Va Fugitive Felon Program

[jvale00]

As you know the 0730 prohibits us from enforcing state warrants. Interestingly enough, the "FFP" program as stated in VHA Handbook 1000.2, public law, requires the Sec. of VA to assist in locating fugitive felons by providing names and addresses of those (veterans) who are confirmed by the Office of Inspector General to have an outstanding felony warrant. They are then denied VA healthcare, benefits and services until the warrant is cleared. The handbook also stipulates that the VA Police will contact the originating agency to confirm the warrant.

So whats the process at other VA's? When your contacting the "originating agency" are you telling them that the patient doesnt know what the warrant is for because it literally could be from many, many years ago AND that we cant hold them for the locals to pick him up due to our restricted authority? And that basically we just called to get the warrant information so that we can tell the patient where to go to take care of it?

I was advised today to take no "enforcement" action which the VA's all interpret differently and inevitably, is wearing on my nerves. This no action policy includes not contacting the "originating agency" and I ASSUME means to tell the poor guy, "Sorry about your luck, turn your self in to your local municiple or US Marshals Office and they can tell you 'how to take care of it'."

Speaking of "taking care of it" whats the verteran required to show for proof that its been resolved???

I only ask because ultimately, I'm responsible for telling the patient. And it would seem that we could provide a little more information than telling them to "wait for their letter."

[squad51]

sounds familiar that is one of the reasons I am seeking life else where....

[Piggy]

I guess this explains why VAPD has a 100% turnover rate every three years.

[jvale00]

I think our newest officer is gonna write Baffa on the issue of our illustrious court process. WHY WRITE THE CITE if there is no court presence behind it.

[stewie]

I guess this explains why VAPD has a 100% turnover rate every three years.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm hoping to be outta the VA system by year's end. I'm sick of playing make believe.

[Denny]

Well after 9 glorious years as a VA finest I can tell you this. You are all right. Every VA is different. We "hold" them till the local agency comes pick them up. turn over rate is terrible because of this and of course the pay. The VA should prbably go back to the 085 series (Guard). We are the whipping children of the Director who has about as much law enforcement experience as a turnip. Jurisdiction issue are stupid and pretty much we are the laughing stock of the local agency.
I have told young officers (we have 2 who just got out of the Marines) to start looking now. They both want to be SWAT and all that.

[stewie]

Well after 9 glorious years as a VA finest I can tell you this. You are all right. Every VA is different. We "hold" them till the local agency comes pick them up. turn over rate is terrible because of this and of course the pay. The VA should prbably go back to the 085 series (Guard). We are the whipping children of the Director who has about as much law enforcement experience as a turnip. Jurisdiction issue are stupid and pretty much we are the laughing stock of the local agency.
I have told young officers (we have 2 who just got out of the Marines) to start looking now. They both want to be SWAT and all that.

Good for you in telling them to look elsewhere. The VA Police can be a good job for some but it's definetly not for everyone. I agree that it should go back to the 085 Series because as an 083 they basically want me to be a guard anyway. The problems VA wide are one thing but locally things could be just as bad, or in our case worse.

[Ironhead]

I agree that it should go back to the 085 Series because as an 083 they basically want me to be a guard anyway.

I think that is a step in the wrong direction.

The VA Police have experienced monumental changes in the past five or so years. I believe it is getting better - not worse. If those that want to be more like a street cop are unhappy - let them leave. I was a patrol cop for over 8 years - I got tired of it. I like the VA police the way it is and I see improvements on the horizon.

Anyone that took this job thinking that it was a bang-bang shoot-em-up chase the bad guy type of position was lied to, or didn't do their homework prior to getting hired.

[Denny]

Yes the VA is getting better overall But there are some departments that have it rough. I had 5 years LE in Tennessee before coming here 9 years ago. It does take a different mentality to work for the VA. Most directors have no idea what law enforcement is and leave it to the Chief. I am sure there are Chiefs that wish we never were issued firearms, now HR218. I know things will change but I will probably be retired before that happens

[stewie]

I think that is a step in the wrong direction.

The VA Police have experienced monumental changes in the past five or so years. I believe it is getting better - not worse. If those that want to be more like a street cop are unhappy - let them leave. I was a patrol cop for over 8 years - I got tired of it. I like the VA police the way it is and I see improvements on the horizon.

Anyone that took this job thinking that it was a bang-bang shoot-em-up chase the bad guy type of position was lied to, or didn't do their homework prior to getting hired.

Yes the VA Police were finally issued firearms in the last five years which was only about twenty years overdue. Other than that things have not changed. On the VA wide level I'm not impressed with any changes within the last three years that I've worked here. Where's the push for GS-7? Also, what happens on the national level is far different than the local level. Just look on here and you can see that some guys still aren't allowed to carry in their personal firearms. Where's the uniformity? Talk to guys in your academy class and you find that each facility is vastly different. Some stations the guys aren't even allowed to write parking tickets let alone make arrests. What kind of Police department is that? As long as the hospital directors are calling all the shots most VA Police will remain as armed security guards who unlock doors and jumpstart cars. It's sad but unfortunately true.

[fed_cop911]

Our guidance is to arrest the veteran for criminal tresspassing if they come to the va after the 60 day window.

The problem is. our va police can not cite under state law unless ir is a crime, ie. misd., or felony. Under our state law the criminal tresspassing is only a violation. Our regional council has determined that we can't cite or arrest fot a violation of state law. Only for misd., or felonies.

I contacted all the agencies and most would not extradite so what do you do.....

We arrest them for criminal tresspassing and the warrant will still remain active?

We CAN'T ARREST ON STATE WARRANTS.

Our management tells us to cite and release for FELONIES.

Someone with no law enforcement background is making Officers cite a felon and release but yet they want us to arrest a guy/gal for a state "VIOLATION"..........WTF

[MUSCLEHEAD]

I Know Some You Guys Still Believe In The V.A, But I Don't And I Am Leaving. Law Enofrcement Is A Dangerous Job, But We Don't Need To BE Set Up To Fail. I See That Their Is Some Good Officers In The V.A And Alot That Don't Care About Law Enforcement. With Law Enforcement Being Dangerous As Is. I Can't Work For A Department That I Can Only Count On Three Or Four Officer, THAT Do Have My Back In A Sitation. Because The Other Ones Are On Their Damn Cell Phones Or Can't Run 10 Feet Without Passing Out, OR THEY ARE JUST SCARED OF THE JOB ITSELF. WE HAVE TWO OFFICERS THAT WILL ARGUE WITH WRITEN LAW, EVEN WHEN IT IS PRINTED IN WRITING IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES AND THEY KNOW THEY ARE WRONG. The Directors I Feel Would Rather One Of Us Get Killed, Than To Learn What A Police Officer Does And Allow Us To Do Our Job The Right Way. The V.A Reads The Law And Tries To Find Loop Holes In It, We Are Held To The Law But They Think They Are Not. I'm Not Going To Jail Or Prison Because The Directors won't Allow Us To Enforce The Law Even When It states Clearly What A Police Officer Is required BY LAW To Do And What We Will Be Held To By The Court Of Law!!!!!!!! AND YES I WAS STRAIGHT UP LIED TO WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB, OUR DEPARTMENT AND MEDICAL CENTER IS TOTALLY FUBARD OFFICERS BACK STABE OTHER ONES JUST FOR DOING THEIR JOB AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT PISSES OFF THEIR BUDDY WHO BRAKES THE LAW DAILY. OFFICER WILL TELL OUT-SIDERS ALL KINDS OF CRAPE AND TRY TO SCREW UP YOUR CASE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NO ONE WILL DO ANY THING ABOUT IT. MOST DEPATMENTS OTHER OFFICERS WILL COME AS FAST AS THEY CAN TO GET TO YOU IN A EMERGENCY, BUT OURS WILL TRY THEIR HARDEST TO GET OUT OF COMING. I HAD A VEHICLE WITH SIX PEOPLE IN IT STOPPED AND NEED BACK UP QUICK, MY BACK UP WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS AWAY, WHEN I RADIOED IN WHAT I HAD , HE SAID THAT HE WAS BUSY, I CALLED THE LOCAL POLICE AND THEY CAME WITH LIGHTS AND SIREN FROM 5 MILES AWAY TO ASSIST ME. I ALSO FORGOT I HAD NO GUN YET BECAUSE I HAD NOT GONE TO LETC, BUT I WAS PUT OUT THERE TO RUN TRAFFIC BY MYSELF AND ON NIGHT SHIFT. FOR 10 MINUTES I WAS OUT NUMBERED, AND NO GUN, BUT THE REAL POLICE SENT TWO CARS TO SAVE MY BACON. SO ARE WE SET UP TO FAIL? OH HELL YES. SO I SAY IF YOU LIKE THE V.A GOOD LUCK BROTHERS, AND/OR SISTERS, BUT IF I DIE IN THE LINE OF DUTY, AT LEASE I WANT TO KNOW I HAD THE TOOLS AND TRAINING and equipment to do the job right, while I'm on duty. AND OF COURSE BACK UP!!!!!!

[Super Six 5]

I Know Some You Guys Still Believe In The V.a, But I Don't And I Am Leaving. Law Enofrcement Is A Dangerous Job, But We Don't Need To BE Set Up To Fail. I See That Their Is Some Good Officers In The V.A And Alot That Don't Care About Law Enforcement. With Law Enforcement Being Dangerous As Is, I Can't Work For A Department That I Can Only Count On Three Or Four Officer THAT Do Have My Back In A Sitation, Because The Other Ones Are On Their Damn Cell Phone Or Can't Run 10 Feet Without Passing Out, OR THEY ARE JUST SCARED OF THE JOB ITSELF. WE HAVE TWO OFFICERS THAT WILL ARGUE WITH WRITEN LAW, EVEN WHEN IT IS PRINTED IN WRITING IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE AND THEY KNOW THEY ARE WRONG. The Directors I Feel Would Rather One Of Us Get Killed Than To Learn What A Police Officer Does And Allow Us To Do Our Job The Right Way. The V.A Reads The Law And Tries To Find Loop Holes In It, We Are Held To The Law But They Think They Are Not. I'm Not Going To Jail Or Prison Because The Directors won't Allow Us To Enforce The Law Even When It states Clearly What A Police Officer Is required BY LAW To Do And What We Will Be Held To By The Court Of Law!!!!!!!! AND YES I WAS STRAIGHT UP LIED TO WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB, OUR DEPARTMENT AND MEDICAL CENTER IS TOTALLY FUBARD OFFICERS BACK STABE OTHER ONES JUST FOR DOING THEIR JOB AND WHEN IT PISS OFF THEIR BUDDY WHO BRAKE THE LAW. OFFICER WILL TELL OUT-SIDERS ALL KIND OF CRAPE AND TRY TO SCREW UP YOUR CASE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NO ONE WILL DO ANY THING ABOUT IT. MOST DEPATMENTS OTHER OFFICERS WILL COME AS FAST AS THEY CAN TO GET TO YOU IN A EMERGENCY, BUT OURS WILL TRY THEIR HARDEST TO GET OUT OF COMING. I HAD A VEHICLE WITH SIX PEOPLE IN IT STOPPED AND NEED BACK UP QUICK, MY BACK UP WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS AWAY, WHEN I RADIO IN WHAT I HAD , HE SAID HE WAS BUSY, I CALL THE LOCAL POLICE AND THEY COME WITH LIGHTS AND SIREN FROM 5 MILES AWAY TO ASSIST ME. I ALSO FORGOT I HAVE NO GUN YET BECAUSE I HAD NOT GONE TO LETC, BUT I WAS PUT OUT THEIR TO RUN TRAFFIC. 10 MINUTES I WAS OUT NUMBERED, AND NO GUN, BUT THE REAL POLICE CAME IN TWO CARS TO SAVE MY BACON. SO ARE WE SET UP TO FAIL? OH HELL YES. SO I SAY IF YOU LIKE THE V.A GOOD LUCK BROTHERS, OR SISTERS, BUT IF I DIE IN THE LINE OF DUTY AT LEASE I WANT TO KNOW I HAD THE TOOLS AND TRAINING and equipment to do the job right while I'm on duty. AND OF COURSE BACK UP!!!!!!

I'd hate to read one of your reports.

[stewie]

I'd hate to read one of your reports.

This guy just hit the nail on the head in his post and all you can do is jump on his grammar!?! I agree with him on most if not all of what he's saying. Sounds to me like he works at THIS facility. You know with the bull**** policies and pussies for back-up. Good luck to you Musclehead and I hope you find a better department. I too am searching for one and hopefully leaving this nightmare soon. At this so called "department" the only people who work here are either young guys looking to use it as a stepping stone for bigger and better things or retired guys who just want an easy laid back retirement gig. Anyone else who sticks it out here is either unemployable elsewhere due to physical,mental,maturity,motivation to do real police work or various other defects. These guys couldn't hack it on the REAL streets and would rather walk around badge heavy slamming little old ladies and employees over parking spaces and stop sign violations IN A PARKING LOT!

[MUSCLEHEAD]

First it isn't a report second I was in a hurry when I wrote that post. I thought that I would be able to make people understand the problem that we are facing in the V.A, being we are police officers and all. This is a major problem in the department that I work at, but I guess grammer is more important at this forum than the topic that is being discussed. I will take the time to correct the grammer so maybe someone will see the problems we are facing not the grammer. :confused: stewie you're the man, I think you are one of the only ones that really understood where I'm coming from, good luck on your search!