To our police officers...question

[1320junkie]

Originally Posted by mike25

really? im in buisness mgmt right now but im not liking it too much. you switched, but still ended up in law enforcement i take it?

Yup

[mike25]

Originally Posted by 1320junkie

Yup

so then i take it its not 100% necessary if i wanted to join law enforcement down the road?( CJ degree that is)

[1320junkie]

Originally Posted by mike25

so then i take it its not 100% necessary if i wanted to join law enforcement down the road?( CJ degree that is)

Not for what I do I cant speak for others..we require that you have a four year degree..period:

"You must possess a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education"

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by mike25

btw...how many of you officers have a college criminal justice degree? considering it myself?

CRJ here.

Originally Posted by mike25

so then i take it its not 100% necessary if i wanted to join law enforcement down the road?( CJ degree that is)

Nope. Not necessary...but helpful.

[Shadowsong]

I haven't read the WHOLE thread... just the first 3 1/2 pages, but I'd just like to share my experience with police in my Mustang, since I don't have a Camaro (yet.)

Now, I'm only 18, I've been driving this car since I was 16. In those 2 short years, I've been pulled over 5 times.

1st ticket, City police, speeding 72 in a 50. Well deserved, didn't give any lip, was more worried about my dad.

1st warning, constable, rolled a stop sign, guy was nice, I honestly didn't realize I rolled it, he let me off.

2nd ticket, speeding, State trooper, guy was really cool, got me going 90 in a 65, wrote me out for 85 because he didn't want to deal with the paper work, and he saw that I was just a kid. I thanked him, several times.

3rd ticket, speeding, campus police, 34 (I think?) in a 20. This was my one and only screw up. Was having a bad day, come out to find scratches on the car after school. Was a total A** to the guy. Got a ticket. I found out later, he was going to give me a warning, but my attitude got me a ticket. I found him at school the next day, apologized, and explained my bad day, not to get out of the ticket, but because I felt bad.

2nd warning, constable, license plate light was out, was nice and casual since I knew the guy because of community service from my first ticket, still gave him the respect his uniform deserved though.

All except my third ticket, I was just as respectful to those men as I am to my parents, and my instructors in High school ROTC if not more.

Now, I see a lot of people in this thread saying this that and the other about our police officers, and it honestly baffles me.

My father used to be a policeman, long before I was born, he is now a federal agent, so I was always raised to respect the hell out of anyone in a uniform, that puts themselves in harms way for us 'normal folk'.

Maybe it is because I was raised to respect them, or maybe it is because a lot of people close to me are in their shoes, but I just do not understand people who badmouth police.. Yes, there are some bad ones, but isn't that true for, well, everything?


...WHOA!

Sorry about the novel... it just kept coming... lol

[TAG UR IT]

Hey...I LIKED the "novel."

And thanks for your input!

[2KZ28_For_Now]

One thing comes to mind. Be truthful, be humble. And if you get the paper written on you, most times you deserved it.

Sometimes a good attitude and a show of respect can save your bacon. Sometimes the LEO has no choice but to write you up if he or she called it in on the radio first.

just understand all that and be respectful no matter what.

[SleepWarz]

Yeah being pulled over for something you did wrong is alright. I mean that's their JOB.

Being pulled over and 'checked out' multiple times for no real reason is not alright. And I will give those officers the riot act should they intend to waste my time.

[Diabel1969]

Originally Posted by broncosman

Heheh TAG UR IT, you're right



Teleplayer, one thing I never realized before I became an officer is that you can go to jail or get a citation for anything (Except 2 things and I'll leave that up to you to figure out). So Peace Officers exercise a lot of restraint and give many brakes more then you realize. But hey, I mean you're right. We Peace Officers & Military folk risk our lives everyday for others' freedom and safety just so people can run around and have an attitude and hate us for it. Enjoy

My favorite is the race card. On several occasions I stop someone just to tell them "Hey, just wanted to let you know your driver's/passengers side brake light is out, tail light is out." and I ask for their DL & Insurance. I check their info to make sure they have no warrants and I go back and let them know why I stopped them. Then "So, did you just stop me b/c I'm black in a black neighborhood?"...
No, I stopped you b/c your tail light is out and I just wanted to let you know, but I appreciate the racial comment. You have a wonderful day!
So, are there officers out there on a power trip? Sure, it's no different from the corporate world.

I actually wish there were more officers like you. I've had MANY run in's with various officers, and there's a 50/50 spread. I've met some that were very very decent people just doing a job with great values, and regard to people in general, and i've met some real champions that shouldn't be carrying a loaded weapon, or wearing a badge. Now i'll admit, I've done my share of things to deserve many tickets, and have received warnings instead, including street racing where the officer had every right to arrest me and impound my car, but chose to let me off with a seat belt ticket (I was honest with him when he asked me if I knew why he pulled me over, seriously, at that point in time after being caught at 117 in a 45, what's the point of lying???), and there are times that I did NOTHING wrong and was written tickets just so the officer could meet his quota, or just to be a tough guy and write a ticket. Now before that comment gets me slammed, i'm no stranger to law enforcement. My cousin is a retired state trooper, his son is in law enforcement, my father is retired corrections, another cousin is retired police LT, another is retired police chief, and numerous friends are currently on forces throughout my area. I'm far from a fool as far as legal knowledge goes. Do I ever name drop? NO! but i'm known as a person who doesn't take crap from anybody regardless of who they are. I've actually gotten tickets for nonsense, and once the ticket was written, had the officer tell me that I seem to know a bit about law, and asked me who I knew. Once I told him the laundry list of those I "know", his reply to me was "I wish you had said that earlier!" To which I replied. "There's a right, and a wrong, and it shouldn't matter one bit who I know, or who I'm related to, the ticket you wrote me was nonsense, and I won't clutter the issue with name dropping". Went to court and ticket was dismissed. I was also pulled two years ago while being the designated driver, in a vehicle that wasn't mine for a license plate light being out, going the exact speed limit, and by the time that ordeal was done, the officer and I had come very close to physical blows after he gave me nothing but attitude and wrote me two nonsense tickets. Attitude by the way is my character flaw. I give what I get, if a person is nice and respectful to me, they get my respect in return. if that person is an idiot, and gives me attitude, they get that in return. point is, it's a job, we're all human, we all make mistakes....

Anyway, I thought i'd add my 2 cents on a topic that seems to have strayed from it's humble beginnings..... FYI, I was pulled in the new camaro last week, but only to look at the car, which to me was cool.. the officer was passing me, and egg'ed me on to run him which has happened a few times with different car's i've owned including the old 96 impala ss, so I ran him, dusted him, then slowed down. He very shortly after waved me over so he could check it out. Thankfully, the car has cruise control as it seems to love the 80 to 81 mph range!..

[kopacko]

Originally Posted by mike25

btw...how many of you officers have a college criminal justice degree? considering it myself?

Chemical Engineering here....go figure huh!

As to those who post that we "expect" you to be nice in order to get out of a ticket. It quite the opposite...we just don't want to stand on the side of the road and argue with you. Yes, a confrontative attitude is going change my opinion of you (as would anyones, like the guy in the grocery store or the waiter at dinner). Statistically, that is the most dangerous position for us to be in. More officers are injured or killed on the side of the road on a traffic stop than anything else.

On a side note, it doesn't matter why you were stopped, didn't your parents raise you to be respectful? I mean seriously...it has nothing to do with a power trip...I say "sir" or "ma'am" to everyone whether I am on-duty or off-duty. I have found that being respectful will always allow you to go farther and get more without having to do much.

[1320junkie]

Anyone who can cause you to lose your cool has more power over you than you have over yourself.

[mike25]

Originally Posted by kopacko

Chemical Engineering here....go figure huh!

As to those who post that we "expect" you to be nice in order to get out of a ticket. It quite the opposite...we just don't want to stand on the side of the road and argue with you. Yes, a confrontative attitude is going change my opinion of you (as would anyones, like the guy in the grocery store or the waiter at dinner). Statistically, that is the most dangerous position for us to be in. More officers are injured or killed on the side of the road on a traffic stop than anything else.

On a side note, it doesn't matter why you were stopped, didn't your parents raise you to be respectful? I mean seriously...it has nothing to do with a power trip...I say "sir" or "ma'am" to everyone whether I am on-duty or off-duty. I have found that being respectful will always allow you to go farther and get more without having to do much.

hhmm guess ill will stick with my current major then! thanks for the info

[SlingShot]

Originally Posted by kopacko

For me it is 75% attitude as to whether or not I issue a citation.



Why? I mean, I know everyone tells me the truth when I ask a simple question (can you hear the sarcasm?) If I see 5+ entries in the past 2 years, you can bet "my" attitude is going to change because obviously that person is showing they just do not care to follow the traffic laws.

Glad you questioned it... Never heard of not running the DL and Tags for history to see who you are dealing with ......

[SlingShot]

Originally Posted by Diabel1969

Anyway, I thought i'd add my 2 cents on a topic that seems to have strayed from it's humble beginnings..... FYI, I was pulled in the new camaro last week, but only to look at the car, which to me was cool.. the officer was passing me, and egg'ed me on to run him which has happened a few times with different car's i've owned including the old 96 impala ss, so I ran him, dusted him, then slowed down. He very shortly after waved me over so he could check it out. Thankfully, the car has cruise control as it seems to love the 80 to 81 mph range!..

You must live in a little hick town... I can't see any LEO doing that, they have to much too loose and too much to document ....