# I hate the Iowa State Police. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955 "2003-09-06T17:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/41 "2003-09-08T03:35:24Z")
Thanks, pkbites. Now onto a related query: are tazers considered to be armament in that state? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/42 "2003-09-08T03:46:26Z")
pkbites: Did you ask if their officers carry only the tazers while on campus and use other types of firearms when they’re working with other police forces off campus? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/43 "2003-09-08T03:56:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Now onto a related query: are tazers considered to be armament in that state? \*\* what exactly do you mean by “armament”? If someone were to ask me if they are “armed” the answer is a firm NO! “Armed” means a firearm. End of story. A tazer is not a firearm. I’ve been in and out of the law enforcement field both full time & part-time during the past 20+ years, and I assist in teaching DAAT. I’m waiting for some smart ass to come in here and tell me university police don’t need to carry guns. You try to effect an arrest with part of the force continuum not there. Someone in Iowa needs to get his head out of his ass. We had a university president here try to disarm university police officers. He lost. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/44 "2003-09-08T03:58:32Z")
“Those cops don’t look unarmed.” No, you didn’t say you mistook jack for jack, but you did mistake a tazer for a gun. Apparently your god mistook your skull for a trash can, too. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/45 "2003-09-08T03:58:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*pkbites: Did you ask if their officers carry only the tazers while on campus and use other types of firearms when they’re working with other police forces off campus? \*\* No. But I did post the phone number. Be my guest.😛 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/46 "2003-09-08T04:02:45Z")
Bwaaahahahah.😃 :smack: Those poor folk at at U of I DPS. They’re going to get a bunch of calls now! All because **Mr. Babbington** can’t slow the fuck down!😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛 Hahahahahahaha! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/47 "2003-09-08T04:03:30Z")
Apparently, Wicket, you’ve mistaken yourself for someone with reading comprehension. From [http://www.iastate.edu/~study-abroad/Faculty/PDH\_Handbook/policies/2-7.DOC](http://www.iastate.edu/~study-abroad/Faculty/PDH_Handbook/policies/2-7.DOC) I get this info (bolding mine): > [@](#): > > 4.2.17 Possession or Misuse of Weapons > Possession of weapons, unless uathorized by the University, is a violation. > (a) A weapon is any instrument or device designed primarily for use in inflicting death or injury upon a human being or animal, and which is capable of inflicting death or injury when used in the manner for which it was designed. Additionally, any instrument or device of any sort whatsoever which is actually used in such a manner as to indicate that the possessor intends to inflict death or injury upon another, is a weapon. > > (b) Weapons include any pistol, revolver, shotgun, machine gun, rifle or other firearm, BB or pellet ugn, **tazer or stun-gun** , bomb, greande, mine or other explosive or incendiary device, ammunition, archery equipment, dagger, stiletto, swtichblade knife, or knife having a blade exceeding five inches in length. Residents of University housing may possess knives have a blade exceeding five inches for cooking purposes. So, tazers are weapons. I don’t know if you can get away with claiming that you’re going to cook your victim if you knife him instead. From [http://www.dso.iastate.edu/facilityuse.htm](http://www.dso.iastate.edu/facilityuse.htm) {it’s a draft}(bolding mine): > [@](#): > > Weapons are not permitted on the campus except for purposes of law enforcement and as specifically authorized for purposes of instruction, research or service. A weapon is any instrument or device designed primarily for use in inflicting death or injury upon a human being or animal, and which is capable of inflicting death or injury when used in the manner for which it was designed. Weapons include any pistol, revolver, shotgun, machine gun, rifle or other firearm, BB or pellet gun, **tazer or stun-gun** , bomb, grenade, mine or other explosive or incendiary device, ammunition, archery equipment, dagger, stiletto, switchblade knife, or knife having a blade exceeding five inches in length. Residents of University housing may possess knives having a blade exceeding five inches for cooking purposes. [ul][li]Tazers are defined as weapons.[/li][li]The University Police use tazers.[/li][li]Therefore the University Police are not unarmed.[/ul][/li] IMHO Alert! I’m with pkbites: they may be armed with tazers and thus armed; however, I think that’s underarmed. If anyone cares, even Wicket, feel free to open a debate on non-lethal armament. pkbites: I think I shall make that phone call in the morning after my first class is over. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/48 "2003-09-08T04:05:34Z")
The bit above about cooking the victim after knifing is meant as levity. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/49 "2003-09-08T04:16:31Z")
[Or we could just go to ChalkPit’s April thread on tazers.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177981&highlight=tazer) Yet another IMHO alert! I can see the police officer preferring to approach a stopped vehicle on a highway from the passenger side (assuming the driver side is the left side of the vehicle) for two reasons: [ol][li]The officer can see exactly what it is the driver’s reaching for in the glove compartment and thus won’t be surprised with a weapon.[/li]The officer won’t be standing too close to the passing traffic.[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/50 "2003-09-08T07:00:01Z")
😃 I am so happy that I could spark such a spirited argument. Thank you all. For the record, it was the Iowa State Police, he was armed with a **gun** and not a taser. And **Monty** , I have no doubt in my mind that he came up to the passenger side of my truck for safety reasons. I paid the ticket today, and am glad to be done with it. But the manner _in which I was stopped still grates on me_. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955/51 "2003-09-08T13:53:01Z")
What’s wrong with the manner? Your only complaint is that you had to wait for the other officer–whom you maligned with a prejudicial comment. The police officer pulled you over for a legitimate purpose and you got a legitimate ticket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-iowa-state-police/199955.md?page=2)