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.
Yes
Laws in different states dictate what actions may be required of a police officer, but in general terms he or she would talk to you and try to determine if there was some way to help you. In some cases, a police officer may be required to take a suicidal person to a hospital or other medical facility if the person poses a risk to anyone.
If you or someone you know is depressed or suicidal, there are people who can help. Call 1-800-273-8255 from anywhere in the US and they can provide assistance. Alternatively anyone can go to a hospital an explain that they are having some problems and need help.
Many 911 centers have call takers who answer the phones. They enter information into a computer (often called a call screen because it shows information about all of the active calls for service).
A dispatcher pulls the information from the call screen and relays it to the patrol officers. This can be done via computer (many agencies use computer aided dispatching), by voice transmission on the radio, or through a combination of both.
As the call taker gets more information, the call screen is updated in real time.
Depending on the size of the agency, call takers and dispatchers may be separate positions or all of the communication staff may be cross-trained and do all of the jobs. At a small department, only one or two people may be on duty and have to do all of the call taking and dispatching. Other departments may employ dozens or even hundreds of communications employees.
Off duty officers are rarely contacted. In those cases it is typically because of manpower shortages and/or emergencies. For example, a hostage situation requires the presence of a large number of officers, so off-duty officers could be called in to assist with normal patrol calls. This tends to be uncommon at most departments.
Working the road. Where else?
Until you've had to make decisions on when to deploy a dog in a real-life, volatile use-of-force situation, and then justify those decisions to your chain of command, an internal affairs investigation, a city attorney and (probably) a court, how exactly do you figure you will have the credibility to tell others what they need to know?
It's one thing to know the law from reading a book or attending a training class, its another to apply it appropriately in the field. It is a bit like training in the dojo vs. a street fight. Or perhaps a better analogy is the guy sitting on the couch watching a football game who has never stepped onto the field, yet thinks he knows better than the players.
Reality is a harsh, unforgiving mistress. Until you've danced with her a while, you simply don't know what you don't know.
Day Care Provider
Stand-Up Comedian
Tattoo Artist
Most definitely. Since there is a pattern of fraudulent activity, this could be treated as a much more serious criminal enterprise akin to organized crime. The specific laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
You need to contact an attorney for clarification. If he has access to them, and since you know he is a felon, then -you- could be exposed to criminal liability.
I'm confused by the concept of "stricter regulation." There are thousands of laws and regulations on the books now that regulate the purchase and ownership of firearms and ammunition in the United States. There is an entire federal law enforcement agency dedicated to the enforcement of gun laws (and who gets to make arbitrary regulations regarding the legality of different types of firearms, importation, etc.).
Murder, which I presume is what you would like to stop, predates the invention of firearms. It is already illegal, yet it still happens every day. People have tried to prevent people from murdering others for centuries, yet no one has been able to do so.
What stricter regulation on a firearm do you suppose would stop murder?
Evil exists. Real, true evil exists in the world. Some people don't want to believe it, but it does. Evil people will not obey laws and will harm and kill others no matter what laws you put into place.
- I oppose new gun regulations in all forms.
- I support the repeal of many current gun laws.
- I support the disolving of the BATFE.
- I support the right of all citizens to use that force which is reasonably necessary to defend themselves and others from attack and forcible felonies.
- I oppose anyone who would take away the freedoms of any law abiding citizen including the rights to privacy, speak out, assemble, practice a religion, engage in commerce, and keep & bear arms. To quote Thomas Jefferson, "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." In other words, if a man -without reasonable cause- harms another, then the goverment has authority to act. But, unless and until that happens, a government has no authority to interfere in the lives of free men. I should not tell another man how to live, nor should he tell me how to live my own life.
Pursuing more restrictions on lawful gun owners serves no moral purpose, but only serves the purposes of evil - preventing people from a legitimate form of defense from criminals and illegal governments.
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