Say, I'm in town A. I see a police car that says "Town B Police Department." Should I worry (about little things, like traffic violation, not a murder). My friend told me they don't have the right to pull you over but I find it hard to believe. Also, what are other things about police that many people don't know. I'm fairly knowledgeable, but I'm sure there are others who know more. Enligthen me!
2007-09-25 16:04:08 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
So if I'm driving past curfew (I'm 17) and a cop sees me. I know he's not supposed to pull me over just for looking young, but say Town B cop sees me and decides to be a jerk. Can he pull me over? Also... more info about police people!
2007-09-25 16:17:38 · update #1
old fuzz make it as long as you can i'll read every word. I'm not a bad guy i just like knowing the law. Explain to me everything!
2007-09-25 16:25:04 · update #2
A lot depends on the jurisdictional set up of your community, county and state. Some states give law enforcement authority to all certified officers in their state; which allows them to stop you even if they are not in their community. Now, that being said, it is an authority not readily used by most officers and strictly regulated by the Chiefs and Sheriffs of the community.
If I, as a visiting officer, see you committing an armed robbery, I certainly would intervene. That would be no problem. However, if I saw you committ some traffic violation, I would not stop you. Even if I have the authority to do so, I probably do not have the permission of the local cops to do their job. It gets real complicated to enforce a misdemeanor offense outside your jurisdiction.
When you get stopped for speeding, it's because the officer saw you commit the offense. If I stop you, I can't write the citation. My tickets are set up for "Town B", not "Town A". So, a "Town A" officer has to respond and issue the ticket. But, he can not issue a citation for an offense he did not see. So, the only way you get a ticket is if I sign a complaint for the officer. That now means I have to go to court as the complainant. Which means I have to take time off from my job in Town B, not something that will please my Chief.
There are other issues about cross jurisdiction but this post would be too long to read. Hopefully, you get the idea.
2007-09-25 16:23:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-06-04 03:31:40 · answer #2 · answered by Gisela 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Say Town Police B has to go to Town A to book in an arrestee because that is where the jail is. While going back to Town B they see you speeding. Town B police can pull you over in Town A because they are "acting within the scope of their duties" even though they are outside of their jurisdiction. However, the further outside of their jurisdiction they are, the less likely they are going to be pulling people over for minor traffic infractions.
2007-09-25 18:10:27 · answer #3 · answered by Todd S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where you live. In New Jersey the cops cant pull you over once you cross into another town. that doesnt mean they wont call the police in the 2nd town to stop you. In Houston all the cops have jurisdiction and we have like 5 differnt cops. We have the county sherriffs, HPD, Then we have the school police which only work in the school district, we have metro police and then the troopers. They all have jurisdiction to pull you over except for HPD can only pull you over in the city limits.
2007-09-25 16:31:48 · answer #4 · answered by <Carol> 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say that your average cop from town B would not pull you over for a traffic infraction while in town A. That is not to say that they couldn't. They could detain you while town A's finest get there to write you a ticket.
Today it is difficult to know if the police force in both towns don't have jurisdiction across a broad area. Many cities and counties are joining forces to create larger enforcement entities with bigger budgets and broader areas.
I wouldn't try it.
2007-09-25 16:10:03 · answer #5 · answered by hensleyclaw 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they can pull you over. Some neighboring jurisdictions have agreements that allow one to ticket in another. They can also hold you until that town's officer can come to ticket you. Is is likely? No. Unless you have done something particularly egregious.
While it is much more difficult, and probably not advisable, anyone can make a citizen's arrest. Ever hear of a crowd holding a suspect for the police?
2007-09-25 16:10:12 · answer #6 · answered by Dan H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time they will pull you over but may not ticket you, but a warning. This is more because of the court they would have to schedule you in. However, if the infraction was gross enough they may have an officer from that jurisdiction come and write you. Also, it depends, some areas have agreements with each other that would allow officers from one town to ticket in another....Many times villages and towns have this agreement. For example, the Village of XYZ is in the middle of the Town of XYZ...in these instances, if there are 2 departments, many times they will write in each others area. Also, many neighboring cities, towns and villages have a "mutual aid" policy where they write in each others areas.
I know that gets a little muddy in there, but hopefully you got an answer you wer looking for.
2007-09-25 16:13:40 · answer #7 · answered by zebj25 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You should worry. First of all, if you are in the same county, all officers have jurisdiction in that county. If you are in the same state, all officers have limited jurisdiction. In addition, that officer has a radio, and I'm sure Town A and Town B scan each others frequencies. B could call an officer from A, who would likely be there in a jiffy. B would make an excellent witness.
2007-09-25 16:07:08 · answer #8 · answered by trooper3316 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
"peace officer status", they can get you anywhere, even if they are on vacation, and in plain clothes. I've been in places where the Badge came out, and I was told to "stop being a Naughty boy, or else", I never did anything bad enough to get into real trouble, just smoking joints, and maybe an open container, and traffic violations. It depend's on the cop, they are just like people, some are as*holes, some are "Regular Joe's".
2007-09-25 16:17:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Town police are limited by jurisdiction except when they see a crime committed in their jurisdiction and can affect the arrest after following the suspect.
Sheriff's deputies have arrest powers throughout the state because they are tasked with the retrieval and transport of prisoners in that entire state.
2007-09-25 16:09:09 · answer #10 · answered by Charlie Fingers 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋