ShinerBock wrote:
This is why it isn't just black and white. There are many grey areas where one person's opinion will say that they shouldn't and another's says it is warranted. I feel that one can't just say that no cop should go over the speed limit without their lights, period. These people are either very ignorant to the situations of what an officer faces day in and day out. That is like me telling someone else how to do their job even though I do not fully understand all aspects of their job.
But unless there is a hard and fast line, then when it comes to enforcement, blue will always be justified, and others it is blue that decides what is right. There is nothing right about that.
Then you have to ask who should be in charge of drawing that line and what politics, knowledge, and/or biases are driving their perception. Many people here said they should not do it period, but most do not have much knowledge about the job. It is a slippery slope and there are I feel many more important things that should be addressed first because they are bigger problems than a cop doing 10 over.
Like I say the cop can always come up with a reason for his fast driving. But my statement is if a cop is not on a call, and cars are speeding near him that cop should be fired.
Now keep in mind that I agree that there are bad cops that do break the law because they feel that they can. However, these types of officers are generally hated by the other cops as well because it gives them a bad name. It is extremely hard to get rid of these types of officers in large metro areas with unions. While the unions do a go job at protecting good cops, their rules and regulations that the departments have to follow also protect a percentage of bad cops. So it is one of those cases that in order to have the good, then you have to understand that it will also come with a percentage of bad as with most things. Expecting 100% good is just an unrealistic expectation.
If you have 1000 cops and 3 are bad actors, but the 997 will not stop the 3, you have 1000 bad cops. Unions are collections people. If the members stand up for the bad actor, he stays. But if members stand up against him he will leave.
BobsYourUncle wrote:
A point perhaps worth considering regarding a LEO and driving is that they are not an average driver taught by mom and dad how to pilot a car.
They undergo rigorous training behind the wheel. They are taught to be observant of all things and situations. They are taught to be keenly aware of their surroundings and more.
Their drivers ed teaches them by actual scenarios how to react in a multitude of traffic situations. Things like a pursuit chase - they learn by controlled training how to react to their surroundings, what to expect from other drivers etc etc.
Bottom line is that a LEO is far better equipped to handle a vehicle than the average driver is.
Yeah. Right. Sure. Want to buy a bridge?
They also sing that song, dance that dance about their firearms. But often they lack judgement about when to use, and a large percentage of their rounds do not hit the intended target.
