Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Last Wednesday I worked a soccer game for my post. I wasn't scheduled to work, but the kid who was going to got sick so I went in for him last minute. So, I've done this detail multiple times in the past. Its really one of the most dreaded details at our post. So anyway, theres four fields. All four games ended at the same time. So, I'm in the parking lot directing the traffic, and getting people across the street.

In the midst of doing all this, this gentleman (who I've never seen before), wearing a white tanktop and shorts comes up and says "Which one are you? Whats your name?" Now, I'm a little too busy to get involved in conversation with the guy, and I think of what my old advisor once told me "No one out there has any business knowing your name. If they want to lodge a complaint, give them your badge number." So, I respond to this man by saying, "Don't worry about my name. I can give you my badge number if you need it, but I really need to focus on the traffic."

Well he didn't take too kindly to that...he stormed off saying "You f***in d****bag. Your an a**hole. I'm on your side!" I just ignored him and kept on working.

Well, today he went up to the cadet that was working the game, and said "I want to know who the kid was who wouldn't tell me his name! I'm going to file a complaint with the Chief! I don't want him working here ever again!"

To make it even better.....it turns out he was the owner of the soccer organization, son. So I guess hes all big in the politics. Great. So my question is, do you think explorers are obligated to provide their name to citizens?

1) Going by your story, I think you handled yourself very well.

2) You offered him your badge # in lieu of your name, and I see nothing wrong with that. Either way, you ID'd yourself when it was requested. I have no problem giving out my last name, but won't give out my first as well. Different Strokes for different folks, I guess...

3) Most important....Don't worry about it! Do not let people get to you, and get you thinking about this stuff when you are at home on your own time. I recall one of my FTO's telling me once, if you don't get complaints, you're not doing your job. It will happen, it is part of the job...but stay professional, maintain your head, and your good to go. Regardless what Dummy wants to say to the Chief. He is the one that went off the handle, and started cussing up and down. You stayed above that. That shows alot to your integrity.

Thanks for your advice! Thats one of my weak points, I worry about stuff too much. Thanks for your help, stay safe.

I remember when I first started. I got nervous any time someone threatened to "report me" or something along those lines. Until I learned myself, its part of the job. I found that usually it is just hogwash they say because they are upset and hardly ever follow through. And the ones that do follow through with it, unless you did something wrong and weren't professional, there is nothing to be nervous about. And that will come out in the "investigation" if you even want to call it that. Your attitude, your professionalism, and you keeping your cool is what will keep you out of trouble, and make the dummy's look like dummy's. Stick to it, and you'll be fine. I don't know if you ever write reports for incidents like these that occur. But Documentation is your friend. Document, document, document...

Its really one of the most dreaded details at our post.


I don't want him working here ever again!"

Wouldn't he do you a favor? :p

I had this patients wife a few hours ago demand to know my name and she will ensure I never get hired and demanded to know why I didn't take his PulseOx right away..



Oh well...

Don't worry about it. If all of the people who thought they could get us fired, really could, none of us would have jobs today. :D

Don't even worry about people like that. There are lots of a-holes out there that will threaten to hurt you or will be mad that you don't do what THEY want.

I work mostly with the school and already many people know me by name, but I don't go around giving it out to random people that I don't know, or people I don't want to know my name. Teachers, friends, family friends, may all be like "Hey Drummadude, what's up!" when I'm working.

I've had the threat of a complaint occur by people who had to sit too long at an intersection I was directing or people who didn't like that I yelled at them when they did something illegal and stupid (such as stopping in a lane of travel on a busy road to pick people up). But I just ignore them, and in my thoughts only, tell them off with a few choice words.

Wouldn't he do you a favor? :p

I had this patients wife a few hours ago demand to know my name and she will ensure I never get hired and demanded to know why I didn't take his PulseOx right away..



Oh well...

hahaha....the only reason we even have pulse ox monitors on our trucks is because we kept telling the chief that the nurses often ask for it in the ER. BUT he is right in saying that the first thing they do when you arrive at the ER with a patient on oxygen is take it off, wait 2 minutes, and check their pulse ox on room air then again later on the O2 :rolleyes: If you give O2 on scene and they get better, great. If they turn blue, 100 pulse ox measurements won't help.

We get complaints too......people can't make out the number plate on your car, but they can tell from a mile away what fire/rescue department your front plate says you are on. We had one habitual complainer who had applied to our department but we turned him down. He called the police whenever a POV or ambulance sped past his house with red lights on :rolleyes:. Thankfully he moved. :D

Both of you shouldn't worry about getting hired. Some people just like to complain.

I had one complaint filed against me when I was doing traffic control/parking because the guy didn't like that I yelled to him (trying to get his attention because he was on his cell phone :rolleyes:) to stop because 3 7 and 8 year olds were crossing the cross walk and he wasn't slowing down. I stated something like "STOP, STOP, HEY STOP!!!!!", he then ended his phone conversation, stepped out of his car and said "why the hell are you yelling at me, I was gonna stop, I had 5 feet still" :rolleyes: that was then followed by, sir, I told you three times to stop and you didn't you need to pay attention when you are driving instead of being on you cell phone.

It was at that time a LEO came over and said "Is there a problem here, sir?" The guy changed his tune pretty quick, to saying "no sir officer, no problem here...." I just laughed, then when the guy left, the officer said "I just arrested that guy the other day, he resisted and ended up on his face in the mud, I don't think he likes cops very much *officer laughed*." The rest of the shift went on without a hitch.

Thanks for all the advice guys. As you all predicted, nothing really came of it. So, unfortunately, I'll still have to work the games :rolleyes:. Again, thanks for all the advice.

Once I was directing traffic on a road that circles around a park, at a festival. There was a blockade on one side of the circle, in which only permitted vehicles or police/fire could get through.

It was in a neighboring town, so I didn't have direct contact with any officers there.

But once, one guy completely ignored me and sped through the intersection. He was really reckless.

So 10 minutes later when that same car came back again, of course his wife was driving and he was not in the car, though by then the officers on the golf cart came by and had a word with the lady -- even though it was her ignorant husband driving before.