A LEO with PMS??

[Samuel]

Here are my two-cents from a law enforcement perspective.

First, a little background. Generally departments will allow their officers to be paid for off duty jobs privately. There may be stipulations such as types of places the officer can work for such as schools, apartment complexes, hospitals and so on. Most departments will forbid police officers to work at bars and strip clubs.

Some departments allow their officers to be directly paid by the employer, while other departments must be paid directly first and then disperse the funds accordingly to the officer. I know it's common in Oregon for sheriff departments to have dedicated deputies for logging companies. The logging companies pay the sheriff's department, and the department then hires the deputies for the job.

Regardless on how they are paid, depending on the law, generally the police officers still has full arrest authority and are on the job. Because they are on the job, regardless who pays theme, these officers must follow their policies.

Because this police officer decided to speed, and put the public in danger he is committing official misconduct. This state trooper called out on the radio trying to make sure this person was a police impostor, the police overhead lights were not on, and the state trooper was well within her authority to stop the vehicle. Not only that, but the police officer drove for approximately five minutes while the state trooper had her lights and sirens on.

This state trooper acted very professional considering the circumstances, and the only one who acted unprofessional was the police officer. I hope this state trooper was put in for an award, because it could have been very convenient to be complacent out of fear from upper management and someone could have been killed by this police officer.

I hope the police officer is fired, and found guilty of official misconduct and reckless driving at a minimum. It is people like this officer who damages the whole reputation of law enforcement. Not only that, but this officer is completely immature for never seriously acknowledging the fact he could have easily taken a life by driving the way he did.

[Warbirds]

From what I have seen, I think she was right for wanting to pull him over. What was wrong is that she didn't follow orders.

When you fail to follow orders, whatever they are, the chain of command breaks down.

This case turned out to be a real can of worms for her and her department.I think he should have been stopped and arrested but the fact still remains she did not follow orders and back off. It wasn't a life and death situation that she just had to act in the moment.

I guess she may not have known he was really a police officer and it may have been a stolen cruiser and I really don't know why she was told to back off, but she was.

That's the time to let the supervisor take the heat if there was any coming.

It's easy to say how things should have been done now that we know the whole story. She didn't at the time of the stop, her supervisor didn't know either but he did give her an order. The speeder wasn't holding a gun to anyone's head. Yes, he was endangering lives but then so was she.

This is one of those times when we can sit and think about it and figure out what we really want to say and how it should have been handled.

For me, it all comes down to the fact that she didn't follow orders.

KK

Would this not also show that there is a problem with the chain of command? That the idea that police don't have to follow the law is an idea that goes up the chain? I think so.

[Babarock]

Why do they call it PMS? Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken

[Keykutter]

Here are my two-cents from a law enforcement perspective.

First, a little background. Generally departments will allow their officers to be paid for off duty jobs privately. There may be stipulations such as types of places the officer can work for such as schools, apartment complexes, hospitals and so on. Most departments will forbid police officers to work at bars and strip clubs.

Some departments allow their officers to be directly paid by the employer, while other departments must be paid directly first and then disperse the funds accordingly to the officer. I know it's common in Oregon for sheriff departments to have dedicated deputies for logging companies. The logging companies pay the sheriff's department, and the department then hires the deputies for the job.

Regardless on how they are paid, depending on the law, generally the police officers still has full arrest authority and are on the job. Because they are on the job, regardless who pays theme, these officers must follow their policies.

Because this police officer decided to speed, and put the public in danger he is committing official misconduct. This state trooper called out on the radio trying to make sure this person was a police impostor, the police overhead lights were not on, and the state trooper was well within her authority to stop the vehicle. Not only that, but the police officer drove for approximately five minutes while the state trooper had her lights and sirens on.

This state trooper acted very professional considering the circumstances, and the only one who acted unprofessional was the police officer. I hope this state trooper was put in for an award, because it could have been very convenient to be complacent out of fear from upper management and someone could have been killed by this police officer.

I hope the police officer is fired, and found guilty of official misconduct and reckless driving at a minimum. It is people like this officer who damages the whole reputation of law enforcement. Not only that, but this officer is completely immature for never seriously acknowledging the fact he could have easily taken a life by driving the way he did.

While I agree with your entire post and respect the fact that you presented an 'on the job' perspective, I wonder if you will further comment on the fact that she was told to back off, or do you feel that this is one of those times where you just had to be there to know the scoop?

KK

[Tucker's Mom]

Why do they call it PMS? Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken

That is a meanie....

[Keykutter]

Would this not also show that there is a problem with the chain of command? That the idea that police don't have to follow the law is an idea that goes up the chain? I think so.

Not really sure what you mean. Are you saying in general or for this Troopers command structure specifically?

I think in general, there must be order in most chains of command in most LE dept's or there would be rampant chaos.

If you are talking about the Troopers command specifically, I can only comment about what I know about military style COC's as I don't know if a Trooper has the freedom to act alone against orders if they see a need. Nothing up close and personnel.

I am sure there are some military commands that may condone that for feet on the ground personnel but it would be a VERY rare circumstance in any command that I was attached, to go against orders. The only time I was in any combat zone, it had a lot to do with water and very little to do with feet on the ground.

KK

[Samuel]

While I agree with your entire post and respect the fact that you presented an 'on the job' perspective, I wonder if you will further comment on the fact that she was told to back off, or do you feel that this is one of those times where you just had to be there to know the scoop?

KK

As you stated, you would have to be in the know when it comes to the chain of command calling off the pursuit. I do not have that department's standard operating procedures, or policies regarding vehicle pursuits. With that being said, most policies state that it is mere advice and not be adapted to suit every situation that arises. Either way, the police officer will still be facing criminal charges despite the state trooper failing to back off the pursuit - if that is what did happen.

I don't know how the internal investigation, trust me there will be one, of this police officer and state trooper would work in this situation. Either way it will be quite interesting to see. If the investigation of corrupt cops are left up to the state police, there may be a conflict of interest. Most likely, it will be left to a third city government that has no conflicting interest in this case.

If this state trooper gets in trouble, which I highly doubt, no matter how small of a write-up in her personnel file, I think there would be several departments that would welcome her with open arms.