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.
The impacts have been studied by many researchers for several decades. The influence of the job on the personal life is significant, and few people are really prepared for it.
Many friends, and even some family, will no longer associate with the new police officer because of the job. The officer's spouse and other family will live in fear that this shift could be the one where the officer is killed or horrifically injured. The officer is confornted by violence, death and evil every shift and begins to worry constantly about the safety of his/her family and loved ones.
It is a high-stress job and you are never really "off duty." Officers with a very strong faith and solid family support tend to fare better than others, but the job has a very strong impact on all relationships, the health of the officer and every other aspect of the officer's life.
You may have heard that officers have high divorce rates and high instances of alcohol abuse. One of the dirty secrets of police work is a relatively high incidence of suicide as well. All of these things obviously impact the family in a severe way.
There is a lot of research out there, but here are a few places to look:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/163175.pdf
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1218&context=honors
http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=120&issue_id=102003
http://www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/PoliceStaff/Shift%20Work,%20%20Stress,%20%20Wellness/Police%20Stress%20and%20the%20Effects%20on%20the%20Family.pdf
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Department policies dictate when a report will be filed by a police officer.
Generally: The same incident will generate only one report. Multiple incidents of the same nature, by the same subject may generate more than one report depending on the circumstances.
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The deployment of one or two officers to a car is largely dependent on the ingrained culture of the department. Many years ago a study suggested officers were no less safe patroling solo as they are with a partner.
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There are no such laws in my state that require an orange tip. But, I don't live in some of the overly restrictive states such as New York or California that might require such a silly thing. You definitely should check with an attorney or local law enforcement if you are unsure of the laws in your state.
Update - It seems federal law requires anyone selling a toy gun to have an orange tip on it. I don't know that there is anything at the federal law that requires you to replace or maintain the orange tip. Again, local laws may be more restrictive due to the eagerness of politicians to criminalize all aspects of life.
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Policies vary depending on the department, but generally:
1. If someone is there that the owner would like to take custody of the animal, they can.
2. If no one is close at hand that the owner will allow to take the animal, the animal will be collected by whatever animal control organization is in the area. Some jurisdictions this is operated by the government, in other areas it is contracted out to another organization. Once the owner posts a bond, he or she can then go collect his or her animal.
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I have no idea what the laws of your jurisdiction may be. Contact your local law enforcement agency.
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I don't understand the yellow card/red card reference.
Police officers do not know the driver/occupants of a vehicle when stopped. They could be a nice family or it could be a murderous robbing crew. Unit criminals start wearing signs that clearly identify themselves, police officers will back each other up on traffic stops and other calls. It is a safety thing.
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