Ask a cop! Greatest FAQ ever!

[Jesda]

http://www.markviii.org/htdocs...&page=

[bcar240]

that is great. He answered the some questions I have wondered about forever. He must have dedicated his life to that thread for a while.

[Thrwnsprkz]

nice find, ive always wondered about appling brakes after passing a cop... i dont wanna be cofused with a drunk...

[slow s13]

I have my own ideas about breaking for seeing cops in the median or what not, I have a good freind that worked in a courthouse for awhile and he talked to a few cops and they all said they took it as disrespectfull if you didnt hit your brakes while flying by a cop like you didnt care that you just flew but, ive been smashing my breaks for years with no speeding tickets yet......knock on wood

[Gold Digger]

Hey slow...which of the cities do you live in and what is your name. I lived in davenport for 2 years over behind the fairgrounds. Drove a white eclipse GSX. My name is Neal, we might know some of the same people.

[HashiriyaS14]

This is an awesome FAQ!

I have so many other questions to ask this guy...

-Can cops tell people to disperse from private property even when the owner has not filed a complaint (i.e. major parking lot)?

I'd also love to know the real letter-of-the-law behind where one can mount a front plate in the state of MD, I can't ever seem to get a straight answer.


Modified by HashiriyaGDB at 4:45 PM 12/21/2004

[AZhitman]

Jesda -

Will you extend an invitation to Ofcr. Gale to join us over here with a similar thread?

I'm sure he could be an incredible resource, seems we have more of a "need" for this kind of info than the handful of Mark VIII drivers...

I didn't sort through all the link-upon-link for the responses, some forums are WAY too difficult to navigate enjoyably...

[rousie13]

Good reads.....I've always wondered about that braking when you pass a cop thing too. And I've noticed they dont' usually look twice at me in teh Taco when I'm doing 75ish in a 65 on the way home. I was doing 75 and passed two ohio cops, and had a NY trooper behind me until I saw him and pulled over to let him by. There was a tractor trailer passing me but doing roughly the same speed as me and a cop pulled out quickly to pull him over, but didn't even look at me.

[fiznat]

Yeah AZ I was gonna say, we need to recruit some officers for this forum! A couple of the other forums that I read has them and they're always an excellent resource...

[RED_DET]

No need to recruit, I'm already here. Just to add, matching bracelets are now in stock!!

[gibbo80]

my brother is a cop and he doesnt mind the hittin the brakes after you see them cause some people actually arnt paying attention to their speed and get a wake up call by seeing the cop. Plus the ultimate goal is to get people to slow down so i guess it worked

[I30T]

my question has always been at intersections where there are three lights on one row, two like normal and one for a protected left turn... if the protected left turn light is red and the others are green, can you still turn left at will (like one of the five-light combos would be)?

[andrave]

I30T- there will usually be signs telling you one way or another, but in the scenario you described, NO you cannot make a left hand turn. You cannot run a red light unless you are making a right hand turn at an intersection where ROR is permitted and you make a complete stop and yield to all traffic.On lights where a protected green is given via an arrow but it is OK to make a left when the green is not lit, the protected left will go green, yellow, and then instead of red the green light for the normal lane will stay lit. If that makes sense.If there is no turn signal than you may make a left hand turn any time the light is green (if not prohibited by signage at that intersection) but you must yield to any oncoming traffic.

The answers to almost all of your questions can be found by reading up on your state driver's hand book or by looking up your state statutes. You can look online or ask someone in your state legislature (your representative will be glad to have an intern respond to your letter- I interned in our capitol and responded to many similar requests, and either directed the constituent to the correct information or (more often) did so and enclosed copies of the information to the person who asked.)Your best weapon against overzealous law enforcement officers is knowledge of the law and a lawyer on retainer. I've a law school student and I've been victimized by several cops before and the only way to keep the system regulated is to know your rights to refuse, complain, or litigate. I have always (and still do) believe that the best cops are dead ones. I've never met a police officer who wasn't a crooked son of a ***** who would lie and cheat to get whatever he wanted. They hide behind their badge to take out their sick aggression on the population by beating up kids on the side of the road for minor traffic violations instead of trying to make a dent in car theft, corporate crime, robberies, or other violent crimes. Its rediculous what our society lets cops get away with.

[Jesda]

The thread is locked but Gale now has his own subforum.

[AZhitman]

I have always (and still do) believe that the best cops are dead ones. I've never met a police officer who wasn't a crooked son of a ***** who would lie and cheat to get whatever he wanted. They hide behind their badge to take out their sick aggression on the population by beating up kids on the side of the road for minor traffic violations instead of trying to make a dent in car theft, corporate crime, robberies, or other violent crimes. Its rediculous what our society lets cops get away with.

I won't get into it with you andrave, but that's about the most retarded thing you've ever said.... and the list is long. You obviously watch too much TV and know nothing about community policing and how it works. If you had a CLUE how the criminal justice system works, your third sentence wouldn't reflect your overarching ignorance.

Sounds like a spoiled woman on the side of the road getting a ticket: "Why aren't you out there catching REAL criminals?"

As far as I'm concerned, you've just relinquished your right to ever call for assistance when someone beats your a$$, steals your stuff, or harms your family.

You should be forced to wear a shirt that says, "The only good cop is a dead one." You'd never have the balls to do it on your own.

No need to reply, as you're entitled to your opinion...

[PoorManQ45]

I won't get into it with you andrave, but that's about the most retarded thing you've ever said.... and the list is long. You obviously watch too much TV and know nothing about community policing and how it works. If you had a CLUE how the criminal justice system works, your third sentence wouldn't reflect your overarching ignorance.

Actually Greg. I have a very close friend who is a US Marshall. Guess what he does. He Arrests crooked cops. I asked him on average how many cops were crooked. He siad, "About 15-25% or them." Now that's coming straight from the man that handles the crooked cops. So I would say that's believable. It depends on who your talking to, but I consider 15~25% a kind of large percent.

P.S. You guys didn't know that you're suppsoed to slow down for cops with their lights on? In the Florida handbook that I have, it specifically says that you're supposed to slow down to 20MPH below the speed limit while passing the officer, and if the speed limit is 25mph or below, 10~15mph is an acceptable speed to pass them at.

Quote »You should be forced to wear a shirt that says, "The only good cop is a dead one." You'd never have the balls to do it on your own.[/quote]I wonder if you could actually wear a shirt like that? Would it be considered indescent? Could you be arrested/Harrassed for the shirt?

[AZhitman]

Actually Greg. I have a very close friend who is a US Marshall. Guess what he does. He Arrests crooked cops. I asked him on average how many cops were crooked. He siad, "About 15-25% or them." Now that's coming straight from the man that handles the crooked cops. So I would say that's believable. It depends on who your talking to, but I consider 15~25% a kind of large percent.

Your buddy is full of crap.

The US Marshals do no such thing. The primary functions of the US Marshals Service include SOG (tactical unit), Federal fugitive investigations and apprehension, judicial security functions, the JPATS system, service of Federal court summonses and notices, and management of the asset forfeiture program.

Departmental IAB's handle "crooked cops".

Back to "time out" for you and your fabrications.

[Mr1der]

uh oh...looks like we got a retard infection...

I vote we don't have cops or laws...

nothing to stop me from booting idiots in the ***/mouth.

John LawMusic: Barton, Lyrics: Casey, McColgan

Now let me tell you about a man named John Law He's a neighborhood cop the toughest man I ever saw A man who knows his duty, a man with a gun To the people in the neighborhood John Law is number one

Freeze, we said Stop His name was John Law For John Law, Neighborhood cop A man we know and love

When John Laws not Kickin *** on robbers and rapist He's helpin little kids deliver newspapers When John Laws not chasing crackheads from their perch He's helpin old ladies on their way to church

chorus:

He walks the Beat Riding scumbags from the streets He turns his eye to petty crime Cause John Law will never drop a dime

Suburban Anarchists who've never broke the law Sing about police oppression, but they've never met John Law He doesn't **** with young kids drinking in the Park But he makes the city safe for women after dark

suck it suburban anarchists. suck it.

[andrave]

haha hit man got owned and tried to save face.

nah what I said is true and there is no way I'd wear a shirt like that, because cops are such scum bags you know you'd get beat up and arrested... thats the whole point of my post!I could wear a shirt to the post office that says "I hate the post office" and they would prolly still mail my ****.But if you wore a shirt that said you hated cops, you know your *** would end up with a night stick to the head, cuffed and stuffed in the back of a patrol car. Why? because we give way too much power to cops. Its not about their power to arrest, but about their power to detain and harass people for their own enjoyment. I'm talking about the **** where no charges are filed and they just waste an hour or two of your time threatening you with everything in the book (none of which they have the slightest grounds to do) and kick you around a little bit if you protest (which any reasonable person would do).

As for the comment that I've relinquished my right...ok, how many cops do you see sitting along side the highway to pad the pd's pockets writing speeding tickets? **** loads.have you ever actually needed to call the cops for something similar to what you have described?well, I ****ing have, several times, and I can tell you the truth. They can go from 0-60 in 7 seconds to catch you speeding 10 mph over the limite, but if you need to file a report for something that might actually take a little bit of work and probably not make them any money, they'll show up at their leisure, maybe 2 hours after you call, if youre lucky. Sometimes they don't even come that day. More likely then not they will play it down and try and convince you not to file a report or press charges because they don't want to deal with it. Their favorite way to do this is to tell you to come to them. I had an accident (guy ran into me) and my car was totaled and when I called the cops to file a police report they said "oh, yeah, you have to stop by our office (15 blocks away, at midnight in houston) to file a report, we're too busy to send an officer out."

And then when I got there 2 hours later the cop was like "why did it take you so long to come file a report? are you hiding something?"****ing douche bags.

And thats one of my more milder experiences with the police's incompetence.

And as for you saying that I have no clue how the criminal justice system works, I'd say I'm in a much better position to observe it than you are. I worked for the public defender's office of our capitol city for a semester and saw everything that goes on.

Its cool that you wanna defend them, I just with there was a legitimate way that you could. There may be decent cops out there, but if so they are far and few between. I know a lot of young guys that went into academy with a positive mindset but after a few years on the force they end up like all the rest.

[AZhitman]

haha hit man got owned and tried to save face.

Hearing PMQ babble on with information that he pulled out of his a$$ is not "getting owned". He obviously knows nothing about what the US Marshals do.

And as for you saying that I have no clue how the criminal justice system works, I'd say I'm in a much better position to observe it than you are. I worked for the public defender's office of our capitol city for a semester and saw everything that goes on.

I'll be glad to put my DECADE of experience in law enforcement, SEVEN years as an employee of the Arizona Supreme Court, current position as the Lead Investigator in ADHS's Office of Special Investigations, AND Master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration up against a mere semester-long small-town internship anyday.

I may be wrong on occasion, but I make it a point not to make broad generalizations about things I know very little about. I leave that to the "experts", like PMQ

Hopefully you'll have a positive experience with LE someday that will help change your negative outlook. The good that is done FAR outweighs the FEW (yes, FEW) bad apples (which certainly exist).

[elwesso]

uh oh...looks like we got a retard infection...

haha hit man got owned and tried to save face.[/qutoe]

That means about as much as the time Altiman said (insert anythign)

Ownage is only as good as the owner... And the ownee (greg) is not someone you want to mess with

[Jesda]

I used to bitterly detest law enforcement after being mistreated by two of them. (Nothing quite like being cuffed for hours in the back of a cruiser just to put the scare in you for something you didnt do, and to make your shoulders, wrists, and arms sore for no ****ing reason.) I remember what happened very vividly and will not forget. I was younger and I didnt know my rights. Being someone who keeps a pocket version of the constitution handy, you would think I would know. But when theyre coming down on you, everything you learned goes right out the window and you just want them to leave you the **** alone.

That said, I've come to rely on them lots of times for a variety of things and to assist when needed. They're human, and most I know have been fine citizens. So they're a-okay by me. I, like Officer Gale, also blame the drug war for putting them in bad positions.

[Mr1der]

yup...

think I've got a Q45 and a 240 to jack.

have fun taking care of it on your own retards

[Altiman94]

wait a second here, How'd I get drug into this whole thing, when I haven't even commented. I understand the responcibilities of police officers and respect their work. I do not appreciate your comment wes. You're supposed to be a mod and set a good example. I do not like to be talked about behind my back. If you got somethign to say, email me or talk to me on IM. I don't feel the need to deal with some high school punk.

[gibbo80]

Altiman and his friendly Q friends, its always interesting

[Altiman94]

they love me they are just aren't man enough to admit it

[Jesda]

[AZhitman]

they love me they are just aren't man enough to admit it

I am.

I love you man.

[PoorManQ45]

Quote »nah what I said is true and there is no way I'd wear a shirt like that, because cops are such scum bags you know you'd get beat up and arrested... thats the whole point of my post!I could wear a shirt to the post office that says "I hate the post office" and they would prolly still mail my ****.But if you wore a shirt that said you hated cops, you know your *** would end up with a night stick to the head, cuffed and stuffed in the back of a patrol car.Why? because we give way too much power to cops. Its not about their power to arrest, but about their power to detain and harass people for their own enjoyment.I'm talking about the **** where no charges are filed and they just waste an hour or two of your time threatening you with everything in the book (none of which they have the slightest grounds to do) and kick you around a little bit if you protest (which any reasonable person would do).

As for the comment that I've relinquished my right...ok, how many cops do you see sitting along side the highway to pad the pd's pockets writing speeding tickets? **** loads.have you ever actually needed to call the cops for something similar to what you have described?well, I ****ing have, several times, and I can tell you the truth. They can go from 0-60 in 7 seconds to catch you speeding 10 mph over the limite, but if you need to file a report for something that might actually take a little bit of work and probably not make them any money, they'll show up at their leisure, maybe 2 hours after you call, if youre lucky. Sometimes they don't even come that day. More likely then not they will play it down and try and convince you not to file a report or press charges because they don't want to deal with it. Their favorite way to do this is to tell you to come to them.I had an accident (guy ran into me) and my car was totaled and when I called the cops to file a police report they said "oh, yeah, you have to stop by our office (15 blocks away, at midnight in houston) to file a report, we're too busy to send an officer out."

And then when I got there 2 hours later the cop was like "why did it take you so long to come file a report? are you hiding something?"****ing douche bags.

And thats one of my more milder experiences with the police's incompetence.

And as for you saying that I have no clue how the criminal justice system works, I'd say I'm in a much better position to observe it than you are. I worked for the public defender's office of our capitol city for a semester and saw everything that goes on.

Its cool that you wanna defend them, I just with there was a legitimate way that you could. There may be decent cops out there, but if so they are far and few between. I know a lot of young guys that went into academy with a positive mindset but after a few years on the force they end up like all the rest.[/quote]

OMG man, you are so right

It's amazing all the "rights/powers" that are given to police man. You no that old saying that is supposed to define the US criminal justice system? Innocent until proven guilty! That is exactly backwards. It's really, "Guilty until provent innocent". Police officers will detain people even before they are proven guilty. I mean, if a "crime" is commited, the nearest black person(I'm sorry if that offends some people, but it's true ) will be questioned and possibly detained. It's kind of sad. And oh, Greg, in this thread or another, you said that profiling works! So, when innocent people are detained, is that considered a sucess of profiling?

And I understand what you're saying about Officers taking along time to respond if there really isn't anything in it for them.

Oh, you know what's really stupid about the justcie system? If someone breaks into Your house, and that person is hurt while in Your house, that person can sue you! WTF is up with that? So, someone that was breaking and entering, trespassing, and committing several other crimes while in someone else's house, has the right to sue the owner of the house! Does anybody else "See" something wrong with that?

[AZhitman]

*sigh*

I think the only remedy for the affliction you're experiencing is time.

Just like you can't put 10 bushels of apples into a 5-bushel basket, it's hard to cram 35 years of experience into a 17-year old head.

As far as you being sued by an intruder, you need to quit believing what you read in Mom's discarded National Enquirer and do some case law research. It's actually an incredibly UNcommon occurrence, and every incident is as unique as a fingerprint. No two cases are the same.

As regards my comment that profiling works, the facts stand alone. When you take into account the demographics of a given region, certain groups (not necessarily ethnic) are responsible for a DISPROPORTIONATE percentage of crimes. Factual, and indisputeable.

Now, if you can get your worried little noggin PAST the idea that profiling = racially-driven ethnic discrimination, it's a pretty easy concept to understand.

Ever see a 55-year-old man (race unknown) in a white dress shirt and tie, with a leather briefcase and reading glasses rob a convenience store? Me neither.

Ever see a 90-year old (race unknown) overweight woman commit a carjacking. Me neither.

Ever see a 14-year old girl with pigtails and a backpack (race unknown) commit sexual assault? Didn't think so.

Having considered the above:

Is it ENTIRELY POSSIBLE that the skinny, unkempt guy on the 10-speed with the hollow stare and nervous demeanor riding past your house several times at dusk is a law-abiding, upstanding citizen just out for his doctor-prescribed exercise? Yep. But unlikely.

Is it ENTIRELY POSSIBLE that the leather-clad tattooed biker with the "F*** THE WORLD" jacket patch and swastika do-rag is a contributing member of society who'd never even THINK of beating you senseless for looking at him crosswise or cutting him off in traffic? Yep. But unlikely.

Is it ENTIRELY POSSIBLE that the saggy-pants thug leaning against the lamppost at midnight with a pistol in his waistband is simply collecting data for a research project, and the gun is registered, licensed, and carried for protection in this rough neighborhood? Yep. But unlikely.

By the way, since YOU have already mentally assigned a race and age to all three of the above examples (admit it, I know you did, it's our nature), YOU are guilty of profiling.

Ding-ding!

Good work, class. Criminonogy 101 will resume next week.