Law Enforcement - What Are Your Pet Peeves?

[rstcso]

I can't remember any police officer, deputy, or state trooper that didn't have a pet peeve. If they stopped someone for their pet peeve, they were getting a citation.

Mine - Children not being safely secured appropriately in a moving vehicle. You were getting a citation!

Note: Texas had, and may still have, a few exceptions to this rule. I've been out of the department for over 20 years, but it used to be persons could ride in the open bed of a pickup driven at or under 30mph. I once saw someone who put a big tarp in the bed of their pickup, filled it with water, then took their kids for a spin in their neighborhood, sloshing along. Was is smart? I certainly didn't think so. ! Was it against the law? Not at the time, and still may not be.

What are or were your pet peeves?

 

[ctechbob]

Cops that will pull over a car for something minor (such as a tag light) when NCIC returns that the driver is wanted (in another county) who then proceed to arrest that person and bring them to my facility (ok so far) and then insist that I have my people process them on a $20 ticket and make them bond out before they can go to the other county that wanted them in the first place. Huge waste of effort and time on our part.

Our local cities ordinance that makes it a violation of said ordinance to curse at a cop. They arrest on that quite often. Not fingerprintable, no real reason to come to jail.

Their city ordinance that is more restrictive than the state law on Public Intoxication in that the state law requires you to be loud or boisterous, whereas the city ordinance just says you can't be intoxicated in public. They arrested a dude for it that wasn't violent, wasn't loud, just fell asleep in the downtown Waffle House, they woke him up and he said he was going to be on his way, nope, arrested.

All of the above is mainly city cop things. I'm sure our county guys annoy me in some ways, but I'll have to come up with some good ones.

 

[rstcso]

There are definitely LE who abuse their "power". They disgust me. We had a couple like that.

Departments have their own cultures, some good, some not-so-good.

 

[ragtoplvr]

we have free speech, try to ticket me for cursing a cop, and I will sue. If the cop is that thin skinned then I suggest a different occupation.'

Rod

 

[Lubener]

These are all petty items against an officers doing their job, sometimes dealing with idiots.. Not far from me, in lorain Ohio, two officers were ambushed by a lunatic and shot with a rifle while innocently taking their lunch break in their cruisers... One officer passed away yesterday from his wounds. A third responding officer was also shot. So when police have to put up with this nonsense, I am willing to bite my tongue and not give them a hard time. If you feel you were wronged, that's what the courts are for.

https://fox8.com/news/ne-ohio-police-officers-shot-during-ambush-suspect-dead/

 

[rstcso]

we have free speech, try to ticket me for cursing a cop, and I will sue. If the cop is that thin skinned then I suggest a different occupation.'

Rod

Yes, the law says we are not allowed to be offended. Unfortunately, there are many who do get offended.

There's a great book called "Verbal Judo". Basically it's about learning to deal with people and ignoring all the things they may be saying as long as they're complying with your requests. It should be a must-read for all in LE, but applies to life in general.

 

[rstcso]

These are all petty items against an officers doing their job. Not far from me, in lorain Ohio, two officers were ambushed by a lunatic and shot with a rifle while innocently taking their lunch break in their cruisers... One officer passed away yesterday from his wounds. A third responding officer was also shot. So when police have to put up with this nonsense, I am willing to bite my tongue and not give them a hard time. If you feel you were wronged, that's what the courts are for.

https://fox8.com/news/ne-ohio-police-officers-shot-during-ambush-suspect-dead/

The level of rhetoric has gotten to be almost intolerable. I would not want to be on the streets in today's world.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Cops that will pull over a car for something minor (such as a tag light) when NCIC returns that the driver is wanted (in another county) who then proceed to arrest that person and bring them to my facility (ok so far) and then insist that I have my people process them on a $20 ticket and make them bond out before they can go to the other county that wanted them in the first place. Huge waste of effort and time on our part.

Our local cities ordinance that makes it a violation of said ordinance to curse at a cop. They arrest on that quite often. Not fingerprintable, no real reason to come to jail.

Their city ordinance that is more restrictive than the state law on Public Intoxication in that the state law requires you to be loud or boisterous, whereas the city ordinance just says you can't be intoxicated in public. They arrested a dude for it that wasn't violent, wasn't loud, just fell asleep in the downtown Waffle House, they woke him up and he said he was going to be on his way, nope, arrested.

All of the above is mainly city cop things. I'm sure our county guys annoy me in some ways, but I'll have to come up with some good ones.

Do you these ordinances exist because you're in college town?

University of Georgia for you BITOGer's

 

[John105]

Is this question for LEO, or for everyone? I don't like to see police officers sent to a school zone, and they are in their car on a mobile device. If this is a work device, it's bad optics. But I assume it's their personal cell.

My wife has a cop friend who occasionally has such a duty outside a Catholic school. I haven't seen her on her cell.

Another pet peeve is that cops are not allowed to pull people over in the city of Phila for no registration or inspection, or limo tints. Imho these are red flags. Sometimes, such vehicles drive into the suburbs and are stopped, because they forget there's no such restriction preventing cops from stopping them for no reggie/inspection or tints.

 

[k1xv]

I think it is unfair and unreasonable for law enforcement officers to set radar speed traps at the bottom of long hills, so that vehicles coming down the hill get pulled over for exceeding the speed limit when the "speeding" is caused by gravity and the driver not riding his brakes down the hill.

 

[rstcso]

Is this question for LEO, or for everyone?

All are welcome.

 

[4WD]

Sometimes it’s just leadership - ours were really aggressive getting folks barely over the speed limit - stealth paint jobs - thought it was “them” …
Nope, new chief - only 2 logical speed traps now - bright new paint jobs

 

[Hall]

Our local cities ordinance that makes it a violation of said ordinance to curse at a cop. They arrest on that quite often.

And no one has challenged that in court ? That's a clear violation of the 1st amendment.

 

[rstcso]

I think it is unfair and unreasonable for law enforcement officers to set radar speed traps at the bottom of long hills, so that vehicles coming down the hill get pulled over for exceeding the speed limit when the "speeding" is caused by gravity and the driver not riding his brakes down the hill.

One of our deputies liked to do this. Stopped a guy doing 83 by the time he got to the bottom in a 55 zone. The guy said he'd kicked it out of gear and just let it coast. He received a citation for speeding and warning for "coasting" which was/is illegal.

 

[ATex7239]

Gun free zones without metal detectors and/or armed security is one of my pet peeves. It’s even more annoying when places have those Run, Hide, Fight videos instructing you use improvised weapons as bludgeoning devices. Beating someone to death with a fire extinguisher must be morally superior to shooting them I reckon.

 

[Pablo]

Of course no one wants/likes cops who abuse the laws, go power hungry, lose their minds. They are out there, but of course give the whole range a bad name. It's a nasty job, and the stress gets to every person in law enforcement.

Another (and yes gun free zones are just invitations) are exclusions from phony gun laws for LE and military. If the laws themselves are not a violation of the US Constitution - creating classes of people excluded from laws is what????

 

[Chris142]

I will throw this in. I'm not an officer. My peeve is police that do not do their job. I live in an area with the worst drivers in the state.. people run red lights. Ride ATVs down the street and even the fwy right past a police officer and that officer does not do anything about it.

Back in 2000 I worked til 2-3 am 7 days a week. At least 3x a week I would get pulled over going home and they always said I had a license plate light out as the excuse. Would not let me out to see but it was always working when I got home

One day I put a bright off road light back there that lit up the whole rear of my truck.

Guess what I got pulled over for? Yep license plate light too bright .

The following morning I matched into the station and had a talk with the guy in charge. Never got hassled again.

Im between #2 and #4...never an officer to be seen and if they are seen they ignore the law breakers .

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/worst-drivers-in-america.html

 

[rstcso]

...never an officer to be seen and if they are seen they ignore the law breakers .

Your location may have a lot to do with this. Just saying.

 

[buster]

I think it is unfair and unreasonable for law enforcement officers to set radar speed traps at the bottom of long hills, so that vehicles coming down the hill get pulled over for exceeding the speed limit when the "speeding" is caused by gravity and the driver not riding his brakes down the hill.

About 20 years ago I accumulated 8 pts from tickets. All of my tickets were speeding. I would drive an hour to work on a major highway, usually left hand lane at 80mph. I would have State Troopers fly up behind me, some practically touching my bumper, so I would move over so they could fly past me. I never got a ticket for doing 80-85mph surprisingly, but when I would come off the highway and drive through some nice little town, there would be cops hiding. All of my tickets were for exceeding speed limits in residential areas. I'm not making excuses, I was speeding.

The only real issue with the police that I've had was their attitude. But I'd say 9/10 were always nice. I have no issues with the police and wouldn't mind more of a police presence if it keeps crime down. They have a tough job. I have several friends that are a cops/state troopers.

 

[Zee09]

You have to know the law to enforce it.