Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
As I explained, it is a totality of the circumstances. Sometimes a single fact/observation can amount to RAS or PC. Other times, an officer may have to build a series of facts/observations to meet the legal burdens. I'm afraid you cannot present a general scenario and get a specific answer.
If the officer is acting as a police officer and provided his or her name (Officer Smith or whatever) and that the department he or she works for, that may be all of the information he or she is obligated to provide. A specific zone, precinct, or other information may not be required.
If the officer is acting as an employee of the property owner, and not as a representative of the city/county/whatever, he or she may not even need to provide that.
A detective will generall drive an unmarked car provided by the agency. The type of vehicle varies greatly. I've seen everything from a Prius to a Mustang. Most departments will go with a domestic sedan, though that is not always the case. Sometimes the detective's job will dictate the need for a different kind of car. For example, a narcotics officer will not be driving a Crown Vic. Sometimes a vehicle might be seized through civil forfeiture and be used by detectives. Unless you think the car is integral to the story go with a Ford Taurus or Chevy Impala.
No idea what department it is, or what equipment they have in place. The agency may have recorded video, but it is impossible for me to know.
If this lieutenant works midnights and gets off at 7 am, the time is pretty reasonable for his/her schedule and doesn't suggest any nefarious activity.
Sr. Software Engineer
Is it basically impossible for a skilled programmer to be out of work these days?
Movie Theater Employee
Why is movie theater food so overpriced?
Stand-Up Comedian
What types of crowds are the worst for you to to perform for?
It depends on the size of the department. For any agency of more than about 15-20 officers, the chief is not likely to be involved in any case other than as a spokesperson in a high-profile incident.
For small agencies, a chief may patrol and handle calls like the rest of the officers. There are many departments in the US where there are fewer than five officers. In those areas, the chief handles a lot of the calls and investigations.
Patrol officers are assigned to zones or beats. These are specific geographic areas that the officer is responsible for. A non-emergency call in that zone will be held for the zone officer to handle. Emergency calls will typically fall to the officer assigned to that zone, or if he/she is unavailable, the next closest unit.
Certain calls may be held for certain officers. For example, a department with officers who receive specialized training in dealing with the mentally ill may dispatch one of those officers outside of his or her zone to handle an incident that involves someone who is mentally ill.
I'm not familiar with Colorado law in that respect. If you call the local Sheriff's Department, they should be able to tell you.
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