Completely Disgusted

[desertrat]

Just so you know, there are times we have to respond to things not using our lights or sirens. The law does exempt emergency vehicles from the traffic article. Now some might argue if the vehicle is an emergency vehicle if it is not using lights and siren, but most agencies policies have provisions for the officer to travel to emergency calls not using their emergency equipment.

As a matter of law, the officer is required to use due dilligence in the operation of the vehicle. So what it would really come down to is liability of there were an accident.

I can tell you it is much safer at times to not use my emergency equipment when going to calls, because of the unpredictable reaction of drivers who see police or ambulances approaching with their lights on.

What is the purpose of the lights and siren?

 

[beamher]

Frankly, I'm surprised that the COPs that are walking out into the middle of the road to flag someone down are not getting hit/killed. I saw this for the first time last weekend up in the Columbia area on 100. COP walked right out into traffic to wave someone over and nearly caused a pretty big accident. Pretty stupid if you ask me...which of course nobody did.

i had a cop do this to me many years ago, i just knew he was a goner. now, i do admit i was speeding. he picked a good blind spot to run radar, however, i just wouldn't reccommend the stepping into the roadway; i swear i must of been inches within hitting him.

 

[Ender]

Ahem?

At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter all that much. I understand and realize that many people see the police department as one that should be a role model and so forth, but as many people always say "I'm only human". You can't expect people to be absolutely flawless and haven't any mistakes. As far as I'm aware, speeding tickets are normally up to the particular officer that's evaluating the person that's speeding. I'm sure there have been many times that people have been "let off" without even a warning. Why? Because riding down the road at 50-60mph during a 'downtime' (not busy) in St.Mary's County is (for the most part) not endangering any body on the road. For all you know, you've been let off of a speeding ticket for the very same thing.

Also, unless I'm really outdated on how things run in the police academy these days - don't they also put officers through particular driving safety courses? This means things like: Emergency Response (ie: getting to a situation as fast as possible without dangering others), offensive driving techniques (like PIT, for instance), and defensive driving (how to get self out of a spin, when to apply breaks, and thus forth). I'm not saying this is any excuse, but it's not something to be 'completely disgusted' about. Annoyed? Certainly. Jealous? Okay, that's only reasonable. Upset? That's alright too. But to get disgusted just because someone (police officer or not) eludes a speeding ticket isn't something to get too worked over about. I'd like to see the numbers of people in St.Mary's County/Southern Maryland that has been 'let off' of a speeding ticket as it wasn't a risky scenario. It's all about the police officer behind the wheel of the cruiser, at the end of the day. They're trained to make reasonable (not always unbiased, mind you) analysis of a scenario/situation.

 

[desertrat]

At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter all that much. I understand and realize that many people see the police department as one that should be a role model and so forth, but as many people always say "I'm only human". You can't expect people to be absolutely flawless and haven't any mistakes. As far as I'm aware, speeding tickets are normally up to the particular officer that's evaluating the person that's speeding. I'm sure there have been many times that people have been "let off" without even a warning. Why? Because riding down the road at 50-60mph during a 'downtime' (not busy) in St.Mary's County is (for the most part) not endangering any body on the road. For all you know, you've been let off of a speeding ticket for the very same thing.

Also, unless I'm really outdated on how things run in the police academy these days - don't they also put officers through particular driving safety courses? This means things like: Emergency Response (ie: getting to a situation as fast as possible without dangering others), offensive driving techniques (like PIT, for instance), and defensive driving (how to get self out of a spin, when to apply breaks, and thus forth). I'm not saying this is any excuse, but it's not something to be 'completely disgusted' about. Annoyed? Certainly. Jealous? Okay, that's only reasonable. Upset? That's alright too. But to get disgusted just because someone (police officer or not) eludes a speeding ticket isn't something to get too worked over about. I'd like to see the numbers of people in St.Mary's County/Southern Maryland that has been 'let off' of a speeding ticket as it wasn't a risky scenario. It's all about the police officer behind the wheel of the cruiser, at the end of the day. They're trained to make reasonable (not always unbiased, mind you) analysis of a scenario/situation.

Well, when you are already 99% disgusted I guess that's all it takes.

 

[Ender]

You've got me

Well, when you are already 99% disgusted I guess that's all it takes.

I suppose you have a very valid point there. That 1% tick is all that's needed to go from "disgusted" to "completely disgusted". Ah well, that's just how the cookie crumbles, isn't it?

 

[Pandora]

Well

Wheeler and two other officers were checking for speeding vehicles traveling east on Route 32 near U.S. 1. Wheeler was attempting to flag down a driver when he was struck by a Nissan Sentra about 2 p.m. He suffered head injuries and was flown to Shock Trauma.

 

[smcop]

What is the purpose of the lights and siren?

I said it is much safer at times. Not all the time, but at times. If you were to go out and do this job and see the reaction to people sometimes, you would see that each time we turn our lights and sirens on we see reactions to drivers that is scary. "SOMETIMES" it is better to just attempt to navigate yourself around traffic.

 

[Qurious]

Frankly, I'm surprised that the COPs that are walking out into the middle of the road to flag someone down are not getting hit/killed. I saw this for the first time last weekend up in the Columbia area on 100. COP walked right out into traffic to wave someone over and nearly caused a pretty big accident. Pretty stupid if you ask me...which of course nobody did.

They do this on the ramp for Waldorf Rt 5 on the beltway. They dont want anyone riding the shoulder to get to the 7A exit because its caused accidents. So what the cops will do is park on the shoulder, and flag down people who are caught driving on the shoulder instead of waiting in line to get off at the exit without driving the shoulder.

Dude was doing about 45 on the shoulder to get off and then the cop just jumped outta nowhere and flagged his ass down.....i thought it was hilarious but also dangerous.....what if someone isn't paying attention and hits the cop?