Let's please not turn this into the tiresome "it's all about revenue" debate.
Let's please not turn this into the tiresome "it's all about revenue" debate.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
I don't care for the LE officers who join for the wrong reason. We all know the type . A looser / nobody in high school who joins just for the authority .
There should be a way to weed them out before coming a LEO.
I think this is a good opportunity for you to speak to the issue, actually. Lots of people have this attitude because of what they observe. You probably know the saying....."If we don't tell them what's going on, the rumor mill will." John Hearne's comments about where the money goes is interesting, I thought, and very helpful.Originally Posted by jlw
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
The problem is that no matter how many times you explain it, there is a hefty amount of adamant refusal to accept the truth.
I can speak to GA law. We have one law that governs speeding. We have 17 laws that govern enforcing that one law. Local and campus agencies have to have a permit from the state in order to operate speed detection equipment, and that permit list specific stretches of road. It is renewable every three years. If the local government or state builds a new road, it won't be added to the permit, if then, until the next renewal. If the local government changes the speed limit on a road, it invalidates the permit. If the local government changes the speed limit, it invalidates the permit. One county in the state along with six municipalities all lost their permit due to a law requiring a completely unrelated issue of service delivery among the respective governments.
Part of the permitting process is an audit of the tickets and the court system. If the state decides that a local agency is "revenue generating" they can pull the permit. If the percentage of tickets for speeds less than 14MPH over the limit is too high, in the state's opinion, they can pull the permit.
I worked for the state for 10 years. Not a single penny of fine money from a ticket or arrest came back to the agency. It goes to the general fund of the local government in which the violation occurred.
I now work for a Sheriff's Office. We are a completely separate legal entity from the county governing authority. If we write a ticket, the fine money goes to the general fund of the county. It does not come back to the agency, and generating more revenue DOES NOT result in an increase in our budget. Period. End of story.
Hey look, I wrote an article about this stuff...
I don't even know where we keep the ticket books, and I have given an order that nobody is allowed to tell me.
Oh yeah, we have a municipality that is partially in our county and partially in the neighboring county. We have a contract to provide law enforcement services within the city. If we write a ticket in the portion of the city that is in the other county, any fine money from the ticket goes to the OTHER county.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
I was surprised where all the money from tickets goes in Ohio, the library, public defenders office, the county law library and a bunch of other places I can't remember.
Formerly known as xpd54.
The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
www.gunsnobbery.wordpress.com
That is where a good background investigation is key. And if they make it through that, a good FTO program should be able to deal with that. I personally think that FTOs are one of the most important positions in any agency. More important than many supervisors. Bad FTOs? Your agency is kittened.
Formerly known as xpd54.
The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
www.gunsnobbery.wordpress.com
From the civilian-side, looking in...
I have never had a police officer be unfair with me...except once. One gave me a ticket that was a bogus lie. I was going much faster than he stated. He and I both knew it. I didn't ask questions or argue!
By and large, I think that truly bad police officers are like airline crashes. They are rare, but when they happen it's such a sore spot that it garners enough press that noone wants to fly for a while.
I think that it helps to keep police officers and their jobs in perspective.
-They are not bodyguards.
-They are not there to get revenge on your X.
-They are not predators hunting unsuspecting civilians.
-Even they are a little ashamed of issuing tint citations and minor traffic infractions unless they just have a chip on their shoulder
-The only real reason they pull you over is because you are a legitimate reckless menace, or to get a look inside your vehicle or at you and see what you're up to. I was pulled over for a tint ticket one time specifically because my vehicle was a cheaper, older model with very dark windows in a not so good part of town on my way home from work. Both officers all but apologized, but a rookie had to be taught how to write a ticket, so they went ahead and issued the citation. Big boy rules. I like dark windows because smash-grabs are very popular...I paid the city tax for having them. $140 for 6 years of protecting my shoes/gym bag/etc. = worth it.
Also, that being said, I am fairly privy to the area I live in...I don't know how it is now, but a very prominent official's relative once remarked to me in all seriousness "I want to be a lawyer, and if I can't do that, I'll just be a crooked cop."
So, yeah, there are some bad guys out there wearing uniforms. However, if you are not involved in shady business, they tend to leave you out of theirs. Kindof like the Mob. You aren't going to get knocked over for your cash at the ATM by the Sicilian Mob. Now, if you're selling dope in their part of town...Same goes for crooked cops. They aren't going to just pull you over an plant a kilo of cocaine in your car unless you've been dabbling in your own shady affairs. In fact, it has been my experience that the crooked one's are the nicest, since complaints = investigation = attention they don't want.
By and large, though, I think that technology (cell-phone, dash-cam, etc.) has both helped and hurt the police force. Sometimes a thug just needs a good beating to send them on their way. Sometimes not. Only a good officer without any malice can make that call, but now, it's all on the shoulders of a broken judicial system. I personally wish officers had two things: More stringent moral development in their recruiting process (My former roommate is an officer, and refused to join the department "because it's crooked as hell", in my area. See a few paragraphs up). More latitude in their authority on the gray areas, without everyone MMQB'ing what was done in the moment, in the field.
Mainly, they are men and women who want a paycheck, think that they can be a positive influence, however small, and believed (right or wrong) that they would enjoy the line of work---and so here they are in uniform. Not a damn thing wrong with it, as we all do it, except the trust-fund babies.
Last edited by Unobtanium; 08-13-2014 at 01:13 AM.
Well, I guess the rub is that what you described is still revenue generating. Not for the officer or department, but the conflict lies in that the local government could still be leveraging the local police to write tickets as a way of generating revenue for the township's general fund.
Otherwise, why do some police departments get upset over people flashing their headlights to warn other motorists of a cop camping out, or people passing messages on social media that a department is going hardcore on speeding violations in a certain area? If the goal is to get people to slow down for public safety, then hasn't the goal been accomplished? The only thing that's missing is the government didn't take money from its citizens.
If you find that inflammatory, then I'm not sure how else to discuss it.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
There are certainly protocols in place at most major departments, to weed out those with unsuitable personalities; but I always find it interesting when someone invokes the high school social scheme as an indicator of suitability or unsuitability.
There are those who think that all\most cops are formerly\has-been athletes\jocks\bullies\etc; and at the other end there are those who think that all\most cops are social outcasts finally laying claim to power and authority. Neither has been correct, in my observation.
I am curious how you think an organization would screen for this quality, and justify a less competitive rating due to an applicant's perceived social standing in pre-adult years. It seems strange.
It could be argued, that they become upset because by shrinking the uncertainty involved with targeted traffic enforcement, the zone of improved behavior is thus shrunk from the "possible" to the "applicable."
More so, flashing the high beams and inappropriately using the four-way emergency flashers is its' own set of infractions; and for cause.
