TexasCHLforum.com

cb1000rider wrote:

sjfcontrol wrote: You're implying that since an off-duty cop can pull over and ticket (or even arrest) somebody that has broken the law in his presence, that THAT Justifies their redirecting them into a parking lot to take a government survey. That, sir, is a classic straw man argument. Fail.

No, sir... I'm not implying that at all. If you find it offensive that I don't want to fire someone, that's OK.. But please hang me out to dry on my positions, not on a position that I didn't take. I'm more than capable of making a bad argument, but I'm certainly not arguing what you're suggesting above.

To me, it wouldn't make a difference if they were wearing Magnum PI shorts and Hawaiian T-shrits while redirection traffic if they were identifying themsevles. As LEOs, they're authorized to stop us on or off duty within jurisdictional bounds, even if they're wearing moo-moos. I'll skip more creative descriptions of interesting Austin attire. It's inherently non-optional to have a LEO direct you to stop and is inherently cohesive. Dress doesn't matter. Mode of transportation doesn't matter. They were probably illegal stops, but because no one got in trouble we don't get to figure that out definitively.

Stated another way to be perfectly clear: They have the authority to stop. That doesn't make it "right" and it doesn't make it legal. And I do not agree with what happened.

No offense intended to those that own Hawaiian T-shirts..

“'I agree with our citizens concerns and I apologize for our participation. Any future Federal survey of this nature, which jeopardizes the public’s trust, will not be approved for the use of Fort Worth police.'

Chief Jeffrey Halstead