IamA (honest) police officer! AMA!

how many times a week does your captain tell you to turn in your badge and you have to go rouge to solve the case and then have an epic shoot out and become the hero get the girl and a promotion keep it up and you will be section chief

o ya are you irish

At least twice a month.

No.

Here's a weird question. I once read a while ago, a lawyer broke down Jay-Z's "99 Problems" lyrics. There's a line that says, "My glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk in the back, I know my rights, you're gonna need a warrant for that...". Is it true if it requires a key to be opened that you need a warrant to search it?

That is true!

What about padlocks?

If anything is locked, it can't be opened without a warrant.

[deleted]

OP's?

What about the situation if you ask if he has anything dangerous? Subject says no, you ask "care to prove it?"... Legalish?

I've asked if I can search people's vehicles if they really seem off. If they say no, I normall log the contact info in my notebook for future reference, if necessary.

This is why I made this thread: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fda_1375442766

Officers like her piss me off. The majority of us are not like that.

Keep in mind, any answers that are constitutionally related are not so that you guys can break the law. Haha. It's so that you can know the law. We all have a right to know our rights, right?

I've got a weird one for you, how do you keep your gun holster from chafing your hips?

I wear pants.

I am a 16 year old who Wants to be a police officer. What advice would you give me about becoming one?

Keep your criminal activity to minor traffic violations. Even then, keep them few and far between. If you've done bad things but haven't been caught, do NOT lie about it when given your polygraph test. Departments don't want to knowingly hire liars. It works against your testimony in court. Be honest. No matter what it is.

I thought polygraphs were supposed to be ineffective?

They're not admissable in court, but can be used for employment. I think they're ridiculous.

Oh, yeah. And good luck to you!

Thank you. I will keep all that in Mind when i apply. Also, does family history come into play? My dads a real dick and the police around here didn't exactly like him before he moved. How would this influence my chances?

It shouldn't (at least I hope not). There's cops whose families have all been arrested.

Departments don't want to knowingly hire liars.

Aren't the police trained to lie to people though? You'd think they'd WANT liars =P

No, they're not trained to lie.

/r/ProtectAndServe

Had no idea this existed. Good to know.

If you were to pull me over and my car happened to smell a bit like pot and I admitted to you that I have a bit. What will happen?

A lot of officers share the same sentiment that small amounts of pot shouldn't be criminalized. Now, if you're smoking and driving, that's another story. In my state, you'll be going to jail for DUI. Keep in mind that the scent of mj is justification to search your vehicle. If you only have a small amount, I'll confiscate it and write you the ticket that I originally stopped you for.

I recently saw a video where a guy got stopped at a DUI random check point. Yes, he was deliberately filming to make a point. He was polite but declined to lower his window more than a little for the officer. The officer then asked for permission to search his vehicle. Again he declined. They then said they would have a dog sniff his car. As the officer got the dog near the window he said something to it and the dog scratched the glass. The filmer later pointed out that the dog didn't sniff at all, which we saw on tape. He said this is how they gain entry to your car without probable cause. Have you ever used this trick, or heard of it being used?

I saw that video as well. Those officers were completely wrong. But, also, the guy filming was not exactly truthful either.

The subject was right in that he did not have to exit his vehicle, roll his window down or allow it to be searched. That does, however, make most any LEO (law enforcement officer) suspicious. He claimed the dog purposely scratched his car and that the K9 officer gave commands to make the dog act as though there was something in the car. Wrong. When the officer says "here" or "check here," that's exactly what the dog is doing. Just checking.

When the officers used the dog's normal behavior to justify entering and searching the vehicle, that's when they should be kissing their jobs goodbye.

I've never used that "trick". I've never seen or heard of it being used in my department. However, it's clearly being used in others and it's nothing short of deplorable.

Odd question - is a car wreaking of car freshener probable cause?

No.

How do you feel about the whole Edward Snowden/NSA incident?

Edward Snowden is a hero. What the feds are doing to infringe on the citizen's privacy with no warrant is disgusting. As a P.O., we are to uphold the law, not bend it to our liking.

Wait.... a public servant that actually believes in the oath they took to uphold the law and the constitution... I smell some B.S. here. J/K

I don't blame you.

Where I'm from, if you don't get out of the car and walk to the trunk when you're pulled over, you basically may get shot. How would you react if you saw someone do this in a routine stop?

I've watched reality cop shows down south where it's the norm to get out of your car and walk toward the officer. Where I'm from, that's no no. You're going to get yelled out and potentially have a gun drawn on you. I don't see the sense in making a subject exit the vehicle. That brings in too many variables that you just can't prepare for. Departments who make this their SOP seriously need to reevaluate.

Explain this more, it makes more sense to me that if someone is inside a car they could be hiding anything, whereas if they walk to the trunk of their own car you can see what they're about and if their hands are free of weapons.

Also, if someone did this and later they explained that they're foreign and didn't know any better, could they still get in trouble?

When they're in the car, you can see them squirming, reaching, moving, etc. That automatically heightens your awareness. When they're out and moving, they could have them a gun on them that makes it easier to pull, small knifes or blades, they could run...just way too much going on that puts the officer at a disadvantage. If I see a guy squirming in his seat, I'm drawing my gun and demanding hands go on the wheel. If they don't, then it's show time. If they're out and draw a gun then, well, I hope I draw quicker than they do.

As for foreign/unaware people, I just tell them to get back in their vehicle. Non english-speakers generally understand when I point to their vehicle.

What kinds of things do they ask you about in the Polygraph?

Everything, really. Be prepared to answer ANYTHING.

so...... delete my browser history?

Haha. It's a police department. Not the NSA.

I gotta get ready for work, reddit. I'll get back to the q's when I can!

Whats the funniest thing you've seen while being a police officer ?

Some guy in a dept store had a hard on. He went to the women's clothing section and would intermittently shake it to keep it hard. Not AT anyone, just cuz he was in the clothing section. Pretty funny. He was wearing tight spandex shorts.

When was the first time at work you really got nervous about a situation

When I stopped a guy that was high on meth and was being ambiguous about whether or not he had a gun in his car. That was the first time my asshole puckered a little tighter. I was also only three days off of break in. Didn't know shit.

Would you have handled it differently today?

I would have handled it COMPLETELY differently today. Not many days go by where I don't wish I for a mulligan on that one. It's also the first time my job made me call home to my kids to tell them I love them.

What would you have done differently though?

Stuck my gun in his face, opened his door for him and told him to get the fuck out of the car. Your attitude changes the more experience you get. Instead, there were questions of "should I draw?" "Should I get him out?" "What if he's not high (even though I "knew" he was)?" Stuff like that.

Have you seen End of Watch?? What did you think??

Yes. That movie is accurate and realistic, all the way to the way they handcuff people. The best cop movie I've seen next to "Colors."

Do you ever get sick of or respond to all the annoying teenagers that yell out "fuck the police" or call officers "pigs" when they pass by? I think they sound incredibly stupid.

They do sound stupid. I don't get sick of them. I think they're funny and they make me laugh. I had one asked me if I wanted some donuts while driving by one time. I told them I get off at 2300 and would prefer them to be warm.

Where I live there is a Dunkin Donuts right up the street of the spot that Cops like to congregate when not on a call, I have been tempted in the past to go get a dozen donuts and bring them to the cars, do you think the Cops would take offense to this?

Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't be offended. I wouldn't take them, though.

Congrats on a year... practically a veteran now eh? ;)

Thanks! And wouldn't say that. Still got a lot to learn.

I plan on enlisting in the Army sometime this year, after serving, what is necassary for me to transfer into law inforcement?

Any military service is a plus when it comes to law enforcement. I don't recommending going MP because departments find this "programmed" individuals to be difficult to reprogram for public services.

[deleted]

Yes.

Are you concerned that what you see at work every day will change you?

Yes.

How do you feel about the whole George Zimmerman thing?

Was he right in shooting Martin? I believe so. Was he right in doing the things that led up to the shooting? No. Can't convict stupidity. Should he have been tried for maybe manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter? Definitely. I love stand your grand laws, but that doesn't give ordinary citizens the right to take matters into their own hands.

What type of skills would you like to see more in a police officer?

I'll give you an example: here in a major city they started training cops to communicate and detext a person with communication difficulties because sometime they are mistaken for mentally ill and can be agitated when a uneducated (on those matters)cop comes interrogating them.

So yeah. any skill you feel they should be training you for (more)?

Yes. Communication skills, culture diversity training and maybe a little more health training. I've seen officers arrest someone for "resisting" when really, they were having a diabetic attack and couldn't respond.

If you're not traffic unit, then what unit are you?

Just a regular patrol officer. Traffic unit cops are the ones you see running radar on the side of the road. They are there strictly for traffic code enforcement and don't answer (usually) other calls for service such as burglaries, assaults, etc.

Also, another question if you don't mind. I want to become a K-9 unit officer, because let's admit, those guys are pretty awesome (not saying you're not awesome), but how difficult is it to become one? Have you ever thought of becoming one?

It's very difficult. Highly competitive. I actually wouldn't want to do K9 even though the job is pretty badass. I want to do robbery investigations. It's one of the few crimes committed where the victim is actually a victim. Crimes against children would be something else I'd like to get into.

What type of crimes would you commit against children?

Any crime. Abuse and neglect, mostly. Sexual assault, rape, physical or mental abuse, etc.

Welp

Hahahaha! Niiiiice one. Of course I took this as what crimes would you (as in people in general) commit against children. Well played, sure. Voted up for sure!

The NSA wont find it funny.

The NSA needs a sense of humor.

When you come across a random stranger on the street whilst on duty and in uniform, would you prefer that they stop to say hello and chat, or leave you completely alone?

No preference. Some people don't like cops, some people do. I'm aware of this. I don't expect or think I deserve different treatment because I'm in uniform.

I've done a lot of drugs in my life and quit smoking weed a month ago, will the force care about that if I'm honest during my polygraph and don't do drugs anymore?

Possibly. Depends on the dept and what you used.

What is the hardest thing about being an officer.

People expect you to do something for THEM, when sometimes there's nothing that can be done other than giving resources. And not knowing if this will be the day I don't come home.

Speed monitored by aircraft is a scam right?

I've only seen a sign that said that once. And by an airport. I don't imagine they would have a dedicated plan circling an airport. Plus, it sounds expensive as hell and they'd have a hard time getting vehicle/plate info. I'm gonna say: Scam.

I'm from Denmark and pulling the gun here is very, very rare. Do you see American police officers as "trigger happy" or/and that they enjoy the power it provides? What is your view on this? Is the gun move always necessary? Are there situations where you thought "Okay, pulling the gun here might not have been the smartest decision"?

I wouldn't say we're trigger happy, but it's definitely a different culture than you have, I'm sure. I've never pulled my gun out and second guessed myself later. The gun can go in the holster as fast as it came out.

That last sentence is poetic, I'm gonna embroider that shit onto a pillow and give it to my LEO dad.

Hope he likes it.

Why does a sheriff by me always put a 12 gauge in his car? Why does the sheriff have a 12 gauge?

Some departments standard issue shotguns and ARs.

what do you have to say about racial profiling? i am from St. Louis where arrests are 15 to 1 blacks.

It happens, but sometimes not on purpose. Are you in an area with a high concentration of blacks? There's a number of things that can skew those numbers.

Are you in an area with a high concentration of blacks?

st louis lol

Not defending profiling, but doesn't that make sense if there's more blacks, more blacks are getting arrested?

What's the worst thing you've come across?

People who are high on PCP. They have superhuman strength and feel no pain. It's gonna be a long day when contacting those people.

How do you react when a person you've pulled over tells you that they are carrying a weapon (legally)?

Tell them not to make sudden movements. It's no big deal.

I heard that cops have a "Blue code" which basically means if you see another officer breaking laws you won't do anything about it. Is this true?

There is a "cop culture" that this sometimes happens. It's sad.

Have you ever seen another officer break a law? And if so did you do anything about it?

Not personally, no. But yes, I would report it.

How much can I really speed and get away with? From you, and from people you know, and from your experience?

Also how do I avoid getting a ticket for going ~9-11 over? I usually shoot for 10 over, I realize 9 over is safer because of brackets, but I'm just hedging my bets that a cop wont pull me over for 10 over when that's pretty much what most of the road is doing, give or take.

You're using terminology (brackets) that I'm honestly not familiar with. I don't pull anyone over for speeding unless it's 11mph or more. Most officers do 10. If you're pulled over when you're seemingly going just as fast as everyone else, you're the unlucky one.

It's the fines you get. Like 1-4 over is a bracket, 5-9 over is a bracket, 10-14, etc.

Unless that's a state thing, or a thing I made up or thought I heard somewhere.

So most officers do 10, meaning I'd be well advised to readjust to 9 over and learn to like it?

You could do 10 and be fine in most cases. That's the threshold, but not a guaranteed stop. Nine would be safer.

That's it for the AMA. I need to have a beer and watch a stupid horror movie. It's been fun, even for those I didn't necessarily agree with. Hope I provided info and insight. Have a good night, reddit!

You should edit your original post and add some of the FAQ's there i.e. Only the traffic unit has quotas. So far I've counted that question 5 times.

Yeah. That's really the only FAQ. Good idea, though.

[deleted]

Call an ambulance. Request a blood draw at the hospital.

In an earlier question about small amounts of pot, you said you would confiscate the small amount and write a ticket for the reason they were pulled over. I was once told that if a cop confiscates any type of illegal substance without making an arrest, the cop is then in possession of that illegal substance. Is this true ? What do you do with stuff you confiscate without making an arrest ?

Well, you don't want to be telling everyone you confiscated pot. Haha. You just trash it.

And where might said trash can be?

Upvoted. I lol'd.

So you destroy evidence?

If you want to arrest everyone on for possessing a minuscule amount of pot, go right ahead. There's bigger fish to fry.

Can an officer stop you on the street and demand he search you?

No. Huge violation of your rights. They CAN frisk you in certain instances. Google "Terry Stop."

Quick question about the industry: my g/f is a Detention Officer, and she finds that she actually likes it. She's thinking about "upgrading" to patrol (County Sheriff's dept.). Any advice?

That's where a lot of cops get their start. Good for her.

Did you tell any lies during your polygraph test? How many questions were there?

No. And there were about 50 questions, each of them worded a little differently for about 150 questions total.

How tired are you of domestic violence runs?

Are you in a large city or small town?

I don't get tired of them. Those people need help. And we provide it, even if it's just getting the abuser away from the victim. Now, the repeated cases, those bother me. People are scared to change their lives for the better.

Also, I'm in a medium sized city. 400,000 residents.

Some of them don't have anywhere else to go. When you have calls like that, are you able to provide information to the victim regarding help in the area?

Yes. Giving them resources is priority #2, after medical attention. They do need help, and sometimes a little push to get out of their situation.

Do you have a ticket quota?

I don't. Traffic unit does.

Is there really a quota of speeding tickets cops need to write before the end of the month?

Not just speeding. Traffic tickets in general. And yes, for the traffic unit.

Is the quota to generate revenue or make the city safer?

Good arguments could be made for both sides.

How can you prove that you're honest?

I think if you read my comment where the person asked about weed in the vehicle, you can see I'm pretty understanding. Understanding people don't seem to be dishonest. Also, I've had thousands of dollars worth of property in my possession, some of which I recovered on my own, and have not had a single thing go missing.

I was threatened with a reprimand if I did not change a report to suit a sergeant's desires. These changes would have contradicted what actually happened. I refused. There was no reprimand when I told him I'd go to our chief about it.

There was no reprimand when I told him I'd go to our chief about it.

How is your relationship with him since then?

Wasn't my sergeant then, and isn't now. You have to work with people you don't like, though. Just do your thing.

1. In light of all the videos of cops on power trips being assholes like the one you linked, how often do you come across fellow cops like that? Do cops get away with abuse of power often?

2. How would you (or do you) react to people like the ones in videos at checkpoints that refuse to answer questions and do the "am I being detained?" "Am I free to go?" Loop?

1) haven't come across an officer who as acted like that. It's not the norm, honestly.

2) I treat them the same as anyone: with respect and not violate their constitutional rights. If I was in that officer's position, "No, you don't need to roll your window all the way down as long as we can hear each other. No, you're not being detained. Yes, you're free to go." Without harassment.

you say honest police officer. have you seen some dishonest things from your fellow officer?

Not first hand, from the people I work closely with, no. Thank god.

I also, am going in to Law Enforcement. (my school entitles it LEJA) LEJA will be my major with a double minor in Homeland Security and Envr. Science. I might possibly go for a double major, and make Homeland Sec a major along my LEJA, any advice for school, internships, future jobs, or anything? Thanks for your time and thanks for protecting and serving!

What you plan on doing is way above my pay grade! Haha. Sorry.

[deleted]

Yes. And what do you mean?

What medical conditions will more or less bar someone from becoming a cop?

Not being able to walk, run, jump, speak or perform any of the essential functions of a police officer.

I've been a P.O. for more than a year and have basically seen it all

You sure as hell have not, boot.

Do you know where I work? I sure as hell have, arrogant ass. Once again, "basically." And I never have said I know everything. I'm glad you can take a word from a movie and make it your own. Good job.

My Dad has been a police officer for around 20 years now, and he has some very strange dreams and thinks it is because of his years on the force. Do you or anyone you work with experience very, and I mean very unusual dreams?

Not unusual dreams, but certainly frightening ones.

Is Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny here too?

I see what you did there...

How would you feel if you were asked to wear a camera?

I welcome it.

What is your stance on people who conceal carry?

More power to you. Just do it legally and tell us if we make contact with you.

To get into the US police force you have to take a polygraph test, for real? That's ridiculous haha.

Tell me about it...

What is the pension / retirement like in your area?

How does overtime work? Are you hourly or salary?

Pension/benefits are ok. I can't complain. Overtime is minimal due to our great scheduling system. We do work off duty where you can make $30-$40/hour. Basically doing nothing.

Why don't good cops (you say you're one) do anything about the bad?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjtL2-hbHkg

We do. It's just not news worthy so you never hear about it unless the media can slant it.

I heard that police have a unwritten "quota" to do arrest; to show that they are making the public a safer place. On top of that within the police there is also an unwritten threshold, by that I mean your team all tends to arrest fairly the same amount of ppl on average...no one goes "above and beyond" the unwritten limit. This way it won't make members look bad who didn't make the quota...therefore the numbers are always kept at a achievable medium.

What are your thoughts on this?

I think if you could be doing more, but you're not to make your peers look good, you need to reevaluate yourself.

Say you respond to a DV call. There are two males involved, one much older than the other, both adults. The younger has a very bloodied nose and mouth the older has a slight scratch on his shoulder. The older is about twice the size of the younger. The younger is the one who called in claiming he was assaulted. The older claims he was assualted first via the scratch. The younger has neatly trimmed nails with zero blood or other markings. The younger is the leaser on the house and the older is a subleaser through the younger. The younger meets you on the street, with the older still in the house. The younger, in a calm and somewhat collected manner greets you and gives you his story as soon as you approach. He identifies himself and complies thoroughly with all requests. He requests to have the older male removed from the property at the very least.

How do you respond?

First, this doesn't seem to be DV as there's no blood relation or "relationship" between these two men. (at least you haven't mentioned it)

If it was DV, the person who has taken the most damage is usually, not always, the victim. A slap or scratch doesn't justify an ass beating.

Next, you can't make someone leave their place of residence without a court order. You can ask.

If this was DV, someone is going to jail regardless. If not, does anyone wanna press charges, or hash it out like civil people?

Also, call an ambulance so medical treatment can be provided.

Is this a test? Haha

I have a question about the polygraph, hers a quick background:

I'm just about done with my BA in Psychology, I was a Fire Cadet for over a year, I've worked in Government for the past few years and have a valid finger print clearance card. I took a few courses at my CC in LE a couple of years ago before pursuing Psych and really enjoyed it. My only concern is, I've smoked multiple times over the past few years. Would it be even worth taking the polygraph? It's the only drug I've done, and minus a couple of speeding tickets have a clean record. Any advice?

How long ago was it? If departments turned down everyone who smoked, there'd be very little cops. I've smoked.

As of right now the last time was 6 months ago, I don't mind giving it more time as I've still got 2 semesters of school left and am employed. What would you recommend out of curiosity? I looked on a local pd site and they didn't say anything about it specifically

Most of them don't, just that you need to pass a drug test. But two years is the norm for "statue of limitations."

I have a question about quotas. Is it true that even if your state doesn't have them, it is looked upon poorly if you do not have enough tickets? That it would affect your eval?

Also, thanks for the AMA.

I guess it could, in a way. If your supervisors see you aren't being as productive as your peers, they're going to want to know why. I guess it all comes down to this: don't be lazy and do your job.

Have you ever been talked out of giving someone a ticket?

Yes, but generally I have my mind made up about giving a warning or a ticket. The subject's demeanor is going to decide whether or not it sticks.