That reminds me of when I was a young jarhead and was thinking about getting out and becoming an LA Deputy Sheriff. Long story short, I reenlisted since the only Academy date they could give me was 90+ days down the road and at that particular time the USMC was not allowing extensions in my field unless you agreed to reenlist in writing. So it was either be unemployed for a few months with a family or reenlist.
Anyway, the last formal step was sitting in front of a board of 2 or 3 officers (this was about 1989). They were all in suits, and I was in modified dress blues so I made a good impression.
They gave me the following scenario:
"You are patrolling an area that you know is restricted (should be no folks around for whatever reason)at night, and you find a parked car with fogged-up windows. What do you do?"
I call in the plates.
"You get nothing bad back".
I walk around the car with my flashlight and check it out.
"The windows are fogged-up and you cannot see inside".
I rap on the trunk of the car and say "Police or Deputy or whatever, please open your window".
No response.
I repeat myself loudly.
"You hear, 'Go away!'".
I walk up to the window without putting myself directly in front of it, and tap on the window with a nightstick or flashlight and again Identify myself and ask them to open up the window".
"The window rolls down and you recognize the Mayor of Los Angeles and a woman that you know is not his spouse. The Mayor looks at you and says, 'I am the Mayor, get out of here and leave me alone' and starts to roll the window back up".
I tap the glass as he does this and advise him that this is a restricted area.
"He yells 'Go away' and rolls the window up. What do you do?"
At this point all the guys on the board peer at me intently.
I look back at them and state, "I get on the radio and call my Desk Sergeant and tell him that the Mayor is in such and such area in a car with some lady that is not his wife and is telling me to go away, AND, what do YOU want me to do about it?"
All of the guys on the board start clapping each other on the back and laughing at my response. I got a 98 score for the interview.
The point of my story? If I was an LEO and I wasn't sure of what needed to be done and there was no compelling reason for immediate and decisive action, check with someone that might actually know what needs to be done.
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Return to “Detained And Gun Taken For Open Carrying”
- Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:57 am
- Forum: LEO Contacts & Bloopers
- Topic: Detained And Gun Taken For Open Carrying
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2225
- Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:04 am
- Forum: LEO Contacts & Bloopers
- Topic: Detained And Gun Taken For Open Carrying
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2225
Re: Detained And Gun Taken For Open Carrying
I really don't see how an LEO can effectively remember the nuances of each and every law, especially those that they do not come into contact with on a regular basis. Simply too much to handle. I have found that even those considered highly proficient knowledge-wise in any particular field still crack-open the reference book before jumping to any conclusions.