It differs a great deal from state to state. In my case, I started as an unpaid reserve officer. I then tested for a full-time job (that involves a written test, physical agility test, oral board interview, psychologial test, polygraph test, background investigation) and got hired. Then it was off to the Academy for three months (the Academy was recently extended to six-months). Then back to my department for field training, and finally on my own!
I guess since some teenagers do cause a lot of problems, some officers tend to treat you all the same. And it doesn’t seem likely anybody is going to protest for the rights of teenagers to hang out downtown, so there is little pressure on the officers to change.
I prefer to have a good relationship with the kids in town, and most of them seem to like me.
I just realized that teenagers are very much another oppressed minority (that position should make me popular with the teens among the Teeming Millions)! In many ways, teens are treated with the same prejudice that some officers are criticized for showing to people of color.
Interesting question. I do believe that cops cheat more than the average male (though the average male is no paragon of virtue and fidelity!). I’m not sure why this is. I guess the ideas about the hours, lack of trust of others, pressure, etc., seem like likely factors, but I can’t be sure. Another may be the that the job allows us to meet lots of women, and some are attracted to the uniform and image (not that it’s ever done me any good!).
I think a feeling of invulnerability may be another factor. I’ve known five cops in my county who have been fired for having sex on duty (one keyed his radio mic with his knee while getting a blowjob, and broadcast the whole thing to the entire county), and that is the only explanation I can come up with for doing something so stupid.
What can I say? Men are . . . ahem . . . PIGS! 
I wish they would teach them that we are there to help them when they need us. I don’t think any officer would turn away a kid who needs help. I can see why someone like jarbabyj would have a hard time teaching that lesson with the officers she has to deal with, but in most of the country it is the truth.
One thing I HATE is parents who use the police as a bogeyman to frighten their children. I have had several parents ask me to scare their kids for them when they have done something wrong (“please tell my daughter that you will take he to jail if she slaps her brother again”). I absolutely refuse to do that, and I’ve even told children that their parents were wrong and we won’t take them to jail. I don’t want kids to be afraid of me.
I’ve never had anyone try this with me (DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!), but I know it works on some guys and not on others. I remember one of my partners telling about stopping a woman in a “ticket-proof skirt”. What can I say? Some guys turn to mush, and others just want to reward a nice sight!
**
[/quote]
2: Are there any policemen with huge bellies like you used to see in decades past or are there fitness requirements even for veterans nowadays. **
[/QUOTE]
There are plenty of big bellies out there, and I’m hardly svelte myself. Many agencies do have continuing fitness requirements, but those actually have to be negotiated with the unions so a lot agencies don’t have them.
I’ve heard of that, too, but I’m not sure. I can’t think of any reason why an officer would want someone getting out of the car right away.
The best advice is to sit tight, with your hands on the steering wheel (in plain view) and let the officer tell you what to do. He won’t be shy about letting you know!
**
Any changes like that are going to be only done by individual agencies. Most of what we do has been handed down through the years, passed from agency to agency, and built into the training. Sometimes major things will set of changes nationwide (such as the Columbine shootings or the LA bank robbery), but most of the changes are spread more slowly.
**
That is largely true. I’ve only had occasion to work with the feds a few times, and it’s always been positive. But there are lots of stories about the feds taking over investigations and hogging credit. It’s probably mostly rumor and territorialism.
**
Anything that can be is returned to the owner. If it is illegal to possess, it is destroyed in some way (guns are often taken to a chipper/smelter to be made into rebar). Anything that is OK to release and isn’t claimed is auctioned to the public.
Every agency will be different. My agency does not track warnings, but we’re small enough that most of us will know if one of the locals has been warned a couple of times for the same thing.
Yup, they are fishing. Probably hoping to hit a stolen plate, but they could also be checking for people from out of the area that they don’t thing belong.
Another possibility (I’ve seen this more than a few times) is they are checking for the name on a pretty driver. It’s not right, but it does happen.
Ask the appropriate questions about the supposed condition. Diabetics who are out of balance can appear exactly like a drunk, and we have to be aware of that. I recently had a woman try to use that as an excuse (but it was obvious she was really drunk), so I allowed her to test her blood sugar at the station. I then recorded the reading, and used that to challenge any claim that this was the cause of her behavior. She plead guilty.
Another thing about the field sobriety tests. Part of the test is balance, but it is more a test of how well a person can follow instructions and do more than one thing at a time. Poor balance by itself shouldn’t make an experienced officer think that you’re drunk.
Not even with your wife? 
Thanks for the very informative thread. My questions:
As a detective sergeant, are you in uniform? What sort of things do you investigate in your community? Small town Washington – I’m guessing a lot of meth? (I’m in Seattle.)
Especially not with her! :rolleyes:
**
I am in uniform these days, but we hope to hire one more officer this year and then I’ll be able to get back to full-time detective work and plain clothes!
My current, active cases involve several burglaries, a robbery, three assaults, two child molestations, one possession of child porn, and a bunch of bad check cases. I also work two drug informants (and yes, meth is the drug of choice here).
And I was imprudent in my use of language in that thread. FTR, people, I have disposed of exactly one sawed-off shotgun in my life, and I won’t ask Badge to comment on my method, as the previous thread was closed.
So, Badge, what are your feelings about occasions when those of us citizens on the street feel like helping you out with a cantankerous member of the public? As a cabdriver in past years, I encountered a few such situations.
P.S. Thanks for this thread!
I’ve been worried about this issue as well, having gotten my driver’s license only a few months ago, and my first car very recently. I knew that you shouldn’t pull over for an unmarked car, and I also worry that I might not be able to see if the car is marked or not if it’s dark out (and/or if my back window is fogged – damn broken defroster! ).
Would it be worth it to, along with emergency flashers and such, dial 911 on my cel to let a dispatcher know that I see the police car and intend to pull over when I find somewhere more brightly lit? I’ve also heard that there’s a code on cel phones, like #77 or something, that will also work, do you know if that’s true?
Also, thanks for the helpful information in this thread. The main reason I support the DARE program in Los Angeles is not because I think it reduces drug use per se, but because it allows kids to interact with a police officer in a non-stressful, non-confrontational environment. The officer who worked at my elementary school was a great guy – one of his scheduled visits was the day after the outbreak of the Rodney King riots, and I remember being impressed that he played part of a round of kickball with us, even while wearing his bulletproof vest in full sun! (are those things as hot as they look?)
Methinks he’s covering his, er, badge in case Mrs. Badge surveys the answers! 
I have some friends who are cops, but some questions are just too ouchy to ask. So…
(Getting nervous yet?)
Dealing with the general public can be a kick and a kick in the pants. Unfortunately, most times it can be draining, even on superficial levels. By the very nature of your job you see people at their most basic, i.e. most stressed. Somehow you have to process all that.
Considering how much stomach acid I pump after dealing with the merely rude, confused and irrational, how do you you shed what you handle every day? Forget the routine rude twerps–who are awful enough. For example, when folks veer completely out of control, we call the guys in blue. People who’ve been screaming mfer at me and my staff often then hand out worse to you guys.
This question may be too vague or too personal to answer. Apologies! But how do you handle all that and still function?
Veb
(sucking the oxygen right outta the room)
This is a fascinating, informative thread; thanks, Badge.
As a serious verbophile, I’m curious about any interesting jargon you may use on the job. There was an article in the New Yorker a few years back by a longtime NYPD veteran about police jargon, and I’ve heard some interesting ones from a few local officers I know. What terms do you use among other officers that you think are especially vivid or unusual?
In the same vein as Jackelope do you use the slang cop terms I’ve seen on TV such as:
hinky -suspects gonna try to get away
sideways -things are going bad
there’s a half dozen (or so) more I can’t think of right now…
I realize that you probably are worried about your superiors possibly reading this,but here goes.
I realize that when you’re on duty you can’t give special consideration to family members or friends without risking your job(i assume your patrol car has a dash cam).
But what about off duty?
If a person you cared about was involved in minor crimes(not talking about child molestation or murder here )how would you respond to it?
Let me expand the question,is there an official policy on how to respond when off-duty and witnessing a crime?
Say you were at a party and saw a joint being passed around,how would you respond?
Badge This is a great thread!
Now for my earth shattering question: * How come the people questioned in their homes and businesses in Law and Order can’t sit still? *