No no no…a guy I know knows this guy who has a cop for a brother, and he told me that cops have to remain visible when they’re tracking with radar. And if it’s nighttime, they have to have their running lights on.
Oh, and if you ask an undercover cop if he’s a cop, he has to tell you the truth. Uh huh…
Pardon the hijack, but does anyone know where the whole “If you ask a cop if he is a cop, legally he HAS to tell you, dude”!!! urban legend got started?
I mean, on its face it is so assinine----if it were true, there would be no successful undercover operations, right? Still, there are some clueless shady operators (usually from TV shows like COPS it’s hookers and street level dealers) who still seem to take it as gospel.
Anyone with the Straight Dope?
If police have announced sobriety checkpoints (which seems to be required by law, otherwise why announce it?), then they should have to announce their presence in a private establishment. Right? What’s the difference?
This isn’t some undercover sting to nab Pablo Escobar, it’s a stretch of the law to snag drunk drivers. Right?
I know I’ve watched “Cops” several times when they were doing the hooker or drug sting operations and they’ve flat out told the perps “No” when asked if they were a cop.
I’m guessing it’s an urban myth myself.
Stand at the drive through entrance and hitch a ride (yes, I did that once).
Correct. As of Monday the SO had asked 24 different restaurants to participate and was told to take a flying leap by each and every one.
While I have no love of drunk drivers, I do have a good deal of respect for these private business owners saying they refused to participate in the law enforcement equivalent of quartering troops.
I don’t see that as offensive. It’s not going to inconvenience anyone who’s not driving drunk, unless the deputy is a crappy worker.
I do see roadblock checkpoints that arbitrarily stop all drivers as a bad thing. They’re “fishing expedition” and assume you’re guilty until proven innocent.
Besides, they’d lose a lot of business (relatively speaking) when it became known that there were cops hanging out at the drive-throughs. Why even stay open late-night at that point?
Quartering troops? Get over yourself.
They can still sit in the parking lots and the dining rooms.
I still don’t see what’s so “offensive” about the idea. The only people who would need to worry about it would be drunk drivers.
<mod>
This isn’t the Pit, Clothahump. Tone down the insults.
</mod>
What you said. Gosh, that mean old Sheriff’s Department. Having the nerve to ask business owners if they can station deputies on their premises.
What’s shallow about it? I’d much rather have drunk drivers be arrested in a parking lot before they have a chance to kill someone…