Estimated read time: 10-11 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Cops on a daily basis run into a lot of things that are the same. There can be a lot of monotony in the police world. Why do folks say the same things to us on a daily basis?
For example: I didn't do it! (You probably did, you just haven't been caught.)
He did it! (Read above.)
Can you handcuff me? (Can you wash my car?)
Where were you a minute ago? (Handling three other calls.)
Don't you have a donut shop to hang out at? (Yet I'm the one not spilling out of my pants.)
These are not my pants. (No, it was a criminal mastermind who placed weed into those pants and then fooled you into putting them on.)
Don't you have real crime to solve? (Not really; if I get one more ticket, however, I'm in a raffle to win a coffee machine!)
Send you inquiry or question for Officer Anonymous to askacop@ksl.com.
I need a ride home. (Sure, those other crimes can just wait.)
I pay your salary. (Here's your nickel back.)
What kind of gun is that? (The bullety, shooty kind.)
Don't get me wrong, I hear a lot of great things that I really take to heart. Like, “good job,” “thanks for your service,” “you were really professional.” I get a lot of people with legitimate questions or they need directions. I understand the intimidation factor with speaking to a cop. But, we are just normal people with a much different job.
People are surprised when I start talking about sports, politics or my kids. “Shouldn't you be talking about catching that perp or the latest Guns and Ammo magazine? ” Nope. I'd rather write a poem or reflect on my feelings. OK, maybe not that. I don't mind at all when people ask me if I like what I do or if this job was my first choice. I always tell them I shoulda' been a fire fighter. You are always a hero and the pay is much better.
Why are people always blaming everyone but themselves? “Well, he was picked on at school, so you can see why he killed all those kids ...” Really? Why are you the parent not involved with your kid enough not to notice the armory under his bed, his diary full of angry threats, his music that he plays in the dark while talking about how awesome Satan is? In law enforcement, we call those “clues.”
Please stop making excuses for whoevever commits a violent crime.
Along with this, please stop making excuses for whoevever commits a violent crime. "Well, he was just such a nice guy." "He didn't have a mean bone in his body." "I can't believe they would do something like that." Is that so? Then why haven't you spoken to him in 10 years? Would you have let him babysit your kids? I'm going to bet not. I understand you are second cousins and you once met him at a reunion, but get off the news camera.
“If you guys wouldn't keep harrassing me, then I would never get arrested.” Stop committing crime would be a suggestion. Another would be to get a job. I have seen “disabled people” stand at off-ramps for hours on end, in the sun, panhandling and then walking to the next area, several blocks away. And finding all that cardboard and markers has gotta be tough. These individuals take away from the legitimately disabled people who need our assistance.
But Officer Anonymous, you don't know what these people's lives have been like, they could have severe mental illnesses! Well, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're the person who hands them a dollar and feels super the whole day. In your mind, they take that dollar and somehow magic it into a new life of showers and clothes that don't reek. Unfortunately, a lot of them are buying a fifth of vodka and falling asleep on the sidewalk. That system is broken.
Why do politicians enact ridiculous laws that conflict with other ridiculous laws? Do they also get put in a raffle to win prizes based on how many laws they pass? A no-idling law? Seriously? Maybe we could also pass a law banning flatulence. This is a serious problem in an office full of dudes or in a car with a guy who drinks protein shakes. Vote for me for mayor. A vote for me is a vote for clean air near you.
Plus, how will kids park and ... talk about their feelings? Will drive-ins even operate when it's cold? What if you're the guy who push-starts his Datsun B210 Honeybee every time you have to start it? Are cities going to issue police departments stop watches so we can time you criminal idlers? I want a silver one.
Why are people still driving and texting? I'm sure you are the only person who can do this well — it's everyone else who drives like a buffoon. You just have to know what new sweater Tina bought or how totally manly Kurt's “brozillian”(male waxing) is. No one can text and drive well at the same time. Stop doing it. Unless you have an extra set of arms, eyes and brain. But if you are texting and driving, the brain thing is probably tough enough.
Along with that, someone else mentioned the signal on your car. That lever on the left of your steering column is indeed for signalling other drivers that you intend on turning either left or right or changing lanes. All I ask that you attempt to use the signal prior to turning and not simultaneously or after. It's unfortunate that they dont have a "I don't know where this restaurant is so I'm going to drive unbearably slow and kinda' weave in my lane" lever.
The questions, from askacop@ksl.com:
From: John Smith
What happens to a police officer if he is arrested for domestic violence and domestic violence in the presence of a child? What does the police department administration do to him?
Dear John Smith,
If a police officer is convicted of domestic violence, he can lose his job and face the same criminal punishments as anyone else. He can also lose his police certification.
From: Swauss
I was pulled over in the little town of Garland, Utah, for coasting down a hill at 2 mph over the speed limit. The officer walked up to my window and yelled at me, "This isn't the freeway. Why are you going so fast?" In my defense, I was only going 32 mph and calmly asked if 32 mph too fast in a 30? He then asked me for my license, registration and insurance card. I found them and handed them to him. At that point, he took them and went back to his car. A few minutes, later he came back and handed me a speeding ticket for driving 10 mph over the limit and a no proof of insurance ticket.
Of course, I was questioning the validity of the charges. First, I asked him if I was going 10 over, then my speedometer must be off, can I see your radar gun to prove I was going that fast? He told me I had no right to see it. Then I asked about the no proof of insurance ticket. I handed him my card. He told me, "This card is no good, it expires tomorrow." I replied, "OK, but it's not expired today?" He then told me, "Tell it to the judge and sign the ticket or I'll have this car towed and you put in jail." At this point I just signed the ticket and left.
I just wanted to know, is what he did right? Do I have no right to see his radar? And is a card that expires tomorrow not proof of insurance? Can't they just run the plates and find out if you have insurance or not? Can you have him suspended for treating people so rudely?
Dear Swauss,
I'm not going to second-guess the motives of his stop or how he may or may not have behaved. I will answer generally that you don't have a right to see the radar. A card that expires tomorrow is valid today. I have never heard of an officer being suspended for rudeness, but that's not to say it doesn't happen. Usually, it's a progressive punishment process but each department is different.
From: Dan A.
I'm currently working on becoming a police officer. However, in doing so I have found that I have alienated friends because I feel that police officers are generally not given the respect that they deserve. So when they try and tell me their "this and that" stories about their experiences with police officers, and they generalize one officer's mistake to all police, I find myself getting slightly aggravated. My question for you is, does this type of situation happen to you and how did you deal with people you knew would be completely unsupportive of you becoming a officer? Thank you very much for answering my question as well as serving and protecting us.
Dear Dan A:
When I became a police officer, I did lose a few friends, or they started acting differently around me. It's just the way it is. My parents and family were not thrilled at the prospect of me becoming a police officer either. I explained to them how strongly I felt about it and showed them how serious I was. Eventually, they understood it, accepted it and are proud of what I do. It's just a job that is unlike any other, so it's hard for them to get used to.
People will always have a bad story about cops over a good one every time. The thing you have to remember is that that story is not about you. Just like if you worked at Home Depot and someone had a story about a Home Depot employee. That may be an oversimplification but the process is the same. Good luck and stay strong. Being a cop is a fun although sometimes difficult job.
From: Anonymous
If someone has a warrant out for their arrest in another state, will it cause any problems for them in Utah? Hypothetically, if someone has a warrant out for them in Arizona for an unpaid speeding ticket, and they get pulled over in Utah for something, what happens? Is it something that would cross state lines? Would someone be arrested, or just ticketed?
Dear Anonymous,
Generally if the warrant is for an infraction, we would not see it. Our system is set up for warrants in Utah. We do get notified through NCIC about warrants from outside of the state but it depends on their willingness to extradite. The warrant can still cause problems as some states will suspend your license out of that state for the unpaid fine. There are also other issues but it depends on the state and charges.
From mart479:
I am currently a student at SLCC and enrolled in the Criminal Justice program. By the end of the semester, I am to interview a person currently in the Criminal Justice field. I have sent an application to SLCPD to hopefully go on a ride-along with a police officer, but still have not gotten a response. What else can i try?
Dear Mart479,
I would call the police department and speak to whoever is in charge of that program. Departments usually have to do a background check of the applicant and then schedule a time for you to go based on your preferences. As far as an interview, I would just arrange something with whatever local police department serves the area where you live and speak to their press information officer.
This is an article of my opinions and I do not represent any specific police department or government agency. This is also not legal advice and do not take it as such. Entertainment is the hope.
