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

At the beginning of the year I got a MIP misdemeanor down in Florida but paid the fines and got it expunged off of my record. About a week ago I got another one in Michigan. Would this count as my second offense?

Asked by Rob Parker over 11 years ago

I don't know. Contact an attorney in Michigan.

If you're involved in a police chase and you feel it's appropriate to call in a police helicopter: 1) How do you determine this? 2) Is this up to a supervisor? 3) Are choppers usually available to assist officers on the ground? Thanks.

Asked by Harrison over 11 years ago

The availablility and use of helicopters vary widely from area to area.  Some departments have access to helicopters in a relatively short amount of time, while other departments never have access to their assistance.

At my former agency, I worked in a very urban area with dozens of cities and counties in the immediate area.  We had access to a helicopter that was operated by the sheriff's department, and was normally only up during the evening hours.  It was available during other parts of the day, but would often take some time to get up and to you.

For a vehicle or foot pursuit, we would generally want the assistance of the helicopter, and most often they would be enroute to us before we even asked.  They monitored our radio channels and would start our way if they could be of assistance.  If we had to call for one, that would be cleared through a supervisor.

In response to my first question what makes you do it every day?

Asked by Emily almost 12 years ago

The desire to help people - to make a difference.  All of those things I mentioned above suck the life out of you.  But with good friends, family and faith in God supporting you, the job can be done.

There were many times that I was going to a call that I would have preferred avoid, but I knew I had the skills and disposition to handle it.  Who wants to go to the call where a man just committed suicide in front of his wife by sticking a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger?  No one.  But, as I often questioned myself, "if not me, then who?"

There are upsides to the job, though they are rarely visible to, or understood by, anyone outside of law enforcement. 

I am just curious if a person is under 18 but at legal age of consent is sexually assaulted, do the police have to go to the minor's parents?

Asked by Pixie over 11 years ago

Call your local police department and ask for their assistance. They will know what to do.

Hello! Im currently on my way to deciding what I really want to do for the rest of my life. At this point im intrested in the Law Enforcement. I just have a couple of questions on how you would decribe being a police officer is?

Asked by Sierra David over 11 years ago

Feel free to ask anything you like.

In the police force, how do you value the following: experience (time), education, and someone's natural ability to do the job?

Asked by Josbtr over 11 years ago

I value them all.  If you are asking me to arbitrarily rank them in order of importance, I cannot.  What duty is the officer trying to perform?  Every task is different and requires varying degrees of each of the above.  Also time in grade does not equate to experience.  Also, experiences vary widely.  Are the experiences in roles as a trainer, investigator, narcotics officer, or what?  A highly educated homicide investigator with ten years of violent crime investigations may get his butt kicked the first night he rotates back to patrol and goes to a bar disturbance, while the two-year officer with nothing more than a high school diploma saves him.  There is no neat way of quantifying police officers.  

In tx is the age of consent 17 ? I've looked it up and everywhere it says 17 but this one post said even if they have sex at 17 the other person involved can still get in trouble if older

Asked by Dershowitz over 11 years ago

I don't know.  Contact a police or sheriff's department in Texas.