Who pulls over the cops?

TheFatKidDeath · 04-26-2007, 05:31 PM

Perhaps there are some cops here at TG that can shed some light. I can't speak for any other state but here in Southern CA I'm constantly (no hard data - just an observation) seeing cops (LAPD, CHP especially) in cars and motorcycles speeding excessively.

I'm talking 20-35 miles over the posted speed limit of 65 on the highway and the same averages on surface streets. Clearly not all these cops are responding to a call or chasing a suspect.

Now shouldn't they be setting some type of example for other drivers? Can law enforcement be sited for excessive speed like the general public? It seems to me like a public safety issue having the people enforcing a speed limit breaking them at the same time.

**TheFeniX** · 04-26-2007, 05:43 PM

Who is going to report them? You never know what may happen when you do. Like any organization, Police form a kind of "boys club" and you have to be a cop to be in it. This is all fine and dandy until you get to an area where this can affect the public.

Technically, they can get in some deep trouble for some of the crap they pull. But it's kind of like OSHA violations at your work: you better hope you can stay anonymous when you make the complaint because your boss will find a way to fire you. Cops are regular citizens too. And just like those citizens, they can be prone to grudges against people who have "wronged" them.

While I wouldn't wager even 20% of cops are like this, most people wouldn't take that bet. Fear is a powerful motivator to keep your mouth shut. It's why even innocent people do stupid things when faced with a stern police officer.

**ednos** · 04-26-2007, 06:16 PM

I've seen a Hamilton police officer pull over an Ipswich officer for speeding. I don't know why the Ipswich officer was in Hamilton to begin with, but yep, they have that little to do in eastern Massachusetts....

**Dirtboy** · 04-26-2007, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ednos

I've seen a Hamilton police officer pull over an Ipswich officer for speeding. I don't know why the Ipswich officer was in Hamilton to begin with, but yep, they have that little to do in eastern Massachusetts....

My guess its something like the movie Super Troopers

Switch · 04-26-2007, 07:06 PM

hahah, one cop pulling over another!!! i hope you find out who it was and send them a christmas card!

**ednos** · 04-26-2007, 08:04 PM

Ipswich/Hamilton: two small towns, very suburban, but for some reason the quiet makes the police very possessive about jurisdiction. There was a small explosion in our local paper because one of our Ipswich officers was chasing a speeder into Hamilton. Essentially, the guy got away with limit+25 because the Hamilton guy pulled the Ipswich guy over over "jurisdiction", and failed to chase the offender himself. It reminds me of Blue Streak, the last scene: "I kinda like this 'jurisdiction' stuff."

**Chewy** · 04-26-2007, 11:23 PM

In the last few months, here in Wisconsin, a police chief and a sheriff both cited themselves for breaking the law. Both wrote themselves the ticket and paid the fine in court.

One admitted he took his eye off the road and made "an unsafe lane change" which led to the cause of an accident in which he rear-ended a woman. He paid $160.80.

http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp...av=menu78_3_12

The chief went through a school bus stop sign, while its lights were flashing. That chief docked himself 4 points on his license and paid a $235 fine.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12784367/

Good to know there are some good cops out there.

**CingularDuality** · 04-27-2007, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFatKidDeath

Perhaps there are some cops here at TG that can shed some light. I can't speak for any other state but here in Southern CA I'm constantly (no hard data - just an observation) seeing cops (LAPD, CHP especially) in cars and motorcycles speeding excessively.

I'm talking 20-35 miles over the posted speed limit of 65 on the highway and the same averages on surface streets. Clearly not all these cops are responding to a call or chasing a suspect.

Now shouldn't they be setting some type of example for other drivers? Can law enforcement be sited for excessive speed like the general public? It seems to me like a public safety issue having the people enforcing a speed limit breaking them at the same time.

While I'm sure that many of those cops are merely taking advantage of their position to get to lunch ASAP so they can BS with their buddies for a while, you also have to keep in mind a few things:

Like a sheepdog (heh... Interesting how that keeps coming up in analogies...), cops have to be able to go faster and slower than the flow of traffic in order to really work it. They're trained in emergency vehicle operation and drive those high performance (LOL) cars all day every day. I think that most states have exceptions for emergency vehicles in performance of their duties when it comes to traffic violations.

Just because he/she doesn't have lights and sirens on, doesn't mean that he's not in a hurry to get somewhere that he NEEDS to be. If another cop called for backup and nobody else is within 5 minutes of that cop, somebody needs to be hauling ass to assist. Since nothing bad has happened, it's not an emergency that requires lights and sirens, but we all know how quickly a "routine" call can turn ugly and violent.

And speaking of lights and sirens... Even if you've never ridden in a Code 3 police car, you've still probably noticed how stupid people get when they see lights and hear sirens behind them. People will stop in the middle of traffic. People will swerve to the left and right and/or simply slow down. People will try to pull over or turn at the last second to get out of the way. Bottom line is that it's often safer and faster for a cop to simply quietly zip past other cars while they're oblivious to the fact that it's a cop coming up behind them.

And, finally, are you trying to tell me that you think that going 85 mph on SoCal freeways is excessive? I used to commute back and forth from Escondido to San Diego and that was probably my average speed! Either you're slowing traffic down whenever you drive, or you're exaggerating to try to make a point here.

xTYBALTx · 04-27-2007, 12:29 AM

If you're going 85mph in SD, you're getting passed by grandmas in Volvos.

TheFatKidDeath · 04-27-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

While I'm sure that many of those cops are merely taking advantage of their position to get to lunch ASAP so they can BS with their buddies for a while, you also have to keep in mind a few things:

Like a sheepdog (heh... Interesting how that keeps coming up in analogies...), cops have to be able to go faster and slower than the flow of traffic in order to really work it. They're trained in emergency vehicle operation and drive those high performance (LOL) cars all day every day. I think that most states have exceptions for emergency vehicles in performance of their duties when it comes to traffic violations.

Just because he/she doesn't have lights and sirens on, doesn't mean that he's not in a hurry to get somewhere that he NEEDS to be. If another cop called for backup and nobody else is within 5 minutes of that cop, somebody needs to be hauling ass to assist. Since nothing bad has happened, it's not an emergency that requires lights and sirens, but we all know how quickly a "routine" call can turn ugly and violent.

And speaking of lights and sirens... Even if you've never ridden in a Code 3 police car, you've still probably noticed how stupid people get when they see lights and hear sirens behind them. People will stop in the middle of traffic. People will swerve to the left and right and/or simply slow down. People will try to pull over or turn at the last second to get out of the way. Bottom line is that it's often safer and faster for a cop to simply quietly zip past other cars while they're oblivious to the fact that it's a cop coming up behind them.

And, finally, are you trying to tell me that you think that going 85 mph on SoCal freeways is excessive? I used to commute back and forth from Escondido to San Diego and that was probably my average speed! Either you're slowing traffic down whenever you drive, or you're exaggerating to try to make a point here.

Yes, doing 85 on any freeway is excessive regardless of what every other motorist is doing and what part of the nation you live. Reaction time and stopping distance decrease as a vehicle increases speed. Excessive speed is perhaps one of the top reasons for vehicular death in this country.

I mean why have speed limits at all if going 20 miles over the posted speed limit is not excessive?

**Grunt 70** · 04-27-2007, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ednos

Ipswich/Hamilton: two small towns, very suburban, but for some reason the quiet makes the police very possessive about jurisdiction. There was a small explosion in our local paper because one of our Ipswich officers was chasing a speeder into Hamilton. Essentially, the guy got away with limit+25 because the Hamilton guy pulled the Ipswich guy over over "jurisdiction", and failed to chase the offender himself. It reminds me of Blue Streak, the last scene: "I kinda like this 'jurisdiction' stuff."

Hamilton - Wenham--surprised??? nahh

xTYBALTx · 04-27-2007, 12:41 PM

Sounds like time to raise those speed limits!

**ednos** · 04-27-2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grunt 70

Hamilton - Wenham--surprised??? nahh

Heh, I'm not surprised; I'm rather amused by the swollen heads and flashing lights.

**Chewy** · 04-27-2007, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

And speaking of lights and sirens... Even if you've never ridden in a Code 3 police car, you've still probably noticed how stupid people get when they see lights and hear sirens behind them. People will stop in the middle of traffic. People will swerve to the left and right and/or simply slow down. People will try to pull over or turn at the last second to get out of the way. Bottom line is that it's often safer and faster for a cop to simply quietly zip past other cars while they're oblivious to the fact that it's a cop coming up behind them.

This is definitely one of the reasons and it's so true... that it's frustrating.

**CingularDuality** · 04-27-2007, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ednos

Ipswich/Hamilton: two small towns, very suburban, but for some reason the quiet makes the police very possessive about jurisdiction. There was a small explosion in our local paper because one of our Ipswich officers was chasing a speeder into Hamilton. Essentially, the guy got away with limit+25 because the Hamilton guy pulled the Ipswich guy over over "jurisdiction", and failed to chase the offender himself. It reminds me of Blue Streak, the last scene: "I kinda like this 'jurisdiction' stuff."

Hmmm... I've heard that these little jurisdiction feuds can get really ugly. And it's another thing that Texas does right. All peace officers in Texas have statewide jurisdiction. It makes it so that there's no reason for police agencies not to cooperate with each other...

04-26-2007, 05:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
TheFatKidDeath Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Santa Monica, CA Age: 39 Posts: 2,714	Who pulls over the cops? Perhaps there are some cops here at TG that can shed some light. I can't speak for any other state but here in Southern CA I'm constantly (no hard data - just an observation) seeing cops (LAPD, CHP especially) in cars and motorcycles speeding excessively. I'm talking 20-35 miles over the posted speed limit of 65 on the highway and the same averages on surface streets. Clearly not all these cops are responding to a call or chasing a suspect. Now shouldn't they be setting some type of example for other drivers? Can law enforcement be sited for excessive speed like the general public? It seems to me like a public safety issue having the people enforcing a speed limit breaking them at the same time. __________________ \|TG-9th\| TheFatKidDeath "Born to Party, Forced to Work." http://www.theonion.com/content/node/55640 - Check me out on The Onion http://www.theonion.com/content/vide...ssfully_avoids - I'm on the local news!

04-26-2007, 05:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheFeniX Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, TX Age: 26 Posts: 4,475	Re: Who pulls over the cops? Who is going to report them? You never know what may happen when you do. Like any organization, Police form a kind of "boys club" and you have to be a cop to be in it. This is all fine and dandy until you get to an area where this can affect the public. Technically, they can get in some deep trouble for some of the crap they pull. But it's kind of like OSHA violations at your work: you better hope you can stay anonymous when you make the complaint because your boss will find a way to fire you. Cops are regular citizens too. And just like those citizens, they can be prone to grudges against people who have "wronged" them. While I wouldn't wager even 20% of cops are like this, most people wouldn't take that bet. Fear is a powerful motivator to keep your mouth shut. It's why even innocent people do stupid things when faced with a stern police officer. __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TheFeniX's Steam Profile TG's Team Fortress 2 Steam Group

04-26-2007, 06:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
ednos Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,776	Re: Who pulls over the cops? I've seen a Hamilton police officer pull over an Ipswich officer for speeding. I don't know why the Ipswich officer was in Hamilton to begin with, but yep, they have that little to do in eastern Massachusetts.... __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

04-26-2007, 07:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
Switch Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,167	Re: Who pulls over the cops? hahah, one cop pulling over another!!! i hope you find out who it was and send them a christmas card! __________________ \|TG\|Switch Better known as: That noob who crashed the chopper. That noob who ran over the mine. That noob who TK'd me with a sniper rifle. That noob who hit that APC at 300m with light AT! Our APC...

04-26-2007, 08:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
ednos Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,776	Re: Who pulls over the cops? Ipswich/Hamilton: two small towns, very suburban, but for some reason the quiet makes the police very possessive about jurisdiction. There was a small explosion in our local paper because one of our Ipswich officers was chasing a speeder into Hamilton. Essentially, the guy got away with limit+25 because the Hamilton guy pulled the Ipswich guy over over "jurisdiction", and failed to chase the offender himself. It reminds me of Blue Streak, the last scene: "I kinda like this 'jurisdiction' stuff." __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

04-26-2007, 11:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
Chewy Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oak Creek, WI Age: 24 Posts: 1,567	Re: Who pulls over the cops? In the last few months, here in Wisconsin, a police chief and a sheriff both cited themselves for breaking the law. Both wrote themselves the ticket and paid the fine in court. One admitted he took his eye off the road and made "an unsafe lane change" which led to the cause of an accident in which he rear-ended a woman. He paid $160.80. http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp...av=menu78_3_12 The chief went through a school bus stop sign, while its lights were flashing. That chief docked himself 4 points on his license and paid a $235 fine. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12784367/ Good to know there are some good cops out there. __________________ PM Chewy (Team Fortress 2 Admin) Chewy's Steam Profile

04-27-2007, 12:29 AM	#9 (permalink)
xTYBALTx Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,852	Re: Who pulls over the cops? If you're going 85mph in SD, you're getting passed by grandmas in Volvos. __________________ Current good song: Justice - Stress "$250,000 a year won't get me to Central Park West."

04-27-2007, 12:41 PM	#12 (permalink)
xTYBALTx Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,852	Re: Who pulls over the cops? Sounds like time to raise those speed limits! __________________ Current good song: Justice - Stress "$250,000 a year won't get me to Central Park West."

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