10 Secrets Cops Know That Most People Don't

[LabRat]

A cop never gives you a ticket. You have to earn it.

On 99.9% of the cases that's probably true.
You don't have to work too hard but you did earn it.

LOL

LabRat

[PhilBob]

From what our instructors in my LTC class told us, the most dangerous part of their job is the traffic stop!

[LabRat]

From what our instructors in my LTC class told us, the most dangerous part of their job is the traffic stop!

I would agree. Traffic stops cause an officer (likely alone) to encounter a completely unknown person, whose intent is also unknown, to determine if a summons will be issued. Those factors make traffic stops highly dangerous in my opinion. No telling who'll you come up against. That said, it takes skill to manage the encounter, not immediately putting on a show of brute force. There are those who do it well and those who don't.

Domestic violence is another situation with highly dangerous implications. In this case, emotions run in over-drive.
When that happens, Katy-bar-the-door, things could go side-ways in a second.
It's a position for specific folks with talents and training to handle, that's for sure.
I don't think being a police officer is a only a job, it better be more of a calling.

Good observation.

LabRat

[Jusme]

From what our instructors in my LTC class told us, the most dangerous part of their job is the traffic stop!

I would agree. Traffic stops cause an officer (likely alone) to encounter a completely unknown person, whose intent is also unknown, to determine if a summons will be issued. Those factors make traffic stops highly dangerous in my opinion. No telling who'll you come up against. That said, it takes skill to manage the encounter, not immediately putting on a show of brute force. There are those who do it well and those who don't.

Domestic violence is another situation with highly dangerous implications. In this case, emotions run in over-drive.
When that happens, Katy-bar-the-door, things could go side-ways in a second.
It's a position for specific folks with talents and training to handle, that's for sure.
I don't think being a police officer is a only a job, it better be more of a calling.

Good observation.

LabRat

I always told people that being a police officer was 7 hours and 59 minutes of boredom and one minute of sheer terror. Sometimes those minutes strung together over longer periods of time.

You are correct, every situation an officer walks into is unknown, that's why there was never a term in police work for a routine traffic stop. That is a media creation. If traffic stops become routine, officers don't usually survive very long. And you might deal with some of the same people over and over,but you never know what their day was like before you stopped them, that may have been the straw that broke the camel's back for them.
Prayers for a safe return home for all of the LEO out there.

[trackerjaybird]

when I was a LEO, my favorite question from a traffic violator was "Have you met your quota yet?" My response was always the same. "We do not have a quota, they let us wright as many as we like."

[NTexCopRetired]

Traffic stops are a point of contention. Very seldom is someone happy about being stopped on the road in front of a police car as their friends drive by and then being told they are wrong and are then provided documentation to commemorate the occasion.

Domestics are more dangerous in my opinion. You are in a home where the victim and perpetrator are familiar with the surroundings, know where weapons may be located and know who else is there. You are just "there" and trying to learn quickly about your surroundings, keep combatants separated and watch your and your partners back (if your department is big enough to send backup). In some cases, the victim will turn on you as quickly as the perp. They think either you are taking the bread winner away, the perp will return and do harm to them for turning them in or the perp will forgive them because they are now on the perp's side.

My first training officer told me that every call I go on has a weapon involved. I brought it.

Sorry if I kind of highjacked the thread.

[LabRat]

Domestics are more dangerous in my opinion. You are in a home where the victim and perpetrator are familiar with the surroundings, know where weapons may be located and know who else is there. You are just "there" and trying to learn quickly about your surroundings, keep combatants separated and watch your and your partners back (if your department is big enough to send backup). In some cases, the victim will turn on you as quickly as the perp. They think either you are taking the bread winner away, the perp will return and do harm to them for turning them in or the perp will forgive them because they are now on the perp's side.

My first training officer told me that every call I go on has a weapon involved. I brought it.

I hear you. As you so clearly state regarding the location of weapons in domestic situations; the folks there know where they are.
Also, a firearm is only 1 kind of weapon....there are lots of other potential weapons in the average house depending on how they're wielded.

Yes you bring a gun to the situation....but like the Brits like to say....It's the bus you don't see that kills you.

Sorry if I kind of highjacked the thread.

No hijack noted here. Thanks for sharing.

LabRat

[Jeff B.]

Once in a while, I'm sure folks either have a good idea or know why they are being stopped... When you realize that your about 10 or so over the speed limit or said I'm not waiting for another light at the intersection 'cause of the danged construction and followed a flatbed on a yellow...

And in those cases didn't go through the questions above.

Around here, we seem to have solid police officers, At least from my limited dealings with them I'd give them a thumbs up, even with two tickets in 20 years.

Jeff B.

[Dan75156]

You just posted that because I'm black!

Ha! Made me chuckle

[PSTL*PAKR]

7. Most cops don’t know the color of the people they stop before the traffic stop takes place. This is especially true when those people are driving cars with tinted windows at night.

I'd have to disagree on this one. Especially if the beat where the cop is working is predominantly _______________.

[Deltaboy]

Great post.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

A friend of mine is a Nebraska native, and one of his friends is a Nebraska state trooper.

Sometimes he runs radar in the dark of night on the interstate.
He has absolutely no idea who is driving the vehicle he pulls over for running too fast.

Then the violator will tell him "You only stopped me because I'm out-of-state/black/driving a Corvette/whatever...yada yada yada."

His ESP is not that good. But the radar gun tells him who is too fast.

SIA

[KD5NRH]

MOST Cops know that the huge majority of people are good and want to be left alone. I've run into very few who choose not to respect those wishes.

Problem is, it only takes one to royally screw things up for a lot of people. All too often, the rest close ranks and protect that one when they should be hanging him out to dry. IMO, that makes them at least partly culpable for anything that one does.

[LabRat]

Problem is, it only takes one to royally screw things up for a lot of people. All too often, the rest close ranks and protect that one when they should be hanging him out to dry. IMO, that makes them at least partly culpable for anything that one does.

This.....

I can see "the one bad apple in the bunch" doing wrong; Police are a subset of the general population, so actions that occur in the public also will occur in the police force.

What I too have a hard time understanding is why officers, who would otherwise exercise impeccable judgement in the allegation of right-vs-wrong, could so easily dispense with that sensibility and side with an officer that, at the least, likely has a preponderance of evidence against him? Maybe I'm looking that at this through a different lens than they are?

[bblhd672]

Problem is, it only takes one to royally screw things up for a lot of people.

That applies to both LEO and citizen.