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.
Yes.
At the very least it would appear that he is trespassing. But, do you know that he doesn't have something worse planned? Rape, robbery, murder?
Door to door salesmen are certainly capable of committing very bad crimes. Additionally, criminals can pose as door to door salesmen with the intent of getting in your house to rape/rob/murder you.
A stranger in your home that is refusing to leave is a serious concern and possibly a very real threat. Make sure you communicate to the dispatchers that the man is a stranger - not a friend or family member - and he is refusing to leave. If you have any level of fear, make sure you communicate that as well.
Yes, call the department he/she works for to confirm his/her identity. It could be a scam.
Many 911 centers have call takers who answer the phones. They enter information into a computer (often called a call screen because it shows information about all of the active calls for service).
A dispatcher pulls the information from the call screen and relays it to the patrol officers. This can be done via computer (many agencies use computer aided dispatching), by voice transmission on the radio, or through a combination of both.
As the call taker gets more information, the call screen is updated in real time.
Depending on the size of the agency, call takers and dispatchers may be separate positions or all of the communication staff may be cross-trained and do all of the jobs. At a small department, only one or two people may be on duty and have to do all of the call taking and dispatching. Other departments may employ dozens or even hundreds of communications employees.
Off duty officers are rarely contacted. In those cases it is typically because of manpower shortages and/or emergencies. For example, a hostage situation requires the presence of a large number of officers, so off-duty officers could be called in to assist with normal patrol calls. This tends to be uncommon at most departments.
Yes, it is called fraud. It is a kind of theft - taking something (a service or property) that doesn't belong to you. Oftentimes it is a felony.
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Most definitely. Since there is a pattern of fraudulent activity, this could be treated as a much more serious criminal enterprise akin to organized crime. The specific laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Run for the office during the next general election. Becoming a deputy is a little easier, and you should contact the local department and inquire about employment if you would like to give that a go.
Yes
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