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.
Get good grades, stay physically fit and stay away from drugs/alcohol/trouble. I was in high school too, but all of those things will play a role in your hiring process.
If your local department has an explorer program, check on joining that. It will give you a good amount of experience around police officers and get you some training (plus a foot in the door when you apply for a job.)
Personally, I'd avoid any kind of criminal justice/criminology degree. Stick to some kind of degree that can make you money - business, computer science, etc. Don't waste time and money on an expensive degree or go into debt for it. College debt is a trap.
Can you take college classes while in high school? I know here in Florida, juniors and seniors can often take college classes and get dual credit: high school and college for the one class. I managed to get several of my college classes done for free before I ever left high school that way.
Joining the military (any branch) will help you get hired later and will help pay for advanced education.
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Yes, you could be charged with theft.
If he owes you money, it is likely a civil situation, not criminal. Regardless, one wrong will not justify another.
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I doubt there are very many auto parts that are illegal. What you do with them might be. For example, selling exhaust cutouts is legal. Running them on a street car is illegal. Running them on a track is legal.
Chances are any of the headlights in an autoparts store are legal for your area. If you have any doubts, contact your local department and talk to one of the traffic enforcement officers. He or she will be able to give you the exact information you are looking for.
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No idea what department it is, or what equipment they have in place. The agency may have recorded video, but it is impossible for me to know.
If this lieutenant works midnights and gets off at 7 am, the time is pretty reasonable for his/her schedule and doesn't suggest any nefarious activity.
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Investment Banker
What's a 100-hour work week like?
School Teacher
Do you think teachers are underpaid? Why?
EMT
Does your crew ever fake an emergency to slice through traffic?
If I understand the question correctly (entered on green, waited for traffic to clear to complete the turn, light turned red and then you cleared the intersection) - no. But then, laws vary from place to place.
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It depends on state laws and department policy. For example, on the above charge I would have to complete an arrest affidavit for the court, an incident report for my department, a use of force report for my internal affairs division and a evidence submission form for any and all evidence I was submitting. Additionally, each item of evidence would have to be tagged and bagged and then submitted to the property division.
Of course, there is likely another charge that would go along with the above charge. For example, in the course of investigating a domestic violence call the subject assaulted me. I would also have to complete an arrest affidavit for each additional charge (such as battery on his wife) plus complete a domestic violence supplemental report. For something like a DUI, I would also have to complete a variety of additional paperwork including a field sobriety worksheet and any traffic tickets I was giving, in addition to the charging documents for the DUI.
If the assauit occurred when I was conducting a DUI investigation as part of a motor vehicle accident investigation, I would also need to complete a multi-page accident form plus criminal supplements to that form.
If during the course of the investigation I was injured, there would be additional paperwork.
I think you are starting to get the idea. There is a lot of paperwork associated with being a cop. Unfortunately, most of the forms are created by people who don't have to do the job so they wind up being very cumbersome.
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Thanks for the question. This has been addressed twice before, so to save a little time, here is one of the answers from above:
"In what context? If an officer is taking enforcement action, then at a reasonable time he or she should identify him- or herself in a reasonable manner. That will likely include a badge and ID card.
If someone knocks on your door and asks to speak with you it is certainly reasonable to request to see identification. Call the local law enforcement agency and confirm the officer's identity if you have any doubts.
Asking an officer to show you his or her badge in the middle of a fight, chase or in the middle of some other dangerous situation might not be feasible. It is all situationally dependent. Unfortunately, everone looks for a simple black and white answer, but life's not that easy. Reasonableness is the key to everything."
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