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.
One of the functions of a police officer is to enforce traffic laws. So, while on patrol I would be looking for both criminal and traffic vioations. Since most criminals use a vehicle in some way (to get to a crime, to flee a crime, to move stolen property, etc.), making traffic stops will frequently result in the discovery of criminal activity.
I have made major felony cases by stopping people for relatively minor traffic infractions. Folks like Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy and others have all been located on traffic stops. I can't tell you how many terrorists, murderers, rapists and others have been arrested after a seemingly small traffic violation.
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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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You didn't mention if you were speeding. I'd suggest paying the ticket if you were. Other people were speeding worse than I was doesn't generate much sympathy from a judge.
If the trooper was using laser, then you were definitely the person he measured going whatever speed was on the citation. If he/she was using radar, there could be some doubt that an experienced traffic attorney could bring up in trial.
The above is not legal advice, of course.
Did you know that speed is the #1 contributing factor to traffic fatalities?
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What happens depends on what happened. For example, if an elderly person or someone suffering from a known medical condition is found dead inside their home, and there are no signs of criminal activity, a cursory investigation is done to document that information.
If a person is found dead in other circumstances, say with a gunshot wound or ligature marks, the situation is investigated as a homicide. The results of the investigation could lead to a ruling of wrongful death/murder, suicide, accidental homicide, justified homicide, or undetermined cause of death. Keep in mind these are all just generalities, and specific determinations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Generally, the primary investigative agency will be the one where the body is located. There are provisions in the law that would allow another agency to handle the investigation in certain circumstances. For example, if a person was kidnapped in county A, was taken through county B, was killed in county C, and was dumped in county D, any of the jurisdictions where the crime took place (all four) could assume control of the investigation. However, this is governed by state law (which varies) and common sense almost always applies. For example, county B in the above case would not try to take control of the investigation. Keep in mind that each state has its own set of laws that may be different that what I described. Also, transporting someone across state lines during the commission of a crime can now involve two different sets of state laws plus federal law since it is an interstate crime.
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Professional Bull Rider
Have you been seriously injured while bull-riding?
Suicide Hotline Manager
Has anyone killed themselves during a call?
Chick-fil-A General Manager
How often do you have to fire someone, and does it ever get ugly?
You can get out and help the police officer. Sitting in the car while an injured police officer is laying in a lane of traffic is unconscionable.
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Working the road. Where else?
Until you've had to make decisions on when to deploy a dog in a real-life, volatile use-of-force situation, and then justify those decisions to your chain of command, an internal affairs investigation, a city attorney and (probably) a court, how exactly do you figure you will have the credibility to tell others what they need to know?
It's one thing to know the law from reading a book or attending a training class, its another to apply it appropriately in the field. It is a bit like training in the dojo vs. a street fight. Or perhaps a better analogy is the guy sitting on the couch watching a football game who has never stepped onto the field, yet thinks he knows better than the players.
Reality is a harsh, unforgiving mistress. Until you've danced with her a while, you simply don't know what you don't know.
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Homicide investigators attend specialized training in investigations techniques, interviewing techniques and specialized classes on just death investigations. They also have a great deal of experience as a street cop and general investigator prior to being promoted to homicides. Once in homicides, a new investigator will be paired with a more experienced detective who will guide the on-the-job training.
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