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.
Offering protection from liability for people making a good faith effort to render aid at the scene of an emergency is a good idea. There are a lot of dirtbag attorneys who will sue anyone, including good people trying to do the right thing.
Requiring people to act, such as calling 911, when they observe something that is obviously criminal in nature makes sense - but, I always have reservations about these kinds of laws. In my opinion, they need to be narrowly written.
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I suspect the requirements are very similar. Click here for the Tampa PD recruiting page.
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I'm not sure I understand your terminology, but if you are asking if you and your friend could be assigned as partners at the same police agency, yes. However, this would not happen until both of you had a few years of experience on the job. No sergeant in his or her right mind would assign two inexperienced officers together.
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I'd suggest considering is a learning experience. You are not likely to be in any trouble if what you have described is true. However, it could have all gone very badly for you.
I was in a similar situation once when I was in college. I rode in a (unknown to me) stolen car with the friend of a friend. The driver (unknown to me) was wanted for murder. It wasn't until two days after that ride I learned about him and the car. It taught me a valuable lesson about who to catch rides with.
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Why would you think that it would be even remotely ok to shoot children with a BB gun?
1. None of this is legal advice. Consult an attorney. Wrongful use force against another, especially a child, can land you in prison for a long time.
2. The use of force is generally resricted to "reasonable" self defense. Re-read #1.
3. BB guns are not toys. They can and have killed people. Use Google and you will see multiple stories about BB guns killing people. For example: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/21/florida-boy-10-dies-after-brother-accidentally-shoots-him-with-bb-gun/
4. BB guns can also take out an eye or do other serious injury even if they were incapable of killing. Re-read #1.
5. You're not Alvin York and your aim on a moving target isn't that good. I don't care how good a shot you think you are, you can't guarantee where you would hit someone anyway. Re-read #1.
6. None of this excuses whatever trespass these children may have done, but shooting them with a BB gun sounds way beyond the realm of reasonableness. What would you do if your child had been shot by an adult with a BB gun? Re-read #1.
7. Use of force is generally restricted to the defense of persons, not property. Re-read #1.
8. If someone is coming into your home and you feel threatened, things are different. Re-read #1.
9. Re-read #1.
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The handler and dog are considered a team. Most departments require the handler to board, feed, and care for the dog off duty. Typically there is a small stipend provided to the officer for this time, food and supplies. Rarely does that stipend cover everything the human puts into the care of the dog.
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Thanks for the compliments. I am not an ethical expert, but I have always tried to do the right thing. Teaching me that is one of the many things I thank my father for, and hope to impart to my own children.
If the situation is a casual encounter, and the officer is not involved in some type of enforcement activity (traffic stop, investigating your involvement in a domestic dispute, etc.) I don't see it as a problem. I see it similar to a UPS driver who is grabbing a soda at a store and talks to someone in the parking lot. As with all social encounters, discretion and tact are important.
Of course, some departments might have more restrictive policies. But, I don't see it as being an ethical problem.
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