Police Officers - How Common Is This?

Question

Recently I moved from a average size city to a much larger metropolitan area. It didn't take me long to witness an act by a officer traveling in police cruiser that just stunned me.

We both approaced an intersection (I was behind him) and the light was red. The officer came to a rolling stop, turned on his flashers and proceeded through the red light then turned his flashers back off. The light turned green within just a few seconds so I was able to stay behind him. He did this again at the next intersection. I was able to witness him doing this through three more intersections. I was livid. I took down the number of the cruiser and was going to call in a complaint when I got home. My husband is from this city and I told him what I saw. He said that is common practice and not to report it or we would be harrassed. That was about 2 months ago and I've seen this occur probably a dozen times since that day.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was approaching a four way stop

sign and noticed a police cruiser approaching the same intersection. He would have gotten to the intersection slightly ahead of me. He never slowed down. He went right through the intersection. No lights or sirens so he was obviously not enroute to any emergency.

I can't imagine why the officers in this city should think that the citizens should respect the traffic laws if they don't. I should say that the city I came from, I had direct involvement with the law enforcement agencies through my job. I know for a FACT that had the officers behaved this way that their butts would have rug burns from being dragged across the carpet.

How common is this? Are there other cities, towns, jurisdictions where you have witnessed the same kind of behavior? I know myself well enough to know that I am NOT going to be able to remain silent much longer. I'm just not sure how to address it without sentencing my family to harrassment as my husband said we could expect to happen.

I need to clarify something... under no circumstances am I saying that police officers are corrupt. I have great respect for any person who would put their lives on the line to protect a perfect stranger. Job or no job. I just find this very wrong on a fundamental level. I have dear friends that are officers. I would put my life on the line to protect them if I were ever faced with the situation. I would probably do it for the officers in this city as well. I just have a belief that those who are suppose to uphold the law should abide by the law.

Ned... there is no excuse for circumventing the law for personal convenience, especially for a law enforcement officer.

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Wow, well Dredd.. You are right, I did not research the law to find out what it is here in New York. You may be right that it is perfectly legal under the "official business" clause. I never thought of that. Thank you, I will check the local ordinances. I see by the type of answers you give that you are affiliated with a police department.

My turn...
Well Mr Judge, Jury and Executioner, I have to wonder if by your attitude you are suited to represent any police department anywhere. I certainly would not want to need to depend on *any* officer who would treat the public as harshly as you have implied throughout your response. You represent the law... you are NOT THE LAW. Not to mention the fact that you can't even get the facts presented to you straight. Not a good characteristic for someone in your postion.

How can I complain? Because I am a citizen. I am expected to abide by the law and I expect an officer of the law to do likewise.

I pray to God too. I pray that I never come across someone like yourself. I asked a question here. Granted, I didn't have all the facts but it was simply a question. Being the professional that you SHOULD be you could have given the reasons why it may be permissable to do the things I mentioned. I would have apologized for jumping to conclusions and I would have gained even more respect for people in your postion for pointing out the err of my ways in a polite manner. Instead, your response has just fueled the notion that there are a significant number of officers that feel they are above the everyday common citizen. A notion by the way, that I would have (and have in the past) defended officers such as yourself against vehemently.

You may be from some big city and you may do things differently than officers in some "hick town" but Mr Judge, you have nothing on them. Not character wise.

Answer 1

Before you run your mouth, read your laws. Traffic laws that dictate what police can do vary from state to state. Some states the police have to be responding to emergency calls before they are exempt from traffic laws. Some states you just have to be on official business. Other states only require that they be on duty.

Also, you have no idea where they were going and why. All you saw was that they turned on there "flashers" and went through a stop sign without stopping. Not every response warrants an officer using there emergency lights and siren the entire trip to their call. Use of their emergency equipment varies by state and agency. Policing in an average town is different than than city. What you were used to in a hick down wouldn't fly in a city and vice versa. Cities are much busier and work at a faster pace.

If you walked into a city police department and made your type of complaint I really wouldn't be surprised if they didn't give you the time of day. They have a job to do. A job you have no clue about. Just the garbage you see on television. And your complaining them doing their job. You have no idea what the laws are. You have no idea what the department policies are. You have no idea where the officers where going. You have no idea why the officers were going where they were going. You have no idea what the officers was doing. How can you even complain?

I pray to god you never need to call the police for an emergency at your home. Maybe one of the officers that you want to complain about would be one of the responding officers. Wouldn't that be interesting.

Answer 2

You could send an annonymous letter to the proper state authorities with the name of the intersection you witnessed this at, the license of the vehicle driven, and the time. Might work. Just dont leave your address or anything else that could lead the letter back to you. Keep doing this until maybe something is done.

Answer 3

I am not a PO but I see this all the time in my town, and it's suburban. I've also seen cops do this while talking on their cell phone. Go figure. I guess those that do that feel they are above the law. You could have always called from a pay phone and been anonymous. Though it wouldn't have changed a thing.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, it is common practice for many police officers to feel that the laws apply to every one else BUT them.
And they wonder why they aren't respected enough?

If parents are the law in their home, and they tell their children to always wipe their feet before entering the house, but the parents don't do this as the example that they want their children to imulate, would the parents really expect to be respected?

Not the best of analogies, but you get the picture.

Answer 5

i've got had a minimum of one man or woman come to the station and "accuse" me of following them. I had no thought what they have been speaking approximately. i think of that I only occurred to be going interior the right direction they have been and that they've been fairly paranoid approximately it. I believe different solutions, why might you conflict with the aid of a yellow with a cruiser in the back of you? you will possibly desire to be performing very apprehensive and agitated for the officer to single you out like that. lots of human beings have our "spidey senses" activated with the aid of drivers that make a factor of consistently looking of their rear view mirrors and performing nervously. Why are they so apprehensive? Are they suspended drivers? Is the automobile stolen? the 2nd officer might have stopped and waited until he won your automobile recommendations and your licence prestige from the dispatcher. as quickly as each thing looked ok, he left.

Answer 6

Well you would never find this in Singapore. The officers would be punished. But in western countries it should be common as the police might take advantage of the authority and misuse it.

Answer 7

Not only is this common, what you witnessed was minor!
7 Police in New Orleans charged with murder, Daily event the abuse that gets caught on videotape- and you know less that 1% probably gets caught on tape!

Answer 8

It depends how you look at it. It might save man hours letting them do this and the cop might actually be more productive. Sounds like you live in a high traffic city. What if they got stuck in traffic all the time? My concern would be if they did it in a safe manor or not.

Answer 9

Next time video them then report it and give the video as evidence. You might catch them causing a wreck and your video would make it on national television.

Answer 10

take down the info and call from a pay phone
write a letter to the editor of your newspaper