ask a cop/jailer

[iron codpiece]

If you have nerve damage in your left hand, how do you typ-

Uhhhhhh...

There are different kinds of nerve damage.

 

[ace_of_something]

edit: have you ever bumped into "free runners"? and if so, what was the reaction towards them?

Forgot to answer this one. Well, we live in a city on the cusp of 'the great plains' so it's pretty flat. I think it's really neat and I wish I could do that. I just hope I don't encounter a burglar who has this ability.

As far as legality it is technically speaking a form of trespassing and certainly from a litgious standpoint it's not good. I could totally see businesses putting up 'no free running' signs like they do with skateboarding (like I obeyed those 'no skateboarding' signs when i was a kid anyway)

 

[Stephanos132]

If not a policeman, what would you have been?

Also, have you ever been tempted to overlook misbehaviours out of pity (like say the person in question had a pretty potent sob story)?

Finally, who, generally, are the most obnoxious type of people you must deal with and what's the worst thing someone's said or done to you while on duty?

 

[Contun]

My roommate just told me to put on here my answer to her question as to the saddest thing I've seen:

I was on a d.a.r.e-like program for kids in 4th grade. For those not in the states; these type of programs are where cops come in and teach kids how to identify and stay away from drugs and sexual predators. (these programs have been proven to be only slightly effective so our department retooled it significantly)

We were going over alcohol abuse and the like. At the end the kids took simple tests. One of the questions was ?What is an alcoholic?? the right answer for these 8-9 year olds was ?someone who uses alcohol as a drug not a drink? or something like that. One little boy wrote;
?Someone who breaks promises? and there was a wrinkled spot on his paper like it got wet (from a teardrop I think).
When I read that I seriously almost cried. A few weeks later this child was given to his grandparents.

I remember D.A.R.E.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education correct?

 

[ace_of_something]

How was the injury you got caused?

And do you personally support the current establishment?

It's a long thread so I'm sure you just[a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.78482?page=2#980485]missed it[/a] I have since had some reconstructive surgery and after years of PT am almost as good as I was with my aim. (It's really sad that I'm ranked in the high-middle of my current department for shooting)

The current establishment of the city police? Well my twin brother and older brother are still on that department. Because of the recesssion the city council has cut retirement benifits for police officers and firemen. Many community based programs (midnight basketball, 'take back our streets' walks, and so forth) Have been cut due to the budget. I agree that some of the spending was silly and they have adressed that, for example they run the cars for 3 years now instead of 2 before turning them into unmarked/detective cars.

I guess it's upsetting to me that an effective force has been cut back due to fianances.

On the upside though, I work for the County and we have MORE money and are taking MORE control because we have to pick up the slack for the city.

Weird.

 

[hebdomad]

Are catapults legal? ... seriously.

 

[ace_of_something]

If not a policeman, what would you have been?

Also, have you ever been tempted to overlook misbehaviours out of pity (like say the person in question had a pretty potent sob story)?

Finally, who, generally, are the most obnoxious type of people you must deal with and what's the worst thing someone's said or done to you while on duty?

Well, when I started college I was in political science and mass communications. I wanted to be a radio DJ. Then decided my soft spoken ways don't jive with... well... ANY media form really.

Tempted? Yes. Done it? Well.... occasionally in things like catching two teenagers boinking in a car I would just take/follow them home and tell their parents what they did and with who.
Though that might be worse than jail for some kids. I know it would've been for me.

The most obnoxious? There's two groups that generally make me have to eat some taffy (the closest I'll ever get to saying 'i need a drink')
1. Young gangbangers. Now, let me be clear that in this city gangs come in all races and no one gang type is more annoying than the other. They are agressive, disrespectful to even their own mothers, have a sense of entitlement, THINK they know the system, and if you're working in a jail, they tend to start fights with everyone over everything. I say young because older gangbangers, what few there are, tend to be a little more laid back and say things like "yeah, you gotta arrest me Officer Ahmbolt, you just doin' your job." At least they know how to play ball when you need something from them (information) as opposed to screeching and trying to hit you.

2. The very very wealthy. I'm talking about the kind of wealthy that has a personal lawyer and if they get so much as a speeding ticket it will show up in the local (if not national)paper. These people are the types who get burglarized then if you don't solve the case in 2 days threaten to sue the police department or you personally (thank god for unions) not realizing that you have to divide your attention among a dozen other cases as well. These people make you question why you're helping them and don't realize how lucky they are when you do solve there case (burglaries are VERY hard to find anything on) and say something like 'about time!' or 'and you couldn't find any of our stuff beyond the jewelry?! You're terrible"

You tell me how to be a detective when I tell you how to be an investment banker or whatever.

 

[ace_of_something]

My roommate just told me to put on here my answer to her question as to the saddest thing I've seen:

I was on a d.a.r.e-like program for kids in 4th grade. For those not in the states; these type of programs are where cops come in and teach kids how to identify and stay away from drugs and sexual predators. (these programs have been proven to be only slightly effective so our department retooled it significantly)

We were going over alcohol abuse and the like. At the end the kids took simple tests. One of the questions was ?What is an alcoholic?? the right answer for these 8-9 year olds was ?someone who uses alcohol as a drug not a drink? or something like that. One little boy wrote;
?Someone who breaks promises? and there was a wrinkled spot on his paper like it got wet (from a teardrop I think).
When I read that I seriously almost cried. A few weeks later this child was given to his grandparents.

I remember D.A.R.E.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education correct?

Yes, that is correct. Too bad statistically they can't find any conclusive data on if it works. They can't even disprove that it makes it WORSE.

 

[chronobreak]

Tempted? Yes. Done it? Well.... occasionally in things like catching two teenagers boinking in a car I would just take/follow them home and tell their parents what they did and with who.
Though that might be worse than jail for some kids. I know it would've been for me.

Really, you would do that? That really sucks, bro. I can see following them home, but getting the parents involved? I assume you are talking about kids under 18, but still.

I have a question as well. I live in a large city, so as you can imagine there are a lot of drugs being dealt all over the place. All the locals know where the crackhouses and dealers are, so I assume the police know as well. Are their hands really that tied to be chasing people down to give traffic tickets, when they have clear knowledge (though maybe physically unproveable) where more serious crimes are taking place? If that's the case, it's really terrible that the people we pay to protect us cannot even do so without a bunch of red tape.

 

[ace_of_something]

Tempted? Yes. Done it? Well.... occasionally in things like catching two teenagers boinking in a car I would just take/follow them home and tell their parents what they did and with who.
Though that might be worse than jail for some kids. I know it would've been for me.

Really, you would do that? That really sucks, bro. I can see following them home, but getting the parents involved? I assume you are talking about kids under 18, but still.

I have a question as well. I live in a large city, so as you can imagine there are a lot of drugs being dealt all over the place. All the locals know where the crackhouses and dealers are, so I assume the police know as well. Are their hands really that tied to be chasing people down to give traffic tickets, when they have clear knowledge (though maybe physically unproveable) where more serious crimes are taking place? If that's the case, it's really terrible that the people we pay to protect us cannot even do so without a bunch of red tape.

For the first one the only time i did that was when the boy was about a month from being 18 and the girl was about a week from just having turned 14 which, while not illegal in this state was about to be in less than a month. So I felt their parents should know. Usually, that sort of thing happened more when I caught minors trying to buy beer or drinking rather than giving them a MIP.

Your second question doesn't really have a simple answer.

The thing is a police department is made up of many different departments or divisions. There always has to be some cops on traffic or in larger cities if you're a patrol car it's either expected or in the rules you have to log so many hours in traffic. The thing is speeding IS dangerous so is driving like a maniac. I've seen many an accident that could've been prevented if people just slowed the fuck down. Speeding / Wreckless driving often times can lead you to find the person has skipped a court date and needs to go back to jail so they stop plugging up the system, or they're under the influence of something or are uninsured. All people you probably don't want on the road.

The thing with the crack houses. I used to work vice and like anything else it's a lot more complicated than it looks.

Spoiler: permit me, if you will, to become verbose.

For example one barrier is ?does anyone live there?? if no one does it?s hard to find who exactly is using the place other than going in and walking around. If someone owns the burnt husk you cannot hold them legally responsible for things trespassers do. So you have to devote manpower to a stake out. And unless you have a really good idea when these things happen it?s going to cost the city a crap ton of money as steak outs (WHICH ARE SO FUCKING BORING!) are almost completely done on very expensive overtime. Let?s say we do get a lead an idea who is doing this. You need to build up concrete proof not just the word of a crack head before you can do anything about it, and that takes a great deal of time drug dealers weave tangled webs the good ones never sell the stuff themselves. It?s very time consuming.
Now if you?re saying ?crackheads squat there? it?s just as bad we could go buy there every single night and clear them all out send them to jail. That doesn?t solve the problem though? It?s like roaches they?ll just keep coming back.
If the building is abandoned it?s pretty easy to deal with. The taxpayers will have to foot the bill to have the place demolished. Is someone OWNS the property though. You have to condemn the building first, which is also harder than it sounds as there are many many loopholes. If that fails the city would have to buy the property from the owner who chances are is a complete fucking crook and will want more than a reasonable amount.
So nothing gets solved, and there it sits. Mocking the community and the police.

and that's just the tip of the red tape-burg.

 

[Lord George]

I'm looking into possibly joining the police (though in the UK), and I was wondering do you find your job fulfilling? As in do you actually feel your helping people or does it just depress/terrify you when you see what people are constantly doing?

 

[ace_of_something]

How do you sleep at night knowing that some of the laws you enforce are unjust and unconscionable?

On a pile of money, guns, drugs, and whores.
I know that I don't write the laws... politicians do that. If you don't like a law talk to your congressman or mayor.

 

[BonsaiK]

Hey, this thread is AMAZING. Best thread I've ever seen in my nearly two years on this forum.

So because I think this is the best thread I've ever read I feel like I should help contribute to it and make it more awesome, so I'm going to ask stuff:

1. How does law enforcement work with regards to prostitution where you are? Where I live (Australia) brothels seem to work on some kind of hazy semi-legal basis. Prostitution is not technically legal here as far as I'm aware (laws are different in each state though), but they do have big red lights out and everyone knows where they are, they're discreet but not VERY discreet. It would be reasonable to assume that the local police know where these places are, seeing as how I know and I don't even go to them. Assuming that brothels are technically not legal, why do they continue to operate without the police shutting them down? There's only ever been one brothel bust by police that I can think of in the city where I live. Is it a case of "if we bust this brothel another will open up down the street so what's the point" or is it "better the girls are working at a brothel than being street walkers", or lack of evidence, or something else? I guess this is in a way similar to the question in the post above this one about drug dealers.

2. What's your position on prostitution in general? How do you think it affects a community? I've heard reports in small country towns where police shut down the only brothel, and as a result violence in the community increases... not sure if that's true though.

3. I work in the music industry, which is an industry that often operates on the fringes of legality, especially where drugs are concerned. I stay away from drugs completely but I'm a rare case - most people that I work closely with are off their tits on all types of substances at any given moment. Do cops in your experience habitually stake out or otherwise keep much of an eye on the local music scene and local music subcultures with a view to busting people for drug offences?

4. You seem like a nice person from your other posts. What do you think the ratio is of people such as yourself compared to people in the force who, for want of a better way of putting it, have a "cowboyish" attitude? Most encounters I've had with police have been reasonably polite affairs (I'm very nice to cops when I have to deal with them - I find my life is easier this way) but with some of the cops I deal with (about 50%) I get the sense that they are getting off a little on the whole power thing that they have over others. Do you think this is just my skewed perception as a civilian or do you think many cops are actually like this?

5. Is it true that undercover cops staking out bars to make busts forget to change out of their police shoes, so you can tell them apart by their footwear? An ex-girlfriend told me that's how she could always tell but I'm not sure if I believe it.

 

[TheMatt]

I was given a conditional discharge for .. umm.. aggravated assault... umm, yah.

how difficult is it for me to go to the states? (I'm Canadian) I have heard that I can ask for special papers that will clear me for a one time visit, but is there a time when the border guards just won't give a shit?

I will be off probation 2 months. (woot)

Thanks for the thread buddy.

 

[TheMatt]

How do you sleep at night knowing that some of the laws you enforce are unjust and unconscionable?

On a pile of money, guns, drugs, and whores.
I know that I don't write the laws... politicians do that. If you don't like a law talk to your congressman or mayor.

and i do not care if I am double posting, THAT was fricken hilarious. well done, sir.

 

[Sindaine]

Is it true that those who die while serving jailtime get wrapped in tarps and tossed in the garbage chute to save money on a box and funeral?

 

[ace_of_something]

Are catapults legal? ... seriously.

I sure hope not. I?ve got a cousin that engages in [a href=http://www.punkinchunkin.com/] punkin chunkin[/a]
As far as I know there is no federal law against building a catapult. Using it isn?t inherently illegal either though if you did it in a suburban neighborhood I imagine at the very least you?d get a ?disturbing the peace? charge and a ?reckless endangerment? charge.

And as with all construction and? weapon laws you need to check your local laws/building codes first.

 

[sneakypenguin]

How many cops jump ship to the federal level? Also is it possible to be a cop and go to school part time? I would like to get an MA after undergrad but I really want to start making enough money to pay cash for school and stuff so working full time will be a necessity.

 

[ace_of_something]

I'm looking into possibly joining the police (though in the UK), and I was wondering do you find your job fulfilling? As in do you actually feel your helping people or does it just depress/terrify you when you see what people are constantly doing?

I find it very fulfilling I know I'm doing something to improve it aroudn here. Even if it's only a trickle in the river's worth. Though some days it does just put you in a sour mood/depression after seeing something. I have more days where I go home confused (Why would someone do that?) You just have to learn a healthy way to release the anger/sadness from those days. I use video games.

How many cops jump ship to the federal level? Also is it possible to be a cop and go to school part time? I would like to get an MA after undergrad but I really want to start making enough money to pay cash for school and stuff so working full time will be a necessity.

Not very many bail out. Being in the FBI or CIA is a huge commitment and sacrifice that many are not willing to make. The last I knew the training period was a year for the FBI and everyone knows when you join the feds you move where they tell you for several years. Which could be buttcrack, nowhere. If you?re going to try to be a fed do it before you have a spouse or kids because once you take root somewhere it?s pretty hard to move.
I actually have a Master?s myself after my first 3 years of college I began working in the field and had been going to school part time for a while but when I became a vice cop I put it on hold. It was a lot easier to go to school while I worked at the jail because it wasn?t often I?d be forced into overtime. Or I?d work nights when they?re all sleeping and do my homework. It took me? 5 years to get my MA So 9 years overall.

It?s a lot of hard work but I feel accomplished.

 

[ace_of_something]

I was given a conditional discharge for .. umm.. aggravated assault... umm, yah.

how difficult is it for me to go to the states? (I'm Canadian) I have heard that I can ask for special papers that will clear me for a one time visit, but is there a time when the border guards just won't give a shit?

I will be off probation 2 months. (woot)

Thanks for the thread buddy.

By go to do you mean visit or immigrate? I'll be honest I've always worked in the middle of the country (where there are no borders) and my knowledge of the complex immigration laws is a bit lacking.

However if you have a felony it might be hard for you to get OUT of your country as most probation officers don't like it when you leave the county/city let alone the country. I'd ask your PO after you're off probation about the process as I believe there is some paperwork involved.