you are, the reason I asked the question though was due to the first cop saying he could look up my info with my insurance card though and see that it was current, so he didn't bother writing me a ticket. I'm not saying I shouldn't have gotten a ticket, just, with the ability to verify stuff like that are cops required to write tickets if you don't have the physical document on you or is it up to the cop?
 
Let's say 2 cars are speeding (maybe they're racing each other). If one pulls over but the other doesn't, what do you do? Do you choose one of them to go after?
 

fade

Staff member
If Train A leaves Baltimore at 77 MPH, and Train B leaves Cleveland at 64 MPH, each maintaining a constant speed, what drink will the lady in seat 3C on Train A order?
 
If you chose to volunteer in Girl Guides for your daughter, would you require a background check?
Assuming the Girl Scouts would allow a male volunteer, then yes, I'd have to pass the same background check I had to pass when I became a Scoutmaster.

Have you ever jammed out to "fuck the police" while sitting in your squad car?
Actually, yes. Not my favorite song, but sometimes it's amusing to see folk's reactions. :troll:

In your opinion why the difference? If they can look it up and see everything is current is this just a "each cop will deal with it individually" kind of thing?
Aren't you required to have proof of current insurance? I think the first cop in that just decided not to enforce it since it was something minor. An accident was involved with the second, requiring a bit more by the book.
Poe's pretty much got it. In Georgia, the reporting database for insurance is woefully out of whack - to the extent that one of the administrators for it got pulled over and her vehicle towed by a friend of mine for no current insurance.

It basically boils down to whether or not someone can prove they have current insurance with documentation onhand. If you're a dick, it's just something else I can use to jam you up - I can be a bigger dick, and I have the law on my side.

How much racial profiling actually occurs?

Even though quotas is something everyone thinks exists but probably doesn't, is there some pressure to write a certain amount of tickets per month regardless?
With me... it's not really so much racial profiling as profiling based on stops that I've had in the past that have resulted in something. Chances are better, if I stop a rusted out beater for example, that the driver is either going to be in possession or have a warrant of some flavor. It's not really profiling - it's a tested and proven hypothesis. Lower-income folks are, unfortunately, more likely to have something in the way of a probation violation warrant, a contempt of court warrant, or a child support violation warrant/license suspension, simply due to the fact that they often cannot pay the associated fines. It's part of that unfortunate cycle that some folks just can't seem to break free from.

That being said, there's a fair number of higher-end cars that have resulted in prescription drug arrests, simply because folks have been so arrogant as to believe that there would be no way that the cops would stop them... I suppose it works both ways.

As for quotas, or even a certain amount of pressure, I've never felt it. We recently started having to turn in our stats bi-weekly, but I've never been told that I have to meet a minimum. My captain's just very big on seeing the numbers. If there was a "quota," I would refuse to meet it, just on principle: stat-based policing is unfair to the general public, and gives officers a bad rep.

Has cleavage ever actually affected your decision on not giving a ticket?
Yes, but probably not in the way you're thinking. If I pull over someone who makes a point of trying to "bribe" me with eye-candy, that's a guarantee that they're going to get something. Their rage when I tell them to "Press hard, five copies," is delicious.

I will NOT be bought, and the fact that they think they can get away with it is straight-up insulting to my integrity.

have you ever fired your gun while jumping through the air?
I get the quote *grins*, but Lord knows, my accuracy is shaky enough without pulling John Woo into the equation! *laughs*

Let's say 2 cars are speeding (maybe they're racing each other). If one pulls over but the other doesn't, what do you do? Do you choose one of them to go after?
I'd give the lookout prior to making the stop, try and get another unit in the area. If one flees, I'll pass it over the air. If we get him, we get him. If not... he'll probably be stupid again sometime, and we'll get him next time. It's not that serious, really - not so much so that I'm going to risk public safety for the sake of my ego.

If Train A leaves Baltimore at 77 MPH, and Train B leaves Cleveland at 64 MPH, each maintaining a constant speed, what drink will the lady in seat 3C on Train A order?
A Singapore Sling, because she's feeling gigi.

May I beat you with a doomweasel?
I would rather that you didn't.
 
I've heard people complain that the cop pulled them over during a drag race, letting the winner go...

The cop usually replies, "That's the cost of losing."
 
What kind of sidearm do you carry?
Glock 21 in .45 ACP. I love this gun - simple to use, easy to clean and maintain, and has a decent amount of ammo in the magazine. I'd STILL prefer a 1911 or derivative thereof, but I'll take the Glock.

I've heard people complain that the cop pulled them over during a drag race, letting the winner go...

The cop usually replies, "That's the cost of losing."
Going back to my previous comment about pulling over two cars, obviously it's easier for the cop to snag the person in 2nd place. But that's a particularly douchey thing for the officer to say...
 
Glock 21 in .45 ACP. I love this gun - simple to use, easy to clean and maintain, and has a decent amount of ammo in the magazine. I'd STILL prefer a 1911 or derivative thereof, but I'll take the Glock.
That's not standard issue, is it? I was under the impression that most police departments were still switching from 9mms to .41's.
 
Yeah, everything I use is standard issue.

Every department has a preference for equipment and weapons. Our armorer prefers .45 ACP for ammo type, but he has no problem issuing 9mm either (for officers with smaller hands, as the Glock 21 is just too broad in the grip for some.) We're supposed to be transitioning to the slim-frame Glocks, but I like mine for now... just wish it was a later generation (Mine's a Gen2).
 
Do you guys have a ticket quota in your area or even in the US? Never mind, just googled it myself (and found it hilarious that it apparently is only a Dutch thing...)

Although, how does the ticketing system work? Do you have an estimate of how many tickets are not issued when they were perfectly valid or vice versa?
 
Do you guys have a ticket quota in your area or even in the US? Never mind, just googled it myself (and found it hilarious that it apparently is only a Dutch thing...)

Although, how does the ticketing system work? Do you have an estimate of how many tickets are not issued when they were perfectly valid or vice versa?
Uhm.... not even SLIGHTLY an estimate *chuckles* I CAN tell you that I don't give out NEARLY as many as I could (or even should, really). If I HAD to venture to guess... I'd say I issue about 40% of the tickets that I could. But that's just me - at heart, I'm still a big ol' softie.
 
If you caught me speeding, you'd totally let me go, right?

*I don't think you work traffic, but just in general
 
If it was 3 am in the morning and you got a call about a noise complaint, some one heard a "Crack!" and you saw me on the street putting away my parachute, Would you arrest me?
 
What makes the difference to you when deciding whether or not to give someone a ticket? This is assuming it's a minor infraction that could go either way.

Also, do any types of calls annoy you? Is there any type of problem that comes over the radio that just makes your eyes roll?
 

fade

Staff member
One of the things that amazed me when my wife became a cop was how cheap hookers are in reality. Like some women will work for 5 bucks. Hollywood always makes it seem like your lowest level working girl wants hundreds. What are the running prices there? Just out of curiosity of course.
 
What was your favorite day as a cop, and why?
Any day I get to bust up a priviledge kid's drinking party is a fun day. My crowning achievement was rolling down a driveway about a quarter mile long (no exaggeration), stepping out of my car and seeing a teen stagger towards me. He looked, blinked owlishly, and then this look of pure terror spread over his face and he took off screaming "COOOOOOOPS!!!! COOOOOOOPS!!!!!" It was all I could do not to fall over laughing.

Then, on the more serious side, there was the time that I was first on scene for a fully-engulfed retirement apartment fire. Two apartments ablaze, and the residents of the building were still thinking that the fire alarm was a joke. I was yanking retirees out of their apartments dressed in whatever they could grab in 10 seconds or less, and hurrying them downstairs. Then I low-crawled along the second floor hallway behind two off-duty (and drunk, I later found out) firefighters, who told me that there was still someone trapped in an apartment halfway down the hall.

The smoke was literally too thick to see beyond 5 foot in front of me, even at the carpet level. I tried my damndest but, I'm not going to lie, it's terrifying when you can't see and you can't breath. I was on the verge of turning around when the two hosedraggers made the decision for me, and we all got out of there.

Just as well, as it turned out, as the room was building up for a flash. It broke as soon as I reached the outside. Michael Bay would have been proud.

In retrospect, there were at LEAST a half-dozen things I did wrong, but I'm proud that I was able to act and help out.

If it was 3 am in the morning and you got a call about a noise complaint, some one heard a "Crack!" and you saw me on the street putting away my parachute, Would you arrest me?
For what? Unless you're on private property (in which case, I've got you for Loitering and Prowling), I'm not sure that Savannah has a law on the books about base-jumping, probably because there's only one spot in the city you could feasibly pull it off - the Talmadge Bridge.

I'd just shake my head resignedly, write up an F.I., and send you on your merry.

What makes the difference to you when deciding whether or not to give someone a ticket? This is assuming it's a minor infraction that could go either way.

Also, do any types of calls annoy you? Is there any type of problem that comes over the radio that just makes your eyes roll?
Honestly? Suspect conduct during the contact. If you're an ass, guess what? You just bought it legitimate. If you're nice, or at least HONEST, then there's a chance. I also take past record into account - I can view your history of infractions for Chatham County, so if I've stopped you for a Stop Sign violation, and it's your fifth ticket, obviously you know what you did wrong, and you've kept on doing it. Tsk tsk...

As for eye-rollers... usually "He-said, she-said" domestics and/or baby-mama drama. Stupid shit that need not happen, but are a distressing sign of the times. These make up the vast majority of my call volume. Well... those and shoplifters.

What are the running prices there? Just out of curiosity of course.
Couldn't tell ya! But you can watch Spike TV next... Wednesday, I think... they're starting a new series called "Undercover" or something to that effect, and Savannah was part of the first run. I even got in on a couple of the arrests, as a transport driver! *grins* But that was during a big prostitution bust operation that went on for a couple months.
 
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