# How does "professional courtesy" work with cops **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032 "2006-08-09T18:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/41 "2006-08-10T10:19:09Z")
[QUOTE=pkbites] Sure I did. It’s my insurance that went up. I didn’t say they didn’t deserve the ticket, but don’t call me up and blow smoke up my ass. Just do your job and leave it at that. [/QUOTE] I don’t get why you were angry at the cop. He was just doing his job, and he had the courtesy to phone and express regrets he had to do what you would have wanted him to do. If you were pissed because your insurance went up, why wouldn’t you take it out on your wife and kid, and not the cop? Instead of hanging up on him, why wouldn’t you have said “Yeah, yeah. I understand, you were just doing your job. I would have done the same, no need to apologize. Keep up the good work.” If was a young cop, and got hung up on by senior officer (I assume from your previous posts that you’ve got some years on the job), I would have felt reprimanded and possibly threatened by your hostility. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/42 "2006-08-10T22:05:24Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know about badges, but they do give out courtesy cards. I have a few relatives in law enforcement, and as I understand it, those cards are generally only good once. If you get pulled over, and show the officer on the scene the card, he may (or may not!) choose to let you off. If he does, he’ll confiscate the card, which will work its way through the system back to the officer who gave it to you. He then has the option of giving it back to you, but if it ever shows up again, he’s likely to be in trouble. Of course, they’re under no obligation to honor such cards, especially not if they’re from a different jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/43 "2006-08-10T23:17:36Z")
My cousin is a police officer in SoCal. He has a thing for new, powerful Ford Mustangs and has on occasion gone 66mph on the freeway 🙂 He has been pulled over and he is always careful to NOT say that he is a police officer. I think his reasoning is that if he’s going to be break the speed limit he has even less cause to complain if he gets dinged for it and it would be an abuse of his position to try and get out of it via “professional courtesy”. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/44 "2006-08-10T23:25:51Z")
When my husband was a deputy district attorney, they all had DA’s office badges. Hubby was wise enough to know that while he had a professional relationship with “his” cops, that was as far as it went. But not everybody has a clue. One dipshit new guy was pulled over for speeding, and as the cop was walking up to his car he just rolled down his window and hung his badge out, expecting the cop to say “Oh gee, sorry, Mr. Super-Cool DA, my mistake.” Didn’t happen quite that way. Dumbass. No one would have known that my husband was a DA until they ran our plates- the CA DMV will remove the personal information from the license plate screen for cops, court personnel, DAs, judges, etc, so when the plate is run, the office name comes up instead of the home address. There was no way that my husband was ever going to flash a badge. If he was speeding, it’s the cop’s choice to give him a ticket or not, no matter who he is or where he works. People who think the laws don’t apply to them and that they _deserve_ some kind of special treatment are assholes. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/45 "2006-08-11T03:07:32Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] Well, how mini are we talking? A lot of jurisidictions do give out pins; that’s the doo-dad of the minute that seems to have replaced the shoulder patch. [/QUOTE] You can buy duplicate shields and mini-shields here. The minis can be as small as pin size , but I’ve seen them half the size of the official shield. The duplicates are just that, duplicates. I’ve bought one - my agency was being super-cheap for a while, and when I was promoted, I was given the one stock shield to carry until I had a duplicate made at my own expense. Took six weeks, cost $120 , and I had to show my ID to place the order. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/46 "2006-08-11T04:40:29Z")
I reiterate my thread-closing comment from here: [In your opinion should OFF-DUTY police get speeding tickets if caught speeding? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=376342) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/47 "2006-08-11T15:23:40Z")
[QUOTE=Thalion] Fortunately, each of the above situations involved minor violations, ones where I would likely give any citizen a break on a good day. In 19 years, I’ve only identified myself once when stopped (for a headlight out). That was only because I would have had to expose the gun on my hip when I reached for my wallet, and that sort of surprise tends to upset the other officer. [/QUOTE] Yes, and that’s when “Professional courtesy” should be applied- when the Patrol Officer is considering letting the dude in the car off with a warning even before he sees the badge. I work with a lot of local police, and they tell me in most “normal” traffic stops, they are considering this anyway- badge or no badge. If you are polite, don’t give a stupid excuse, have all your ducks in a row (license, registration, insurance), and don’t have a “want or warrant” out, there is every chance that YOU will be given a warning too. I have a badge (no I am not a police officer, just a bureaucrat with a badge) and I do show it, but after I show the rest of my stuff. I ask “Do you need to see my work ID?” and before he answers I show my ID with the badge. I don’t ask for nor expect any special favors over what any good citizen with a good driving record would get. I don’t drive stupid, and I only speed within the flow of traffic, so I don’t get pulled over very often anyway. Last time I got pulled over it was because I forgot to put my new tag on my back plate- but since she could see that my registration was up to date, she let me go- and I never even got around to “showing the badge” 😃 I honestly can’t tell you if my badge has ever saved me from a ticket- never had an indication of that. And when I did have a CCW and carried a gun (not in my current County, it’s very hard to get one here, even for me), the PD made it clear to me that I should let them know ASAP I was carrying \*and \* show my badge- they don’t like suprises as \*\*Thalion \*\* said. So, my take on “professional courtesy” is that it’s fine- as long as it is restricted to the types of violations where a warning is often given anyway (driving slightly over the speed limit, “stale yellow” light, not using turn signals, etc). BUT not for anything more serious. And remember, dudes- if _you_ get a drunk driving ticket, it may cost you your license- but it can often cost a cop his career. So, they may get out of a few lesser tickets, but they get hammered even harder that the ordinary Joe Citizen when it comes to more serious violations. And, that balances things out. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/48 "2006-08-11T16:59:39Z")
[QUOTE=Thalion] Generally, I despise “professional courtesy”. I think that these officers should show me the courtesy of obeying the law in my jurisdiction and not put me in the position of having to give them a break (or not). Fortunately, each of the above situations involved minor violations, ones where I would likely give any citizen a break on a good day. [/QUOTE] I think that’s a good attitude to have. If you would let a member of the general public go with a warning, there’s no problem with letting a cop go with a warning. But if you’d ticket Joe Average, you should ticket the cop as well. [QUOTE=pkbites] I give the same advice to new officers that I follow: GROW UP! We should not be violating the law. [/QUOTE] Another good attitude. It’s a pity so many of your fellow officers don’t agree, at least when it comes to traffic violations. We had a thread a while back discussing the [Cops Writing Cops](http://www.copswritingcops.com/) website. I find the sense of entitlement exhibited on that site to be nothing short of pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/49 "2006-08-11T19:14:05Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] I have a badge (no I am not a police officer, just a bureaucrat with a badge) and I do show it, but after I show the rest of my stuff. I ask “Do you need to see my work ID?” and before he answers I show my ID with the badge. I don’t ask for nor expect any special favors over what any good citizen with a good driving record would get. [/QUOTE] If you’re not expecting special favors, why show your badge at all? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/50 "2006-08-11T19:33:30Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] If you’re not expecting special favors, why show your badge at all? [/QUOTE] Even Police Officers are nervous some times. When he sees my ID, he can relax. A nervous man with a gun is not a good thing. Besides, I am sometimes in odd areas doing odd things. If me acting suspicious is part of why he pulled me over (and this would simply be good police work), then he now know what I was doing and why. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/51 "2006-08-11T19:37:12Z")
> [@](#): > > You can buy duplicate shields and mini-shields here. The minis can be as small as pin size , but I’ve seen them half the size of the official shield. The duplicates are just that, duplicates. I’ve bought one - my agency was being super-cheap for a while, and when I was promoted, I was given the one stock shield to carry until I had a duplicate made at my own expense. Took six weeks, cost $120 , and I had to show my ID to place the order. Yeah, but you were legitimately carrying a badge, not sporting a “family” badge. I did some checking around and apparently such things _do_ exist, but they seem to me to be ripe for misuse. > [@](#): > > I have a badge (no I am not a police officer, just a bureaucrat with a badge) and I do show it, but after I show the rest of my stuff. I ask “Do you need to see my work ID?” and before he answers I show my ID with the badge. Back when I had a badge, I never did this. I don’t carry a weapon – a legitimate reason to immediately identify yourself and show a badge – and I just didn’t feel comfortable flashing a badge to get out of a ticket. I mean, come on: “Do you need to see my work ID?” Why would the officer need to see your work ID? The only thing I ever used my badge for was getting into and out of the courthouse, and then they started making us go through the metal detector anyway. At that point, I’m not sure why I even had one, though I admit I thought it was kind of cool. ---
**Author:** ![Nytewatchyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b38774/32.png) [@Nytewatchyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nytewatchyr)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/52 "2006-08-11T19:38:24Z")
I’ve been through two separate police academies and have NEVER been “taught” the idea of professional courtesy. I would be appalled if it were true. When I’m pulled over I tell the officer I am in law enforcement and that there is a weapon in the vehicle (whether I’m wearing it or it’s in my purse, etc). It’s a safety issue and I advise all citizens who carry weapons to do the same thing. They last thing you want is what happened to me once when they saw the weapon on my rig next to me and got all jumpy. Lots of criminals actually have rigs that look like police rigs. That’s when I’m asked to show credentials… proof that I’m allowed to carry the weapon. I do the same thing when I pull over someone who claims to be a police officer. He’d better show me credentials. And the thin blue line stickers, etc, hold no real meaning for me. Anyone can get them even though they are supposed to be police only. Since I tend to be someone who gives out warnings more than tickets on a regular basis it’s not unusual for me to give a police officer a warning. I myself have gotten warnings. For a while my jurisdiction had some out of jurisdiction cops speeding through the county at speeds past 100 mph enroute home. That started two chases (which, though admittedly fun, are dangerous). That situation was finally taken care of by the officers’ administration, which wasn’t happy. Believe me, nothing bugs us more than pulling someone over who hangs their badge out the door with a “I’m entitled to this” air about them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/53 "2006-08-11T19:49:15Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Even Police Officers are nervous some times. When he sees my ID, he can relax. A nervous man with a gun is not a good thing. Besides, I am sometimes in odd areas doing odd things. If me acting suspicious is part of why he pulled me over (and this would simply be good police work), then he now know what I was doing and why. [/QUOTE] Oh, and that latter is why it’s dep’t policy to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Nytewatchyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b38774/32.png) [@Nytewatchyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nytewatchyr)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/54 "2006-08-11T19:52:57Z")
Seeing as I just got off midnights and we rotate shifts all the time I’m a bit addlepated at the moment. But my point was that I write warnings 90% of the time for traffic offenses and write tickets only when the offense is severe or there’s some other problem with the stop. I treat police the same way. And the most common offense I pull police over for is when they’re enroute home from a long day and start weaving over the lanes. I stop for suspected dwi and get an exhausted cop on his last shift. Esp. in the DC area where our shifts have been extended and mandatory overtime kicks in whenever threat levels bounce around. Same happense with nurses, construction, anyone on their way home from a long shift. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/55 "2006-08-11T19:54:21Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Besides, I am sometimes in odd areas doing odd things. If me acting suspicious is part of why he pulled me over (and this would simply be good police work), then he now know what I was doing and why. [/QUOTE] Fair enough. I wasn’t asking to be snarky, just geniunely curious. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/56 "2006-08-11T20:03:34Z")
DRDETH: > [@](#): > > If me acting suspicious is part of why he pulled me over (and this would simply be good police work), then he now know what I was doing and why. Oh, and that latter is why it’s dep’t policy to do so. Can’t argue with that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032/57 "2006-08-11T20:12:39Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] Fair enough. I wasn’t asking to be snarky, just geniunely curious. [/QUOTE] No problem. In fact, it’s a slightly sticky situation, as we are warned we can’t use our “official position” to get “favors”, and one example given is “getting out of a moving violation” (to some extent, we can try and get out of a \*parking \* ticket, but it all depends. Handicapped zones are a specified NO-NO, for example.) So, I have to be careful how I do it. **Nytewatchyr** - and to me, that’s perfectly legit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-professional-courtesy-work-with-cops/368032.md?page=2)