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

So if you find a dead body, and you don't know the victims name. Can't you just take a blood sample and run it through the system or finger prints.

Asked by person over 11 years ago

Running finger prints is one way to possibly ID a corpse. Keep in mind that someone would have had to have been finger printed so be "in the system."

Some states have a DNA registry for sexual predators, which may be a way of ID-ing a corpse if it was someone convicted of rape, molestation or a similar crime.

(Continued) I reported the neighbors to the county PD (the local one is village PD) and they said they won't investigate something that the village PD can handle themselves. Should I tell them that I suspect wrongdoing by the PD? Or just let it go?

Asked by Jackson almost 12 years ago

Are you kidding?  Just because the cops don't do what you want them to do doesn't mean there is any wrongdoing on their part.  You should stop being a pest to your neighbors.

I received a text from someone claiming to be a detective from an out of state department (Florida) and claimed to be on a nation wide task force. Is there a way of verifying this information? I don't believe I have done anything wrong.

Asked by person over 12 years ago

Yes, call the department he/she works for to confirm his/her identity.  It could be a scam.

Can someone be stopped by a police officer just for looking suspicious? Not race or anything. Let's say a guy tries to avoid eye contact with you when you're patrolling in a police car. Can he be stopped for questioning? Can he be followed?

Asked by Red about 12 years ago

If a police officer can develop reasonable, articulable suspicion that you are involved in criminal activity, you can be detained.  You are not free to leave in this case.

Any police officer can walk up and start talking to you, including asking for ID, without any articulable suspicion.  However, you are free to leave in this circumstance.

If you want to leave, and don't know if you are able to, politely ask the officer if you may leave.  He or she will let you know.

What is your opinion on police screening? When do you think police screening of recruits should start?

Asked by mauisheri@gmail.com over 12 years ago

Police screening should be mandatory.  It should start when they apply to attend the academy or apply for a job with a department (depending on what the proceedures are for your state.)  Any earlier is called spying; any later would be foolish.

Who is present at a police station at night?

Asked by Writer23 over 12 years ago

Depends on the department.  There could be a desk officer, detectives and dispatchers in addition to any officers at the station taking a meal break, submitting evidence or completing paperwork.  At other departments, there may be no one at the station.  It just depends.

How are police radio channels used? It seems like if officers are just patrolling, then one dispatcher could handle like 50 units on one channel. But if there's something going on, how is people cutting each other out avoided?

Asked by Name over 12 years ago

Essentially, officers take turns.  It is a team sport and everyone has to share the radio.  Many agencies have more than one channel, so when something comes up, officers can move to different channels if needed.  But fundamentally, everyone has to take turns and officers give right of way to anyone that has emergency or urgent traffic.