The official "Ask a cop/deputy anything!" thread

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

Can you open carry while not in uniform though?

If my badge is visible (…not that it's required by state law). I do it just so I don't get approached by other officers and make an issue out of it. Most people are oblivious when I open carry anyway; there's a lack of situational awareness. I rarely do it, but when I do I have my badge clipped right next to my firearm.

I notice everything: knives (..stowed/folded in a pocket or open carried on a belt), weird bulges, etc.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

weird bulges, etc.

Quit staring at my package!!!

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Quit staring at my package!!!

You're blessed!!!!! Might you be mixed with black?!?….my brotha' from a vanilla mutha'!!!

[Watching The World Burn]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Quit staring at my package!!!

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You're blessed!!!!! Might you be mixed with black?!?….my brotha' from a vanilla mutha'!!!

That's just his hernia. He's going to have that fixed when he has a six figure sum saved up so he can access the American health care system.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

That's just his hernia.

BOTH OF YOU QUIT STARING AT MY PACKAGE(s)

[Sedan_Clan]

Interestingly, I was propositioned to become the School Resource Deputy for a local high school. I would lose my current schedule with 3 days off per week in favor of a 5-day work week with traditional weekends and holidays off. I am unsure what I'm going to do.

[Watching The World Burn]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Interestingly, I was propositioned to become the School Resource Deputy for a local high school. I would lose my current schedule with 3 days off per week in favor of a 5-day work week with traditional weekends and holidays off. I am unsure what I'm going to do.

I know an officer who does that - he loves it. But he also really really hated trying to stay awake on a night shift. But its still kind of sad the type of stuff he sees happen even at those ages. World is going downhill fast it feels.

I never really asked him as it just occurred to me, but would you get the summer off if school isn't in session? That could be a major bonus. He and I will probably go grab some wings in July once my work dies down a little.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

I know an officer who does that - he loves it. But he also really really hated trying to stay awake on a night shift. But its still kind of sad the type of stuff he sees happen even at those ages. World is going downhill fast it feels.

I never really asked him as it just occurred to me, but would you get the summer off if school isn't in session? That could be a major bonus. He and I will probably go grab some wings in July once my work dies down a little.

I would go back to the line during the summers.

[Watching The World Burn]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I would go back to the line during the summers.

Do you think it would make you less situationally aware? Guess that would be my concern. But frick schools get a crap ton of PA/holiday days on top of all the statutory holidays. I suspect it would be a nice gig.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Watching The World Burn

Do you think it would make you less situationally aware? Guess that would be my concern. But frick schools get a crap ton of PA/holiday days on top of all the statutory holidays. I suspect it would be a nice gig.

There is some concern about complacency. Patrol awareness/knowledge is a perishable skill. I also have aspirations to jump on a bike for a few years and get off the main line, so I really focus on my traffic knowledge. The School Resource position is kind of, "Out of sight. Out of mind," so I also don't want to be forgotten about when the bike becomes available.

[leopard print]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Interestingly, I was propositioned to become the School Resource Deputy for a local high school. I would lose my current schedule with 3 days off per week in favor of a 5-day work week with traditional weekends and holidays off. I am unsure what I'm going to do.

Just stay away from the jailbait.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by leopard print

Just stay away from the jailbait.

Another legitimate concern. Jailbait allegations. No thanks!!!

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Another legitimate concern. Jailbait allegations. No thanks!!!

We used to have School resource officers, and then the SJW pushed to have students polled to see if they were made uncomfortable have police officers in the schools, 90%+ were in favour so of course they removed them. I knew a few of the guys doing it and they really liked it and thought it was worthwhile.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

We used to have School resource officers, and then the SJW pushed to have students polled to see if they were made uncomfortable have police officers in the schools, 90%+ were in favour so of course they removed them. I knew a few of the guys doing it and they really liked it and thought it was worthwhile.

Did they ever say what was the most enjoyable part of the gig?

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by CarsAndGuitars

Why is traffic enforcement practically non-existent in south Florida?

- On I95 cars routinely fly by any time of day or night in moderate traffic - in any lane at upwards of 100mph+

- From our neighborhood, far away from any turnpike / interstate, we can sit in our backyard any night and hear cars and bikes a mile away racing and hitting the top end of 4th gear and beyond on secondary roads.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, but there is a difference between having a little fun and putting other people's lives in danger on public roads. This is unmistakably the latter.

You rarely see anyone pulled over and nowhere in the area seems to be off limits to regular ongoing reckless / dangerous driving. So why is it seemingly so tolerated by law enforcement?

Originally Posted by CarsAndGuitars

Why is traffic enforcement practically non-existent in south Florida?

- On I95 cars routinely fly by any time of day or night in moderate traffic - in any lane at upwards of 100mph+

- From our neighborhood, far away from any turnpike / interstate, we can sit in our backyard any night and hear cars and bikes a mile away racing and hitting the top end of 4th gear and beyond on secondary roads.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, but there is a difference between having a little fun and putting other people's lives in danger on public roads. This is unmistakably the latter.

You rarely see anyone pulled over and nowhere in the area seems to be off limits to regular ongoing reckless / dangerous driving. So why is it seemingly so tolerated by law enforcement?

You should call the non emergency # and see what they can do…

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Did they ever say what was the most enjoyable part of the gig?

As I recall they like interacting with the students, I think they managed to win over lots of kids who may have had a negative opinion of the police. I think it's got to be the right person for the job, but I think it could be a good go.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

As I recall they like interacting with the students, I think they managed to win over lots of kids who may have had a negative opinion of the police. I think it's got to be the right person for the job, but I think it could be a good go.

That's a good perspective to have. Thank you. I just don't want to lose my 4-10 schedule.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

That's a good perspective to have. Thank you. I just don't want to lose my 4-10 schedule.

So I could see myself doing it later in my career.....maybe. I know what you mean about losing the shift work, as you get older it does take a toll though. I don't want to sound like a cliche but it is a job where you might be able to make a difference, and get away from the daily garbage. It needs to be a good fit for you and for the school.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

So I could see myself doing it later in my career.....maybe. I know what you mean about losing the shift work, as you get older it does take a toll though. I don't want to sound like a cliche but it is a job where you might be able to make a difference, and get away from the daily garbage. It needs to be a good fit for you and for the school.

My lady said something similar. I will definitely have to sleep on it because if I give up my traffic car (…one of the best patrol spots to have due to the fixed schedule, the more focused enforcement and my current spot is in a preferred area as well), it'll go to the next person with the highest seniority behind me and I won't be able to get it back.

[bayarea328xit]

Grand Rapids officer charged with second-degree murder in shooting of Patrick Lyoya, prosecutor says

Avoiding politics, if possible, how does news like this factor into morale in your department(s)?

Is there a procedural fix? How should the officer have handled that stop?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by bayarea328xit

Grand Rapids officer charged with second-degree murder in shooting of Patrick Lyoya, prosecutor says

Avoiding politics, if possible, how does news like this factor into morale in your department(s)?

Is there a procedural fix? How should the officer have handled that stop?

Morale takes a hit every time an officer is charged in a situation like this. I'm not familiar with the circumstances of that case, so I will reserve my judgment(s) and criticism(s) until I have/know the facts. Give me a minute to review the facts as they are known and I'll come back to this.

[Sedan_Clan]

So....


....I've watched the body camera footage and I will render an opinion based on what I can ascertain from the footage and with consideration to my own training and experience. This will be a long response replete with edits, so bear with me as I attempt to gather my thoughts together.

Having personally been in plenty of situations where the motorist is attempting to exit the vehicle or has exited the vehicle, the first thing I would've done - at the distance the officer was from the suspect/suspect vehicle - was detain the driver at gunpoint, remain behind relative cover (..e.g...the door of the vehicle; what's the exigency to approach at that moment?!?!?) and request back-up. The officer deciding to make the approach under those circumstances was already a bad decision IMHO. I say that only because a motorist who immediately tries to exit the vehicle or successfully exits the vehicle is generally prepared to fight, is a flight risk, has a weapon or a combination of all three. Tactically, the officer is safer with the driver/operator inside of the motor vehicle. The officer makes the approach, but then seemingly stands there and takes no affirmative enforcement action. If I'm going to take my chances and make an approach, I'm going hands on immediately because............if I don't take control, nothing is under control!!!! After what seems like hesitancy on behalf of the officer, he goes hands-on and then the suspect flees. The fight is on! At that point a scuffle ensues and the suspect is resisting, but based on the camera footage, it doesn't look like it immediately becomes a deadly force scenario. The officer deploys a TASER - which is largely a distance neutralization weapon - and the suspect grabs the TASER. That action on behalf of the suspect turns it into a deadly force situation because if the officer gets tased by the suspect, the suspect could retrieve the officer's gun and it could/would go downhill very quickly. Shortly thereafter the fatal gunshot is rendered.

Now, let me be fair. I wasn't there. I/we cannot see what the officer sees (..e.g...360-degree environment, etc.) nor feel what the officer feels (..e.g...the suspect's level of resistance/strength, etc.). The two-dimensional camera footage shows us a lot, but it does not show us everything. People need to remember that when they are viewing the images and video footage from a body-worn camera. I also am not privy to the training that particular officer had, nor am I privy to that department's policies, so understand that my perspective is from the lens of my own training and experience, my department's policies and how we employ our tactics in the field.

I think the officer made a few decisions that added more difficulty to an already tense and rapidly evolving situation (...e.g...deciding to advance under those circumstances, deploying the TASER during a ground struggle, etc.), BUT the suspect's actions turned it into a deadly force scenario by grabbing the TASER.

I personally would not have deployed a TASER in such close proximity to a suspect; at that distance the prongs are useless (...e.g...not nearly enough spread to incapacitate) and a drive-stun is not always effective. I think the officer did everything he could to avoid utilizing his firearm. If it were me and I were alone on a traffic stop - which I usually am - I would have detained at gunpoint pending the arrival of back-up. If the suspect ran, I would not have chased alone, especially without having cleared the vehicle ahead. I would have advised my back-up that the suspect ran from me and provided details with regards to the description, direction, etc. I also would have called for aero assistance. Ultimately I would have to consider the reason for the stop (..Was it just an infraction? Was it a felony suspect?) and how far I'm willing to take it considering the violation I have. I'm going to treat a felony suspect/threat much differently than somebody who ran from me in a situation where I saw no weapon.

I hope I answered your question(s), but if you have more, feel free to ask. I will try my best to answer them. I do not think this officer deserves manslaughter charges. I think many of these D.A.'s care more about the social climate and the optics than they do about fairness and consideration of the situation(s) based on the verbiage in the law........which states the circumstances should be considered based on what a prudent officer with similar training and experience would do. If a suspect grabs my TASER, I will shoot.