This Ain't Mayberry Anymore?

Question

Do any other officer's find that the good law abiding citizens don't really understand what crime actually takes place in their neighborhoods or what their local police force do after they are asleep in bed? I ask because I never get good people asking me not to arrest them for felony level drug dealing or domestic violence. They always joke about not getting speeding tickets. What they don't seem to realize is that most nights I only stop one or two cars (not counting felony stops) because I am too freaking busy running all over my beat handling in progress calls. It just makes me laugh that people actually think the police just lay in wait begging for a chance to write someone a speeding ticket. (boring! give me some real serious criminal to hassle)

The questions simply is to other police officers asking them if they experience the same thing. I am not looking to be thanked for a job I love and would do without thnaks, just if they get the whole don't give me a speeding ticket line everytime people find out they are a cop at a family function or out with friends etc. But thanks for the thank you's

Wow! Thanks for the answers. It's interesting to see other people's views. That's one of the good things that keeps life interesting.

Answer 1

I work as a dispatcher for a small town P.D. and I am forever hearing around town and even on some of the calls I get that our officers don't do anything!! I would give my right arm for the people who say this to come over to where we work and deal with the crap that goes on! Granted I am a lowly dispatcher and not out on the streets but I know what it takes for my officers to keep our town safe! Most of the time my officers are too busy dealing with serious calls, to mess with alot of traffic, and just because people can't see them doesn't mean that they are not there! Further more if they even had an inkling at what really goes on in their town after dark they wouldn't say a word!!! It's nothing but DRAMA!!!!

Answer 2

I know exactly what goes on after the good people go to bed. I lived in a small town that I thought was safe, until I joined the fire department. Boy was I wrong. I know that the town that I live in now, there is a lot of crime, but the police do just sit and wait for people to speed by. They set up speed traps on a weekly basis. On most weekends they will set up check points just to stop every driver to make sure they have not been drinking. When we have our local car shows, most of the police can be seen sitting in the parking lots watching the cruise right along with the rest of us. It is illegal in my town to set of fireworks, but people do it all the time. You can see someone out in the street doing a drug deal, and call it in, and nobody ever shows up.. I think the amount of time that a police officer just sits around depends on the town... My town has at least 150,000 people in it now..

Answer 3

I was going on the understanding that some police officers do hang out trapping speeders. In Indy, I think that's how some cops get to keep their cars. They ticket X number of people and it's there's so long as they make their quota. I agree that sounds boring. Maybe if they were driving really reckless then I would go after them, but I speed all the time. I just try not to go faster than the guy ahead of me. Those weavers are the worst, if you ask me. I just stay in the fast lane and coast. If I get a hemmoroid, then I'll move to the middle lane and let him pass. I hate hemmoroids because they're dangerous! But, if I'm not finding reckless behavior or responding to calls, I'd be checking low income apartments for stolen car plates. At least, I'd want to do that. That's how I found my brother's car. There are SO MANY cars with expired temporary plates or no plates in that complex. Bet several could be stolen and probably the same guy doing it! Maybe it's their gang initiation. My brother and I personally have a suspect, but not a name. We saw him hanging out with two hispanics near where we found the car. Does Westside Southbound mean anything? It's graffitied behind the steel door he went into. I'm thinking it's gang related, but can't say it's connected with our suspect. My brother said one of the Mexicans asked the white guy if he was finished with his Christmas shopping. Since when, do guys finish their Christmas shopping in October? (My brother's honeymoon luggage, cds, etc. was stolen from the vehicle before I recovered their vehicle) Another clue is the white guy had tons of keys on him. A lot of the keys had black caps! I believe this is the same guy and 2 hispanics I saw at the other complex my brother's car was stolen from, but I only got a good look at one of them. It took 3 of them to throw out a bag of trash! I also think their upstairs neighbors are involved somehow. We had the car re-keyed. He just pulled back in with it the other day. When he pulled in, the lady upstairs was in the window. The lady disappeared. Then a guy showed up and took a picture of their car! THIS is more interesting to me than the idea of driving around trying to catch a speeder. Hey, checking for stolen cars beats sitting in the parking lot at the movie theater drinking coffee and sucking your thumb! Seriously, I passed a Sherrif on the way to the pay phone to call IPD and the Sheriff said his computer was down and I should just call IPD at the theater. I had just found my brother's car that was stolen 3 days earlier and it was less than a half mile from the Sheriffs vehicle. Shouldn't that Sheriff have helped? At least called it in? I ran as fast as I could, while my car was t-boning my brother's to prevent them from taking it again (keys were in the car), to the theater and back! That whole thing turned me onto the possibility of a career in Criminal Justice and I'm considering getting a second bachelors in it. I already have one of those worthless liberal arts degrees.

I think a lot of people think of speeding first because that's the biggest crime they're worried about being ticketed or charged with. LOL. I remember the first time being pulled over by a police officer. I had a big ticket to pay that time, but the other's were warnings...not for speeding though. Once, in the middle of the night, I turned left out of a Meijer. I didn't see the sign and nobody was on the road. I didn't even see the cop car. Next thing I know, I hear a siren. I look down at my speed. Wasn't speeding. Then, I found out about the no left turn. Another time, I was driving down the middle of a bridge because nobody was on the road and I don't have the best depth perception anyway. I was trying to avoid the barracades on the right side so yeah, slightly over center. Another warning. Got a warning for no seat belt. I had to release it go reach for my food at the taco bell because my car was so little. Work was across the street. Didn't bother re-buckling for a 30 second drive. Needless to say, I'm a little more comfortable about it now. Actually, the one time I wasn't trying to speed I got the ticket and the times I speed on purpose, the cops pass me!

Answer 4

Andy Griffith would fire em all.... Follow the money trail... what were courtesy warnings 30 years ago are now lucrative sources of revenue (or probable cause). Tail lights, head lights, plate lights, cracked lenses, and last but not least SEAT BELTS... (but it's for your own good, you know?)

"But we don't have quotas on traffic tickets"... Ah but you sure do on "citizen contact points".

Remember the cops standing around in the parking lot of Columbine High School while those degenerates were still executing students? (but we have to follow procedure, you know?)

It's not up to the individual cop anymore... it is matters of "Policy".

I would hang up my badge and opt to be a crossing guard. Hats off to those doing REAL police work.... It's a thankless job.

Answer 5

I have to agree with Terminato We are under paid and yes I have seen alot of dirty cops in my days and help put a few behind bars. cops get paid from $6.00 and up most time it's around $8.00 hour yes it's hard to make ends meet on that with wife and kids even just one kid it's hard. I however don't just sit around play-in with my radar gun I would like too for what we get paid but we have people to save a bullet to take to the head, leg,where ever it may go just so we can save some low life person that don't give a Dam* about cops but we have to save them anyway. Well you don't want me to get started in on this topic so I just say "God Bless America"

Answer 6

Yes, that's what I hear.

For the hefty pay and benefits (In Connecticut, they're in the gravy), cops have it easier than most people think. They spend most of the time resolving conflicts between neighbors and significant others... Always balding their scalp to look mean while chomping down donuts. That's the "drama" referred to above.

So much for the "you can't pay a cop enough" crap.


BTW, that is exactly the reason they don't hire cops that are too smart: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_56314.html

And no, I have never been arrested or am a felon.



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Answer 7

Yeah I think so, it's like Meth, now that it is in the news, "oh my gawd they busted ANOTHER Meth lab?!!!!....right in our neighborhood!!!" That stuff has been around for years and they only know now because it is on the freakin' news.

My theory on cops is this: They go to work, just like the rest of us, in a good mood, refreshed from the night before. Then their first call is a domestic violence with kids involved or a murder scene or something grisly. Then they pull some punk over for racing or doing something stupid and he calls 'em pigs and shows no respect whatsoever, then pulls a gun and dope falls out of his pocket. This happens all day long and then they pull you over, by that time they are frustrated and pissed off. That is why cops are so rough when they pull you over for something stupid.

Answer 8

You must live in another country! Ever visit Florida in what use to be America, now taken over by Mexico. I do know that there are very good Police officers out there, doing a thankless job, and way under paid. But you have alot of Cops giving the others a very bad name. A very good friend of mine was pulled over just the other day for a burned out light. They searched him, and then asked if he had a problem with them searching his car. He first told them no, but allowed them to search after they said they would bring dogs, they found nothing. He is young, and this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened to him.

In Florida there is a very popular saying, it goes like this,' Come to Florida on vacation, and leave on probation".

I had another friend who sold drugs, that I knew for years. I got high with him alot, and one day he took me with him to meet two of his suppliers. When we got to the house I was introduced to his friends. You might of guessed,Police Officers. I was nervous around two dirty Cops and was very uncomfortable smoking Pot in front of them. He got some Cocaine from them and we left. My friend told me he had been buying from them for years. I never went with him to their house again. And no I didn't report them, because I don't trust Cops, How was I to know that the Cop I reported to wasn't friends with the two dirty Cops.

I knew the Police Chief of a small town in Florida where I lived for years, he was my Dads best friend. One day I was at a friends house smoking Pot when someone knocked at the door. My friend opened the door and there stood the Chief, I just knew we were busted. The Chief asked my friend to come out and see something. We went over to the car and the Chief opened up the trunk, inside was a trunk full of Pot. My friend grabbed a handfull, the Chief then told us that this was his retirement.

What is my point? You are right, this is not Mayberry anymore. The stories I told is just a few I know. Sure we know what you face everyday and I wouldn't want your job. I do sleep better knowing you are out there helping to keep us safe. But forgive me if I don't trust most of you. Maybe if you were paid what we pay Football Players in this country, some of you wouldn't have to break the law to make ends meet.

Answer 9

I think i'll move to Columbis Ohio, or whatever town the guys of Rascal Flatts live.

I agree with you. Also all of these crime shows on tv are showing people how to get away with a crime! Criminals learn from other criminals mistakes.

Answer 10

And I'm worried because I'm not seeing the question here, are you wanting people to realize that you protect them because I'm sure they do, their sleeping well at night right? Or maybe its the lack of gratitude your feeling? Well I agree people take people for granted, the ever so courteous Thank Yous have dwindled. So on behalf of America THANK YOU!!! (now I'm going to go sleep peacefully knowing you are all out there protecting me)