Legally, yes, they can. A police officer is a police officer 24/7. They can enforce the law whether they are on duty or off duty, in a patrol car or in a bright pink Dodge Neon.
However, you would have to do something pretty bad to get an officer to try to spend his/her off time dealing with you for a crime. If it is a traffic violation, they will probably not stop you, but may put a call in for units to be on the lookout for your bad driving. If they see you commit a more serious crime, they will probably follow you and call for a marked patrol unit to stop you. It's generally considered a bad idea for an officer to try to make a traffic stop in his personal car, so they don't usually do it.
So, yes a police officer can stop you in their personal car. But if someone tries by flashing a badge at you, just keep going, call 911, and tell them that someone claiming to be a police officer is trying to get you to pull over. That way, even if the "officer" didn't call for a patrol unit, one will be on the way. Once the patrol unti gets there, pull over. They will then sort out if the person is really an officer or not and will take the appropriate action.
2006-10-17 21:18:45
·
answer #1
·
answered by RJ 4
·
2⤊
0⤋
Subject Police Officer Off-Duty Conduct: Powers of Arrest
PROCEDURES:
Police Officers have liability protection for the on- and off-duty performance of official duties.
Permitted Off-Duty Arrests:
When off-duty and within the legal jurisdiction a Police Officer may make an arrest only when.
1.The arresting officer is not personally involved in the incident underlying the arrest;
2.There is an immediate need to prevent a crime or apprehend a suspect;
3.The crime would require a full custodial arrest;
4.The arresting officer possesses appropriate police identification.
Off-Duty Responsibilities:
While off-duty, the police officer is responsible for immediately reporting any suspected or observed criminal activities to on-duty authorities.
Except as allowed by this policy, off-duty officers should not enforce minor violations such as harassment, disorderly conduct, or other nuisance offenses. On-duty personnel shall be contacted to respond to the situation where an off-duty officer becomes aware of such violations.
Where an arrest is necessary, the off-duty arresting officer shall abide by all departmental policies and procedures.
2006-10-17 22:14:38
·
answer #2
·
answered by Charlie Brown 1
·
0⤊
0⤋
The officer is thoroughly legal in doing this. the certainty that you bought stopped, have been given to non-public belongings or have been given off the line the place the violation happened is beside the point. officers many times watch for (a million) a criminal background verify to return decrease back in the previous pulling somebody over meaning the criminal now and returned makes it to aspects you have defined and (2) a safer section to pull the guy over consistent with hazard because of the fact of a loss of a secure shoulder, intense site visitors or extra effective lights in the previous executing a site visitors stop. are you able to think of if the police could no longer value tag you considering which you pulled right into a driveway? in certainty, the officer can deliver you the citation as much as six months after the certainty, besides the certainty that the courts could frown upon that. regrettably for you, it quite is not an perspective which you would be able to pursue to combat this value tag. properly, I could desire to declare, which you would be able to attempt to apply that perspective, yet you have a 0% hazard of prevailing that way.
2016-10-19 22:20:22
·
answer #3
·
answered by schrum 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
I think they can, but only if they have just cause. I think that's a load of crap. What if I pass a police officer on the highway and he/she is driving to Disneyland with their family. Are they going to stop me for going 100 mph on I95?
2006-10-17 19:46:35
·
answer #4
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
Yes, the police can stop you in some cases by the force of law.
2006-10-17 19:55:46
·
answer #5
·
answered by essamfayez 1
·
1⤊
0⤋
No, you should never pull over unless a police cruiser stops you. Even if they have police lights on their dashboard don't pull over, just drive to a police station. It could be someone posing as a cop.
2006-10-17 20:01:34
·
answer #6
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
1⤋
Only for cause.
They may be allowed to under the citizens arrest clause, and only if they have actual back up.
They can try and insist you stop your action, but are not allowed to use force unless specific danger to yourself, or another is imminent.
2006-10-18 00:47:41
·
answer #7
·
answered by someones_gottadoit 1
·
0⤊
1⤋
Yes, especially if you are breaking the law.
They must call on duty officers to arrest you but they do have the right to detain you as a civilian.
2006-10-17 20:01:58
·
answer #8
·
answered by surfer_grl_ca 4
·
0⤊
1⤋
in texas we are peace officers 24/7, yes is the answer in texas
2006-10-18 17:11:07
·
answer #9
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
NO they Can't!!! Because they would be performing a Civil Duty on their time. They can only do that if they do a Civil arrest. That's something we can all do.
2006-10-17 19:52:44
·
answer #10
·
answered by Jerrysberries 4
·
0⤊
1⤋