open letter from a cop

[naaman]

^^^
Much appreciated.:smile:

 

[Cairo94507]

Here's my story. I have a court date shortly.

There is a local lake that I have fished at for over 20 years. I go out to this lake quite frequently mostly to get away from all the stress, unwind, and catch a few Bass.

BenDF- I would write a letter to the department and file a complaint about the officer's traffic enforcement tactics in a PARK. Or, if you have the time, go in and speak with a commander, (lieutenant or above) and explain it to them and show them the citation. Also tell them you are fighting the ticket, but that one has nothing to do with the other. You are complaining becasue of the unsafe practices the officer is engaging in while on duty that not only jeopardizes the public, but his safety as well. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BladesNSX]

^^^
Much appreciated.:smile:

+1 :biggrin:

 

[Synthesis]

i think everybody will agree that cops do good, and they also do bad sometimes, like everybody.

but, like i said originally, cops are always under public view, and enforcing laws that they often break (like most people)..... kind of a double whammy.

as for small town cops, they are the ones that tend to be the bigger a holes. maybe for lack of something better to do? less exposure to different people? i duno.

personally, i have never really had a "good" experience with a cop. (minus a couple warnings). but, again, i am pretty confident that when something more important arises (non traffic related), that most every cop would be all over it. which, i think, is what really matters.

but, on the flip side, i just wish that these other stories that everybody has of stupid things happening (everybody has em, including the cops here) just didn't exist. THOSE stories are what we're bitching about. and i guess when you get harrassed by anybody, it usually gets taken very personally. and instead of being able to bitch slap (physically or verbally) the person who did it in these cases (cops).... you really can't do all that much. hence the almost universal hatred for cops (WHEN THEY DO STUPID SHIT).

when you don't, i (and i think most people) respect you and what you do. there is appreciation for the good things, but there will always be much higher disapproval when a cop gets caught doing something bad - and rightfully so.

i think if you really read what people are saying - we essentially agree.

one request i would make, however, would be for the good cops that are on this forum to really get on the punkass cops. probably one of the harder aspects of your job, but if you think about it... it's your responsibility. you should be bitching more about cops doing stupid shit than we are. they're the ones that make you look bad (to the public) (yes, we're bitching about cops doing stupid shit, not about cops in general)

in any case, it's nice to get both perspectives.

and don't worry.... no matter how bad people make you out to be, you'll never be worse than the medical system :wink: (no, not michael moore induced.... just see how shit goes down in a hospital sometime - aside from insurance crap). if you argue about that.... you're stupid. :smile:

 

[Ski_Banker]

Damnit BEN!!! We are on the good story streak and you come with a bad one LMAO:biggrin: :biggrin: Still, this is exactly like something that happened to me. In this case, the cop was a motor patrol cop and I just finished working a 14 hour shift after the hurricanes hit us in '05 (poor New Orleans is still a mess:frown: ). He tailgated me until I sped up ever-so-slightly then pulled me over and cursed me off. I just sat there waiting for him to pull off after the unnecessary lecture. Then when I pulled back on the road, this idiot was tailgating the next driver.

What a baffoon LOL, if someone was really bold & mean, they could slam on their brakes, the biker cop would have gotten a nasty taste of a trunk, and the offending driver could just haul butt away and leave the scene, doubtfull to ever get caught. But, none of us would be that driver because, despite the varying opinions on cops...and cops opinions about the public, most people are generally good people deep down.

Oh, one more thing Ben...GO BACK TO THE LAKE!! Don't let one cop's moment of being a jerk ruin your stress relief ritual.

Lol. I *AM* glad this thread has taken a turn for the better. And Blades- I honestly feel sort of stupid about my inflamatory comments - thanks for putting things in perspective. Keep up the good work in Miami!!!! :wink: :smile:

 

[BladesNSX]

one request i would make, however, would be for the good cops that are on this forum to really get on the punkass cops. probably one of the harder aspects of your job, but if you think about it... it's your responsibility. you should be bitching more about cops doing stupid shit than we are. they're the ones that make you look bad (to the public) (yes, we're bitching about cops doing stupid shit, not about cops in general)

in any case, it's nice to get both perspectives.

and don't worry.... no matter how bad people make you out to be, you'll never be worse than the medical system :wink: (no, not michael moore induced.... just see how shit goes down in a hospital sometime - aside from insurance crap). if you argue about that.... you're stupid. :smile:

Oh, trust me...I got my nickname and it stuck in my department. My fellow officers know when they do something that I think is ridiculous and I will taunt them for it. I have an "illegal" qouta, and I barely make that qouta and sometimes fall short of it. I question the qouta and I am outspoken about things the department would "suggest" we do or be punished in an indirect way, i.e. poor performance eval based on "patrol activity".

I told off an officer that arrested an eleven year old black kid for "assault on an officer" when the kid is barely 4'10 and maybe 80 lbs. I scoff at some of my fellow officers that write a speeding ticket to someone who was going 38mph on a 30mph road.

Remember, those are the officers the staff likes. They are the producers. Though they produce in a cheap and unfair way. It's the guy that question's authority, criticizes his fellow officers, and doesn't just follow orders blindly, like me, that gets the brunt & dirty treatment.

You might say it's "My responsibility", however those officers could give a damn what I say or think. It is the citizens responsibility to file a complaint if and ONLY IF that officer crosses the line of respect and abuses his power. Granted, if you call and make a complaint that you got a 38mph ticket for in a 30mph zone, there isn't much recourse I know. It's a frustrating situation no doubt. But I can honestly say that cops like this are a smaller fraction than guys like me.

Remember what I said about the Crash movie though. A cop that is a jerk to you today, will likely not hesitate to save your life should you be in a car crash, having a heart attack, or you kid drowned in a pool. I mean, I seriously doubt many cops chose their careers because they wanted to issue a guy a ticket for making that illegal U-Turn. Deep down inside, they want to make a difference, they want to be a hero, and the want to be your hero. Many won't admit that, but deep down, they know it's true:redface:

Lol. I *AM* glad this thread has taken a turn for the better. And Blades- I honestly feel sort of stupid about my inflamatory comments - thanks for putting things in perspective. Keep up the good work in Miami!!!! :wink: :smile:

Well, as a show of fostering amnesty, how 'bout you use your obvious leadership influence and set up a group get together in the S. Florida area. Though I get the feeling you are a very busy guy. Btw, sorry about your tranny issues :frown:

 

[TyraNSX]

If you want more evidence that traffic enforcement should just be moved into the Dept. of Revenue Collection read this. I'm not entirely blaming the cops since they are following orders from a govt that just wants money, but at least everyone could cut the BS and admit that's what it's really about. I wonder how many crackheads, child molesters, and wife beaters would get tickets if the town/state was getting $300 a pop.

And I don't feel the least bit threatened by someone blowing by me in an M3/M5/NSX/ C5 or C6/ your favorite hi-perf car at 130 mph. But I sure don't trust Ricky Rice in the lowered primered Civic with a fartcan and 3 bald tires doing 80mph. If you are going to screw people in the name of "safety", start dishing out the tickets for unsafe vehicle, overloaded, improperly secured load, no lights, etc. too. But I guess that doesn't rake in the big bucks and make good headlines/news blurbs.

 

[steveny]

And I don't feel the least bit threatened by someone blowing by me in an M3/M5/NSX/ C5 or C6/ your favorite hi-perf car at 130 mph.

The drivers that scare me are the ones sitting up straight, leaning forward with both hands on the steering wheel doing 5 under the limit or 20 under if they are retired.

 

[BenDF]

Oh, one more thing Ben...GO BACK TO THE LAKE!! Don't let one cop's moment of being a jerk ruin your stress relief ritual.

He wins. I'm afraid to go back.

I'll see what happens after I face him in court. For now, I'll be fishing at some other lakes where I know I can fish in peace. :wink:


Ben

 

[Wheelman]

Holy Cow!..the First thread I've read where everyone comes together at the end about law enforcement:tongue:

Kudos to my Brothers that walk the thin blue line... and to all the "Good" Citizens on this forum:tongue:

 

[pvmike]

Blade - This is Steveny's Wife.

This just recently happened to me while I was driving through a small good ole' town. I was driving with my cruise control on at 29 mph (I've had way too many tickets and am in the process of fighting one currently - so I didn't need another for speeding) I was driving in my Porsche. A cop pulls up to me VERY quickly, so quickly I didn't even notice him until he was right on my bumper. I could not see his headlight, he was so close. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, with my turn signal on. He drives by me extremely slow, I rolled down all my windows (b/c of tint - I wanted to make sure he knew I was not doing anything wrong inside the car). He turns on his lights waits for me to get just passed him and pulls me over. He comes up to the window and says, " Why did you pull over?" I replied, "Because I had brain surgery a couple years ago and if I get rear-ended in an accident I could die. I pull over for all tailgaters. I just figured you needed to be someplace faster than I needed to be to my destination." He says, in a very rude loud voice, "License and registration." I said, "I haven't done anything wrong." He walks around my car and comes back to the window and says, "You don't have a front license plate, I can give you a ticket for that." I said, that I bought the car in PA (no front plate required) and I had ordered the front plate bracket. I even had the cell phone number of the dealer I purchased it from and asked him if he wanted me to call the guy to confirm. Obviously, he said "it doesn't matter, I don't have it on right now." At that point, like Cairo said in a previous post, "All cops put their pants on the same way we do every morning," I decides to treat him just like I would treat any human being that was using a badge to try and empower the situation. I said, "So, you pulled me over because I was doing the law abiding right thing to do and would not allow tailgating, and you walk around my car to give me ANY ticket, just because you can? Do you really expect me to believe you have nothing better to do than drive around looking for people with no front license plate?" He replies, "Yup, just because I can." He walks back to his car, sits in his car for at least 10 minutes, comes back with the ticket and tells me to get the license plate on there. ( So, just to clear the air here, the cop already has my plate number, right? So there is no more need to tailgate, right?) I waited 8 minutes before pulling off the side of the road, I didn't want the cop tailgating me again. He waits with me. Finally, I pull out. He pulls out right in back of me, TAILGATING AGAIN!!!!!! I pull over to the side of the road 7 different times, he pulls in right in back of me with his light not on. (Mind you, this is after I told him of my brain surgery). Finally I pulled down a side road and into a driveway and waited for him to be out of view before pulling out and heading to my appointment that I was now late for. To make an extremely long story short, I called a reported him to his Sgt. I also mailed a description of what happened and a picture of my front plate on my car the day after the ticket was written to the Judge in the town, the Sgt, and the local paper, with the Deputies name in print (I checked the laws first to make sure I could do that).

I have always appreciated police officers, and still do with the utmost respect. I have 2 cousins that work for the LAPD. One was just promoted to the Narcotics division and one is a Homicide detective. My cousin who works in Narcotics used to live with my family and we supported him financially through all the steps to get where he is today. Steve has paid to put two people who have worked for him through the police academy because it was their dream to be an officer and also we donate at least $3000 a year to the local Police Academy to help with upgrading equipment and scholarship awards. (And, No, he has never told anybody this when he has been pulled over) - As a matter of fact, he will probably be upset when he wakes up and reads that I posted on this forum. :wink:

Hey Renee, good to see you on here commandeering Steve's account. :smile:

Even reading your story pisses me off. Jesus, what a d*ck. I can't believe he was tailing you after you told him about your surgery. I'm glad you reported him. Tell you what, I'm going to buy you a helmet so you can slam on the brakes the next time you see him tailing you.

 

[ediddynsx]

Hey Renee, good to see you on here commandeering Steve's account. :smile:

Even reading your story pisses me off. Jesus, what a d*ck. I can't believe he was tailing you after you told him about your surgery. I'm glad you reported him. Tell you what, I'm going to buy you a helmet so you can slam on the brakes the next time you see him tailing you.

+1 on what pvmike said....sorry about the rude cop experience.

 

[VampNSXX]

and I still don't like em.

me too. when one of them put a gun to my face when I was about 22 just to tell me that my back light was not working was it for me to never like them again.

 

[VampNSXX]

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Background on the argument:

It is illegal/misconduct for a police officer to enter a private residence without permission and without a search warrant.

Same thing happened to my familly member. The cop just started to tell every one in the house that he was going to take everone to jail if they did not do what he told them. And yes the cop also just walk into the house and started to say shit to evey one. Called the little shit heads. I wish they would have has it on tape also but they did not. The way I see it is even if they did have it on tape the cops would just get away with it like they always do.

 

[Ryanmcd2]

I have had tickets for speeding and never really had a bad run in with cops. I have been to jail even but it was my fault They helped me many times in the past.

When I was 9 my 3 wheeler broke down and a cop gave me a ride home

2 years ago I flew past a car in the fast lane because he was going slow, I shifed and a blue flame came out the exhaust because of the meth injection, Then I see the blue lights. I pull over I was going about 100 in a 55. The cop comes back and says "Next time look around before you go hauling ass"

 

[steveny]

Tell you what, I'm going to buy you a helmet so you can slam on the brakes the next time you see him tailing you.

LMAO - I might hold you to that, Mike. :biggrin:

BTW: Update, I sent a picture to the court and the sergeant of the front plate on my car the very next day, with a very nice letter explaining what the cop did. I had not heard from the court, so I called last week, they had no record of my ticket. Apparently, the ticket just vanished???? :wink: