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.

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

615 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on October 29, 2014

Best Rated

what does the first responding office do when they arrive at a crime?

Asked by cutiepie18 over 11 years ago

Every scene is different.  If the crime is in progress, stopping the criminal from hurting others is the first priority.  If the crime is not in progress (or once the criminal has been stopped), providing aid to injured people is the highest priority.

I'm the son of a sex offender if and I live at the sex offenders residents can still own a gun if I keep it im my vehicle

Asked by jacob cannon about 11 years ago

I would highly recommend contacting the state attorney general's office and the BATFE for information on the related state and federal laws.

When cops do prostitution stings, are the arrests always made on the spot? How likely are police to make arrests if the act isn't witnessed in a sting type operation? Been watching a lot of dateline predator stories and the topic never comes up.

Asked by notacop about 11 years ago

Police officers are not required to arrest someone at the time of the crime.  People can be arrested after the crime has been committed.

Lately there has been a lot of Abuse to synthetic cocaine, is there anything that police enforcement can do to get it off market?

Asked by nancy almost 11 years ago

As soon as we figure out how to stop all natural cocaine, we should immediately apply the same strategy to synthetic cocaine.

Why are cops rarely held criminally responsible for police brutality?

Asked by Shannon R over 11 years ago

An interesting, but loaded, question.

The term "police brutality" is a subjective one that is likely to inflame the conversation.  I'll presume that you are referring to the unlawful use of force, which is any time a police officer uses force - regardless of the perceived brutality - when it is not legally permissible.

Police officers are permitted to use that force which is reasonable during the performance of their duties.  Many people do not understand what is reasonable because they do not have the training in, or understanding of, the dynamics of a violent encounter.  I'd suggest looking at credible sources such as the Force Science Institute ( http://www.forcescience.org/ ) for a better understanding of the application of force.  Anything you've seen in the movies is likely crap, by the way.

For a better understanding of when officers may use force, a review of the case law is an excellent starting point.  Graham v. Connor [490 U.S. 386 (1989)] is typically cited as being the defining case regarding police use of force.  Although the case clarified a number of issues, the court essentially said that things were pretty clearly stated in their earlier decision in Tennessee v. Garner [471 U.S. 1 (1985)].  Both cases offer remarkably insightful opinions, and they should be read in full.  Summaries of the cases in Wikipedia and elsewhere fail to give the true scope and color of the opinions.

An additional problem with your question is the unstated assumption that there are frequent incidents of police officers unlawfully using force.  I believe the premise is false, and every credible study on police use of force I have seen shows that officers are very hesitant to use force.  In fact studies have shown that even when clearly justified, officers still are slow to use force.

Are there times when an officer unlawfully uses force and are not criminally prosecuted?  Sure.  There are a variety of reasons this may be true.  For example, the unlawful use of force may be charged at the federal level if the officer was acting under "color of law," or at the state level for the charge of battery (or similar).  Just like any other case, the prosecution must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused officer committed the crime and that he or she intended to commit the crime (mens rea).  Lacking the ability to prove those things, the prosecution will not proceed.

i have multiple questions for a school project to ask?

Asked by Alicea over 11 years ago

Ok.

Would getting a degree in forensic science be useful for policing? I hear that everything you need to know will be taught during the academy? THX for your time.

Asked by Jimmy about 11 years ago

A forensic science degree may be useful for certain specialized duties.  The academy teaches the absolute basics needed to begin a policing career.  It does not teach you everything you need to know.  It is a starting point only.