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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Last Answer on October 29, 2014

Best Rated

Well ok, but do your arrest people for driving 66 in a 65? Point being, when you witness a minor infraction (like smoking a joint in a park) where no one's in real danger, wouldn't your time be better spent addressing more serious crimes in your area?

Asked by Cheech Jr. (again) over 12 years ago

Speeding is not a crime, so no, I do not arrest anyone for speeding. Its not my job function to make value judgements on what is and is not a crime. Society does that through its elected officials. If you think marijuana should be de-criminalized, then I would encourage you to contact your elected officials and like minded citizens to work to change the laws.

hello, I was just wondering what kind of person would you have to usually contact for a police ride-along.

Asked by tyler over 12 years ago

I'd suggest calling the non-emergency phone number for your local police or sheriff's department.  The call taker should be able to direct you to the correct person.  Also, the officer/deputy working the front desk probably can help you out also.  There is typically a liability wiaver you have to sign and a background check to make sure you are not a felon or are wanted.

I am in college and trying to get an internship in law enforcement. Unfortunately I have made regrettable decisions 2 years ago and experimented with molly and ecstasy once each. Will admitting this hinder me getting any internships?

Asked by alex over 12 years ago

Hinder you - possibly.  But they won't rule you out completely.  If one agency turns down your internship request, keep trying.  Everyone makes mistakes, but if you haven't been using drugs or been involved in illegal activity since then, you can likely land an internship somewhere.  If you want it - don't give up.

Do radar detectors work? Are they illegal? Have you ever pulled someone over and caught him with one?

Asked by radarrr over 12 years ago

Some work better than others - I'd suggest checking out the online reviews of them before spending your money. I'd actually rather see people drive at reasonable speeds, especially since speed tends to be the largest factor in fatality accidents. Regardless, do your research before spending your money. Some are a complete waste of dollars, while others offer some advanced notice. RADAR/LASER detectors are illegal in some jurisdictions, but not all. Check your local laws. Yep, I've stopped a lot of people with a detector in plain view. They are legal in my area, so its no big deal. Personally, I don't care one way or another about them. Sometimes people get flustered when they realize I can see it - it is mildy amusing. One guy got really angry about how his detector didn't work, even though I didn't even have a RADAR/LASER in the patrol car (he had an expired tag.) I think he had unrealistic expectations about the detector.

Thank you for the previous answer. Just wanted to add, I did tell the lieutenant I wanted to meet in person so that I could bring someone for moral support. Now I can't. I was assaulted by someone I trusted. I had hoped he'd have been more sensitive.

Asked by Carolyn over 12 years ago

I hope everything works out for you.

I am 31, turning 32 in December, a point where I want to do something with my life. I have strong interest in law enforcement and had a few questions. 1.) Do you have to attend police academy? if so how long is the course.

I am from Ohio

Asked by Joe almost 12 years ago

Yes, you will need to attend a police academy.  Every state's academy is different in length of time, course of instruction, residency requirements, etc.  

Some departments run their own academy that meets the state's requirements and then adds additional course material specific to the department.  For example, a state highway patrol is likely to add in-depth accident investigation courses that go beyond the basics.  

I am not familiar with the requirements for Ohio, but it looks like your state requires a minimum of 568 hours (14+ weeks) to obtain a peace officer certification.  Check out http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/OPOTA for more information.

Good luck!

Intruders first entered home before tenants moved in--were in the process of moving in. Sheriff claimed maybe someone forgot to lock the door. Tenants knew they had locked the door. Would the sheriff take fingerprints with no proof of entry 1st time?

Asked by mjd about 12 years ago

Sounds like the tenants had lawful possession of the home, so anyone entering without their permission should be treated criminally.  The door being locked is not relevant to the crime, other than being a possible/likely point of entry.

If the situation is that the victim "thinks" someone entered the residence, and the backdoor being unlocked is the only evidence to support that belief, then no...the deputy or officer is unlikely to try and collect fingerprints.  If there is something more to the incident, such as something has been stolen, damaged, moved, left, etc, then the responding deputy would be more likely to collect evidence.

It is all going to hinge on the idea of has a crime been committed.  If the victim cannot show or testify to actions that indicate a crime happened, then there is not going to be much of a law enforcement response.  So, the victim (or witness) needs to have seen the intruders, or there needs to be some type of evidence beyond an unlocked door.  Something like dirt tracked into the residence, some trash left behind, things moved around, somethign stolen etc.