Police Officer

Police Officer

BlueSheepdog

10 Years Experience

Around the Way, FL

Male, 40

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.

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615 Questions

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Last Answer on October 29, 2014

Best Rated

is an officer of the law ever classed as off duty

Asked by kelly fuller about 12 years ago

Unless he/she is being paid, the officer is off duty.  Different states have differant laws on what authority an off duty officer has.

My friend was the designated driver, driving someone else's car. She was pulled over and given a ticket for impeding traffic because the brights were on without her knowledge. Can she fight this ticket and win?

Asked by Emily almost 12 years ago

I don't know.  She should probably contact an attorney.

Can the police stop cars with young kids in the front seat to tell them that it is not safe even though in NYS it is not illegal? This is a major problem where I live. Kids as young as 6 commonly sit in the front seat.

Asked by Jo almost 12 years ago

No.  A police officer may not forcibly detain someone without reasonable suspicion of an illegal act.  

Your example would be akin to police officers stopping someone because they had a Big Mac and you believe fast food isn't healthy.  Police officers have enough to do just enforcing criminal laws.  They should not play nanny too.

I am getting ph calls from silent number what do I need too do to stop it it has happened before

Asked by Debbie over 11 years ago

Call the phone company.

I am considering purchasing a collapsible baton purely for self defense, it is however illegal in the state I live in, how strict will local police officers be if I carry this?

Asked by Aron over 11 years ago

If it is a crime for you to carry the baton, then I would expect that you would be arrested.

Do the police handle illegal sites, videos on the internet? If so why are there so many sites and videos still up? Is there anything that I can do to stop these things from happening?

Asked by Azzy over 11 years ago

Yes, law enforcement addresses illegal activity on the internet.  Jurisdiction is often the largest problem for these cases.  For example, a police officer in the United States cannot prosecute someone who is outside of the USA.

When a police officer pulls over someone, what are they doing in the police car with the computer after they get the license and registration? What specifically are they doing on the computer? Why does it take 10-20+ minutes if they are using a CPU?

Asked by ABC almost 12 years ago

A "CPU" is only part of the computer system, and typically not the slow part.  If the officer is using some type of computer, it is networked via cell data service.  The network is likely 3G or slower, so sending a request (such as a check on the validity of your license) is not as fast as you might hope.  Also, since many of the computers are running some type of Windows OS, crashes are common.  Frequently, I have sat on the side of the road while waiting for the system to reboot.  Also, if there is someone that has a warrant who has a similar name, the officer will do additional research to make sure he or she shouldn't arrest you.  10-20 minutes isn't a long time for you to be stopped.