Professional Courtesy - Texas

[CivilSybil]

Why is it okay for a cop to let another cop get out of a possible ticket? If you stopped me, a regular citizen for doing something and then you stopped a cop for doing the same thing then we should both get the same ticket, especially if the cop is in a pov. Now I'm sure people will show me the error in my thinking.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

It's called "discretion." Not everyone who gets stopped by a cop gets a ticket.

I've pulled plenty of people over and let them go with a warning.

[CivilSybil]

I've been pulled over exactly twice (knock on wood ) and I got a ticket both times. Maybe I deserved it maybe not. I feel that one of these was an error. I was taking off from a red light going through an intersection behind a semi truck and he pulled me over after I got through the intersection and said I was speeding. I was too scared to say anything about how I wasn't. I just accepted the ticket. So my thing is do you ever think well if this was a regular citizen I would not just be giving a warning right now?

[Citicop]

I give plenty of "regular citizens" warnings.

I made a whopping total of six traffic stops last night. Only one of those got any tickets at all.

-Citicop.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

So my thing is do you ever think well if this was a regular citizen I would not just be giving a warning right now?

Out of thousands of traffic stops, I've only pulled over 2 cops. They weren't doing any speeds where I thought they were endangering anyone, they were just speeding. They both got verbal warnings. I've verbally warned lots of civilians, so I don't see how that's any different.

Additionally, I know cops are trained to operate vehicles at high speeds AND multi-task at the same time. Many civilians can barely drive, let alone drive and change the radio without crashing... BIG difference.

[retdetsgt]

Why is it okay for a cop to let another cop get out of a possible ticket? If you stopped me, a regular citizen for doing something and then you stopped a cop for doing the same thing then we should both get the same ticket, especially if the cop is in a pov. Now I'm sure people will show me the error in my thinking.

I'm just surprised that it took this long for someone to post something like that.......

[Sgt. Slaughter]

I'm just surprised that it took this long for someone to post something like that.......

Well, it was one of her first posts here.

[retdetsgt]

Well, it was one of her first posts here.

It's what threads like this always invites.

[PapaBear]

I will show you the error of your thinking. Not every citizen who gets stopped for an infraction gets a ticket!

The officer making the stop has the authority and descretion to write a ticket or give a warning. No one else can question that decision. Whatever action the officer takes is permissible and s/he is not required to justify that action to anyone.

[phantasm]

Why is it okay for a cop to let another cop get out of a possible ticket? If you stopped me, a regular citizen for doing something and then you stopped a cop for doing the same thing then we should both get the same ticket, especially if the cop is in a pov. Now I'm sure people will show me the error in my thinking.

How about the fact that I pull over mostly non police officers, and I also don't write most of these people? You're missing the point of discretion. Even before I was a police officer, I had been stopped, and let off with verbal warnings, even from departments who have a reputation of not letting anyone go (NYSP).

What if I stop 5 people for a red light, and only write 1 of them. Am I wrong for writing that one person, or was I wrong for not writing the other 4, or is it just a choice that I made to write that 1 person? Maybe the light was red longer, maybe he was going through the light faster, maybe there were people at the intersection, or heavy traffic that, while not any more illegal, it did make his actions just that much more dangerous. Maybe it was a location where there's a lot of accidents.

[greg72982]

What if I stop 5 people for a red light, and only write 1 of them. Am I wrong for writing that one person, or was I wrong for not writing the other 4, or is it just a choice that I made to write that 1 person? Maybe the light was red longer, maybe he was going through the light faster, maybe there were people at the intersection, or heavy traffic that, while not any more illegal, it did make his actions just that much more dangerous. Maybe it was a location where there's a lot of accidents.

Maybe the other 4 were hott chics.



j/k

[mobrien316]

I have pulled over lots of cops and I had no problem with giving them a pass. I would also not have a problem if I was pulled over and ticketed - I'd consider that my responsibility, not the responsibility of the officer pulling me over.

What I have always hated, hated, hated was pulling over a car and, usually before I even exit my vehicle, the driver is leaning halfway out the window, waving a badge in the air, loudly voicing their disgust and anger over being pulled over at all. The cops who seem to think I should know the POV of every sworn LEO in the United States and shouldn't pull them over no matter what. The cops who practically scream at me, "I'm on the job!" as they shake their head in disgust that I they had the misfortune to run into a cop who pulled them over for doing 70 in a 25 and that I didn't use my ESP to recognize them as cops before I turned my overheads on.

I have pulled over cops who were polite and respectful and showed me a badge and ID and apologized for whatever they did that caused me to pull them over. I've also pulled over assholes who flipped their badge at me and then started to drive away and were barely able to contain their rage when I asked them for ID.

I think some cops see it as professional courtesy, and others see it as their entitlement for being cops. I HATE the latter.

[ChevySSP]

Why is it okay for a cop to let another cop get out of a possible ticket? If you stopped me, a regular citizen for doing something and then you stopped a cop for doing the same thing then we should both get the same ticket, especially if the cop is in a pov. Now I'm sure people will show me the error in my thinking.

I'm in the academy, mind you, but I have to say that if you were given a ticket for running a red light, if your mother did it would you want her to get a ticket to? How about your best friend? Or would you hope that they managed to get just a warning?

Now, I don't condone cops giving blatent disregard when it comes to professional courtesy, but if I'm doing my job right you won't feel bad about getting the ticket, unless you give me attitude or I find dope in your car.

The whole point of professional courtesy is that it is up to the individual officer on what to do, similar to what an individual officer does when another driver speeds. He can choose to give a ticket or he can give a written/verbal warning and send the driver on his way.

Mind you in your quote you also alluded to the fact that the officer pulling over the cop would automatically give the off duty cop a handshake and a goodbye. That isn't so. I'm sure if the offense in question was committed in a rather unsafe matter the officer would probably go so far as to give the pulled over cop a ticket and a earful. I know if he ran the red light in from of a oncoming vehicle I would be rather peeved.

Just because you know something happens doesn't mean it happens all the time. If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all ;)