Off duty encounters while with family?

[sfb92]

Have any of you officers ever been with your family while off duty and come across someone you locked up before? The same question goes for family members as well. If so how did you handle the situation?

The reason I ask is because of a story I heard the other day. My dad was telling a story at my Confirmation dinner with friends about how he was walking into town with me one day when he saw a guy he locked up for drugs.

I was very young at the time (I don't even remember any of this so I was pretty little), probably in pre-school and my dad was taking me into town and he saw a clean shaven, well dressed individual, someone who would have easily fit in at our nice town, however my dad recognized the man as someone he had previously arrested while working narcotics.

My dad said we ducked into a store and walked out of the village part of town. Also my dad rarely carries off duty, so he had no gun and was with me, his little kid, so he just wanted to get out of there.

Luckily the guy left us alone. I'm sure it could have been bad if the guy waned trouble as my dad had no gun.

Running into the guy sounded like just a random encounter. The town we lived in was a nice suburban town and my dad works in an urban city and the two places are in different counties.

Has anyone on here ever had a similar experience?

[phantasm]

I work about an hour or so from where I live, and have never arrested anyone from the county I live in. Its also unlikely that I would run into someone out here. I do occasionally go out in the city.

I usually do carry when off duty, but would try to avoid the confrontation in the first place.

I have been recognized by myself by someone who I had dealt with while working, BUT it was not a negative contact, so we just talked for a few minutes until 1 of us got to where we were going.

[Roger Dat]

I've ran into my fair share of people I've had negative encounters with but for the most part it seems like they may recognize me but cant place me out of uniform.

[Darin]

I'm 29 miles from where I work. Occasionally I'll see someone but like Roger Dat said they can't really place where they know me.

[JakeLock]

I've never had a negative encounter off duty yet, I did have one guy recognize me, thank me for arresting him (DUI finally made him realize he had a problem and got help I guess) and tell his friends in front of me that I was a good guy and a great cop. That made me feel good and bad. One because I go out of my way to look nothing like a cop in my off time and two because I impacted his life in a positive way which in the long run is my goal.

I know the bad run ins will happen, in a town of less than 50,000 (and I still go out) I will have a run in with someone, I just hope it doesn't end badly.

[sfb92]

Good to know everyone's encounters haven't been negative. Hopefully it says that way for everyone.

[mcsap]

No encounters but as I have always been in uniform for the past 22 yrs, I have on rare occasion worn plainclothes and not been recognized by members of the Fire Dept at a call. They never saw me in anything but a uniform !

And I live 8 miles from where I work.

[Creeker]

Considering how many people most Cops know from work (co-workers, acquaintances from other gov't. agencies, attorneys) that they run into in unexpected places, Cops should also expect there will be occasions they will run into the undesireable acquaintances would be just as likely. :cool:

Just last week, I ran into a guy at an Ebay seminar that I hadn't seen or thought of since he retired from the M.E.'s office 10 years ago.

Working Crime Scene's for 17 years, the bad people I ran into... mostly... were either already cold or in cuff's by the time I met them, but I still carry wherever I go.

[AndyG]

Pardon my ignorance here, is this something that criminals (esp. drugheads) can do, remember the officer that busted them? I know it's possible, but do they have the mental capabilities to remember a face for that long? If so, some people are messed up, especially if they actually hold a grudge like this.. Scary that some people think that way for the officers out there trying to enjoy time with their family in their towns having to deal with people like that.

[copgirl]

I live in the precinct where I work which means that I meet a lot of people who came to the station for one reason or the other. They always recognize me - maybe b/c I'm blonde and that not many women in this Brussels suburb are

[BJJVad]

While working as a Corrections Officer, buddy invited me out to a bar that he worked at as a bouncer. My buddy introduced me to the bartender. My buddy claimed the bartender, "was a good friend of his". Bartender turns around and says, "Officer @#$%^&, how are you?"

Bartender ended up being one of my in-custody inmate trusties.

I have had a few, double takes from some shady individuals either at a ballpark or amusement park, but no actual bad contacts.

[retdetsgt]

Over my career, I imagine I ran into more than a dozen people I had arrested at one time or the other. The common thread was that they were usually a lot more afraid of me than I was of them. Most remembered they had somewhere to be and left right away. A couple came up and acknowledged me, but were friendly. The others either didn't recognize me or just ignored me. I never had a negative experience over it.

[Switchback]

My twin brother bumped into someone that I arrested once. Luckily, it went well and there were no hard feelings. While my brother has a permit, he never carries. He's a pharmacist and would be the "before" picture of some workout supplement add campaign when compared to me (about 45lbs lighter than me). So, needless to say, if someone wanted a piece of him, thinking it was me, it would not go well for him. Luckily, I do not work over in that area too often.

As for me, I have yet to encounter anyone while off-duty. It's fairly rare that I work where I live (that's why I live here).

[stewie]

I've been fortunate not to have any real encounters with anyone off duty. However I remember one time back when I was a VA Hospital Copper I was driving around my hometown with my father (a Police Officer in that town) and I observe a familiar looking guy at a bust stop. I mention to my father hey look that's Ed one of our problem children....to which my father responded oh yeah I arrested him just last week! I found that kinda funny....he never did put two and two together the numerous times I saw him at the hospital. :D

[TNCJGA]

Kinda on the same subject, Any of you had to arrest a former aquaintence? The area I'm from is kinda small so I'm looking far away to avoid those situations.