On duty are you allowed to...

[GMan26]

I kind of touched on this in the "firearms" forum but I'm curious now...

A few nights ago I was at Best Buy getting some knick knacks. As I was walking out of the store back to my car I notice a cruiser parked near me. As I walk past his cruiser I hear "tv" sounds. I looked in quickly and noticed it was a portable DVD player. He was watching Black Hawk Down and the volume was pretty loud. He had his radio on full volume also. It was kind of weird because the only way I can describe this young LEO was he was soooooooooooo excitied about watching this DVD. The smile on his face was kind of funny. I got to my car and I could hear him lower the volume on the DVD player and then listen to his radio. After the transmission was over he would turn the volume back up. I think he just bought the thing because a yellow Best Buy bag was still in his lap.

Is this ok to do?

[Scruit]

If he just bought it and was playing then I don't see why not - as long as he still responded to calls. If it's a regualr thing then I'm sure I'd prefer he was patrolling or doing paperwork instead...

[Stump]

I was riding one time and the car that was our backup pulled up behind us on a stop. I tried calling him on the radio for something, and he didn't answer. The cop I was with tried too, with no response. We both turned around to see him bee-bopping away to his newly installed patrol car stereo!! Of course, the stereos didn't last long in our patrol cars - too many instances of where cops didn't hear the radio, and a swarm of patrol cars would go to his location to check on him to find him singing to Cyndi Lauper or something...

[txinvestigator1]

Cyndi Lauper was way over rated, don't you think?

[Darin]

tx, Cyndi just wanted to have fun and she bop. I always wondered why her make up stylist didn't go places.

[resqr1]

Did you ever consider that this young LEO might have been on his lunch break?

[gdowkpc]

We still have stereos in our cars. It is a very popular thing to come up on another officer who is on a stop in the middle of the night and play some Metallica over the PA.

If I wanted to watch DVD's at work I could watch them on the DVD player built into my laptop computer. But that has to be saved for slow days, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[Lfpdlieu302]

i agree with gdowkpc, although, if the dvd player was not installed in the laptop and he had some sort of just a portable, i'm not sure i would condone that. unless of course as has been stated it is during a lunch break or something that meant he was not subject to calls. i'm sure however that if its in there that he uses it more than just on slow times.

[dizza]

First off.. Best Buy.. great place I work for them as a Manager.

Second.. a lot of agencies around my area have the stereo taken out of the cars. Out of all my ride alongs around here, only 1 had a stereo in it that worked. I wouldn't judge the officer on this action that you witnessed. Like someone else said, it might of been his break or his lunch. Its not much different than when a couple of officers park behind a building and shoot the gab for awhile. Every ride along I've witnessed something like that. But, I've never doubted their ability to jump into action.

David

[copper13]

your either really bored or get too excited to find out that a cop might be doing something wrong. how is this even an issue to you that you not only bring it up in one forum, but bring it up in another. 2 things. 1, he could still hear his radio and showed an example of that right in front of you. 2, just by him being parked in that parking lot, the store was safe and so were YOU! get real

[Lawson]

I too think it would be just fine for him to Watch a movie while on lunch however; I would prefer he used it somewhere a little less obvious to the public. Cause in all honesty... Lunch break or not, that still doesnt look too Professional. And as for being excited, If I just bought a DVD player and am seeing BlackHawkDown for the first time, I'd be excited too [ That was a really Exciting movie I say]

Oh and P.S. Dont ever pull a double shift and fall asleep in your patrol car as your partner runs inside the Grocery store to grab food, because the CHIEF'S WIFE JUST MIGHT HAPPEN TO BE THE MANAGER OF THAT VERY FRIGGIN STORE!!!!!!!!! GRRR!!!

[Stump]

Cops are NEVER on official lunch as far as we are concerned. I have called them off lunches before (most of the time it is for something they were going to respond to themselves anyway). No cop can (or ever has) use the excuse "I can't go, I'm on my lunch break."
And Lacey, I didn't understand your grocery store comment at all.?

[Mike5166]

I remember once as a young Intern with New Hope PD.... I was riding with a young and fairly new officer. At about 0100 we pulled down this side street in a residential area. Without saying a word, the officer slowed to about 10 or 15 mph, rolled down all his windows, and cranked the stereo almost full blast. Once we were to the end of the block, he turned down the stereo, rolled up the windows, and continued on his way. I didn't say anything, I just gave him a wierd look. Finally he looked at me, chuckled, and gesturing back the way we came, said "chief's house"...

[mcsap]

Lunch break or not , it doesn't look good. The perception is that the officer is watching movies in his patrol car while on duty. This is prohibited by us. You want to watch movies on your lunch break, go back to the station and do it where nobody can see it.

Or at least park somewhere that the screen cannot be seen by passing motorists.

[GMan26]

Originally posted by copper13
your either really bored or get too excited to find out that a cop might be doing something wrong. how is this even an issue to you that you not only bring it up in one forum, but bring it up in another. 2 things. 1, he could still hear his radio and showed an example of that right in front of you. 2, just by him being parked in that parking lot, the store was safe and so were YOU! get real

I would have to say I am really observant ;). Anyone would notice it and be "curious", its human nature. I never thought the cop was doing anything wrong but now that you mention it - I guess maybe it is a bit unprofessional. And I never think I'm safe, even if there is a cop around because anything can (and will) happen regardless if a LEO is there...