I'm most intrigued by the comment: "As many of you may know, about 2 years ago I became a reserve police officer. Since I can pretty much always get out of a ticket anyway now, I have no need to keep this puppy on my car."

I've been a Reserve with three different agencies since 1996, and I know the respective PSD's (Professional Standards Divison) would have gone ballistic if any of us had made such a comment in a public forum.

I don't think, in light of all the recent criticism that Law Enforcement in general and Reserves in specific have come under that the comment was very well advised. We only need to look at the Register article lamenting LEO protected plates and toll booth violations to see the media's absoultely rabid attention directed at law enforcement. This comment could be chalked up to yet another instance of overemphasized "professional courtesy" in the media.

I'm also curious - unless you're a Designated Level I in the state of California, you don't have twenty-four hour peace officer powers, so why would you be carrying your badge around with you? In the event you were in public when a crime was being committed and got involved, you'd have no protection under the law. Thus, why carry your department ID unless you're actually expecting favors?

JM

 

In the end the thread got deleted and I still have the frame.

 

To a certain extent you're correct but I'm happy to respond:

1. I have never told anyone - not even 1 person - on this board what department I belong to. Believe me, this is intentional. BTW, I'm guessing you work for 18.

2. Only a handful of people on this board (maybe less) actually know my full name. Those are people I have known for at least a few years and would never "tell on me" unless I did something really bad. But I never do anything really bad.

3. As far as my comment about getting out of tickets...I understand the need to be sensitive to public perception, but tell me when was the last time your wrote a ticket to a cop? If you're like 95% of other cops out there, I'm guessing never. This topic is like a pink elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there, but we're all afraid to talk about it. Given the relative anonymity of this forum and the fact that most of us are friends (or at least friendly), I see no problem talking about this openly. Plus, I'm not talking about getting out of road racing or deuces...just simple VC violations.

4. Not that it should matter, but I have never actually been pulled over and needed to use the "I'm a cop" line.

5. And, as a matter of fact, I am a level I. Even if I were not, HR218 grants authority for reserves of all levels from all states to carry off-duty nationwide.

 

I should also mention the frame is sold. Mod: can we close the thread?