Cops these days ...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Mark did you know that in Colorado, a law enforcement officer as well as a fire fighter (commissioned, not volunteer), acting under their authority, does not have to obey any traffic laws (think infractions here criminal violations are not excused) .... it's called police powers. How else is that cop gonna catch up to you for speeding .... he has to speed himself! Yes they are allowed to run red lights .... but the difference is, when the cop does it, he is taking a calculated risk, has been trained to do it, and usually there is something greater at stake ... ie, agg assault, serious accident, armed robbery....the list can go on. And unless you are privy to what every cop you see knows or is being told about the call he is going to, you can't say they are all speeding and driving carelessly for no reason.

And your gonna say what about the cop that just used his lights and siren to go thru a red light and then pulled into the donut shop?.... My only complaint is that when he got canceled off of whatever "hot" call he was headed to, he should have circled the block a few times before pulling into the donut shop. Point is, you don't know what was going on before he pulled into the lot, granted it looks bad, but still, you don't know ....

umm... no. It's not because of "police powers" that they are excepted. Police powers is a specific term that defines how the government can make rules. While law enforcement does get an exception, but it is not under police powers.
There are a gross number of exceptions - most notably, is if a police officer is using his lights to get to a donut shop and runs some poor schmuck over, he is personally liable for the injuries caused; and can be charged with a crime.

The term you're looking for is governmental immunity... not police powers. A government official, doing his job within the prescribed limits of the laws which apply to him, cannot be charged with a crime for laws he broke while doing his job. Thus, to use the example above - if a police officer is not responding to a crime, he is not doing his job. If he's not doing his job, he's not protected by governmental immunity and therefore can be charged or sued (criminal or civil) for his misdeeds.

[Stich496]

So, what's your solution Stitch?

maybe let the officer that said he'd handle it.. handle it..
instead of the b/s of he shouldda done this or that..
what hurt more.. a fine for speeding, or having to ride the school bus till summer??
my guess is the officer handling it, knows what he's doing..
and bam bam is guessing, and pissed because he's handle'n it differently than bam would've..
there is more than one way to skin a cat..

[SuperBuickGuy]

maybe let the officer that said he'd handle it.. handle it..
instead of the b/s of he shouldda done this or that..
what hurt more.. a fine for speeding, or having to ride the school bus till summer??
my guess is the officer handling it, knows what he's doing..
and bam bam is guessing, and pissed because he's handle'n it differently than bam would've..
there is more than one way to skin a cat..

oh come on, it's the American way to second guess everyone else's decision.

[Stich496]

oh come on, it's the American way to second guess everyone else's decision.

true but play along

[Bamfster]

umm... no. It's not because of "police powers" that they are excepted. Police powers is a specific term that defines how the government can make rules. While law enforcement does get an exception, but it is not under police powers.
There are a gross number of exceptions - most notably, is if a police officer is using his lights to get to a donut shop and runs some poor schmuck over, he is personally liable for the injuries caused; and can be charged with a crime.

The term you're looking for is governmental immunity... not police powers. A government official, doing his job within the prescribed limits of the laws which apply to him, cannot be charged with a crime for laws he broke while doing his job. Thus, to use the example above - if a police officer is not responding to a crime, he is not doing his job. If he's not doing his job, he's not protected by governmental immunity and therefore can be charged or sued (criminal or civil) for his misdeeds.

Sorry counselor .... was trying to put it in simple terms for Mark ....

[A/Fuel]

oh come on, it's the American way to second guess everyone else's decision.

How would we come up with better ideas if we didn't discuss them and give our oppinions?

[Stich496]

no bam bam you wrote the standard officer b/s line of why they drive like that in cruisers, to bad a scanner allows the general public to know if that cop is on a cal or just hot dog'n it for no good reason other than they can

[Stich496]

so back to the post, bam bam you're pissed because in "your eyes" the cop is giving them a pass..
question when you where a cop. hell even now, did you ever help a friend/family member with a ticket?? getting it fixed, or talking to the officer so it got dropped..?
of course not right!!

[Bamfster]

maybe let the officer that said he'd handle it.. handle it..
instead of the b/s of he shouldda done this or that..
what hurt more.. a fine for speeding, or having to ride the school bus till summer??
my guess is the officer handling it, knows what he's doing..
and bam bam is guessing, and pissed because he's handle'n it differently than bam would've..
there is more than one way to skin a cat..

And no Mark, not 2nd guessing .... I learned not to do that 20 years ago w/my 2nd T/O.....

Taking away a kids parking privileged at the school is not punishment .... he'll just find another way to skin that cat! Do you really think a kid nowadays is going to take a schoolbus just because he can't park on school grounds?....especially a kid who would race another car at 60+ mph thru a neighborhood?.... get real, he'll just park down the street.

Is a homework assignment proper punishment for a traffic infraction .... YES.... maybe even for the 2nd infraction depending on what it is, but not for something that society (and the law) has deemed a criminal violation/act. I'm all for educating young drivers on the dangers and responsibilities that go along with it versus throwing the book at them, but let's be real.

[Bamfster]

so back to the post, bam bam you're pissed because in "your eyes" the cop is giving them a pass..
question when you where a cop. hell even now, did you ever help a friend/family member with a ticket?? getting it fixed, or talking to the officer so it got dropped..?
of course not right!!

As a matter of fact I did. I was even ordered by my commander to take back a ticket once, which I refused to do, because the driver was a douche ..... I got transferred for that one.

But before I would take back a ticket, I made certain in my mind that a) it wasn't anything more than an infraction/non serious offense, b) I knew the officer who was asking and I was sure it would be dealt with on another level, and c) if it was a minor, I always made a phone call home when issuing the ticket, even if I took it back at another officer's request.

And under full disclosure, I NEVER wrote another officer a ticket .... no matter what! I may have made a phone call to their supervisor/commander, but I never wrote another cop. Read what you want into Mark, but that is just the way it is .....

[Stich496]

above the law..
last post says it all thanks..
peace..

[BangShift McT]

Alright, f**k it, I'll ask it: Mark, are you trying to start a war?

[Bamfster]

above the law..
last post says it all thanks..
peace..

Does that mean you'll unsubscribe to my thread?

[catchmeblue70]

sorry, I'll bet they are getting more than homework and write a letter..
an other angel that never breaks the law, never speeds, and never ever drove 45mph in a populated area..
bam is guessing what is going to happen to the kids.. GUESSING.. sorry Haley there are ways to punish people with out it being punishment through money(fine,insurance surcharges)
seems no one GETS THAT...
the fact that bam bam retired cop is pissed that another officer is cutting them some slack by not ticketing them and making the punishment just a money thing, and is useing ways that hurt the kids more than a fine..
but yet, I'm sure bam bam's fixed buddies tickets, but thats A-ok..
Haley, maybe just maybe a fine wouldn't do a dam thing as maybe the kids family is made of money,, maybe just maybe the cop that isn't retired KNOWS THIS and is handle'n it , it a much better ,lasting way..
it's quite funny that everyone is angels here.. halo over their heads,
so get pissed, because the few that are "more than likely" the ones your pissed off because of our responses, are being truthfull.. unlike most that are agree'n with bambam.. and did the same thing, some still do it.. but it's ok because they do it out on a road they think NO ONE WILL BE ON..
whats sickning is the amount of denial of the stuff they/me/even you did as a teen without thinking of others or whom could get hurt.. key word "could" ..
(in my best jerimmey clarkson voice) " it's been said that those that denounce actions wher/are the worst offenders.."
and are the same ones that'll have a few wobbley pops on a friday and drive home and think nothing of it, or whom could(there is that key word again) get hurt..
reply if you've always do the right thing and are an angel behind the wheel 100% of the time..
sorry I can't say that.. with a straight face, CAN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?

Um, excuse me. Who the f*ck do you think you are coming in here and basically calling people hypocrites when NO ONE has said that they're "angels" and haven't broken the law? I know I never said that. It's not about a damn fine or anything to do with money. Yes, it might make the kids think twice about doing it if the fine is high enough. But it's about them being held accountable for their actions and there being a record of it.

[Stich496]

ya, give the kids a record, thats great.. did you forget that street racing isn't JUST a moving violation??
it's criminal.. you do know that , that on a record can stop them from being in the armed forces(unless thats changed)
getting a job, and college..
brillant