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

What's your opinion on good Samaritan laws? Does your State have any, and do you think it's a good thing to impose criminal liability on people for failing to act or notify someone if they see crime happening?

Asked by Priya Singh about 13 years ago

Offering protection from liability for people making a good faith effort to render aid at the scene of an emergency is a good idea.  There are a lot of dirtbag attorneys who will sue anyone, including good people trying to do the right thing.

Requiring people to act, such as calling 911, when they observe something that is obviously criminal in nature makes sense - but, I always have reservations about these kinds of laws.  In my opinion, they need to be narrowly written.

what are the chances of me and my best friend becoming partners after completing police foundation? were Canadian so we have to take a college course, I'm not sure how it is in the states.

Asked by marc over 12 years ago

I'm not sure I understand your terminology, but if you are asking if you and your friend could be assigned as partners at the same police agency, yes.  However, this would not happen until both of you had a few years of experience on the job.  No sergeant in his or her right mind would assign two inexperienced officers together.  

How long does does it take to match a fingerprint at a crime scene to a person whose fingerprints are already on file?

Asked by Bailey about 12 years ago

It depends on the priority of the case and the technology used to recover and analyze the prints.  If you already have a suspect, you can get a very fast match.  

I bought alcohol for my roommate once, I don't plan on ever doing it again, but can I get in trouble for something i did over a week ago?

Asked by Aleria almost 13 years ago

I assume your roommate is underage.  If so, you can still get in trouble, but probably only if he/she does something stupid such as gets alcohol poisoning, gets hurt while intoxicated, is DUI, etc.  There could be some pretty heavy reprecusions for that.

My friend's family called the police on her boyfriend for physical abuse. But when the police tried to ask her questions she didnt say anything. What I wanna know would that go on his criminal record even if there wasnt a follow through investigation

Asked by Anonymous about 13 years ago

If no arrest was made, then there is no arrest record (at least regarding this incident.)  Without the victim's cooperation, the officers probably were not able to establish probable cause to make an arrest.

If an off-duty police officer in Florida starts a fight and pulls out his badge afterwards presenting himself as a police officer, does that by law puts him on-duty?

Asked by Melvin almost 13 years ago

On duty generally means he/she is currently being paid by the agency as part of regularly assigned duties.  So, it would sound like the officer was off duty.  

To possess either probable cause or reasonable suspicion, an officer must be able to cite specific articulable facts to warrant the intrusion. Please explain to me how a citizens complaint of underage drinking can jeopardize my 4th amendment right?

Asked by i'm 19! almost 13 years ago

As I explained, it is a totality of the circumstances.  Sometimes a single fact/observation can amount to RAS or PC.  Other times, an officer may have to build a series of facts/observations to meet the legal burdens.  I'm afraid you cannot present a general scenario and get a specific answer.