MustangWorks.com : Ford Forums - View Single Post

Unit 5302 · 09-24-2002, 07:25 PM

As per standard overly defensive officers automatically assume I'm flaming you. If you're a good officer, there is no reason to be upset cause you know you've done your job. You don't know what the other jerk-off police officers may be doing, do you? You can't relate, just like I can't relate to somebody who does a crappy job. All I know is I'd rather those who are doing crappy jobs be let go or at least have pressure put on them to do a good job. If that means I have to perform, and prove I'm doing something occationally, then so be it.

Being a professional witness is an interesting assumption. You're not a professional witness. You're a professional police officer who's duties happen to cross over to testifying. Does that mean a running back on a pro football team who throws a pass is a professional quarterback? You are trained on how to present your side of the story while on the stand as a witness, but it's not what your main job duty is.

How about if you pull over a lawyer? He's a far more professional witness than you could ever hope to be. Does that mean his word is better than yours? How about a true professional witness who makes a living testifying (ie expert witness)?

A persons word is a persons word, and officers DO make mistakes. Obviously, you feel an officer cannot possibly make a mistake as though they are robots, and their word should therefore be law, but I have a tendency to believe an officer should have to back up his case in court with more than "he was speeding because I said so." What makes you think you're more honest or able to determine what I was doing at a given time than I am able to know my own actions? On just about anything more important than a traffic citation the prosecution needs more evidence than just an officer saying "he did this." They need some evidence of what was done, how it was done, and establishing a picture of how it all went down. It's called making a case. Your radar evidence, your speed measuring devices historical accuracy, your FCC license and training to use the equipment, conditions during the use of the equipment, and your testimony all serves as evidence. Along with the ticket, and your write up and/or notes on the event. Without this it would be nothing more than your word against his, and you should lose in that scenerio every single time, as our legal system is setup.

SVOCOP the LAWS have ruled what you are bound to do. Not your personal belief laws put you in harms way. If you feel your job is too dangerous, you can pick a different profession. I never stated I think this country is a bad place to live. I do think it's getting worse all the time because of government sticking it's nose into peoples lives where it doesn't belong, and partially because they've decided police should be used to enforce norms. I don't give police a single shred more credit than anybody else. It's your profession, and chances are, you are less skilled than a 4 year college graduate punching buttons on an office keyboard. Just because you chose your profession doesn't give you some sort of medal of honor in my opinion. You do your job, and I hope you do it well.

I also don't like the argument police officers are underpaid. If you're not paid enough, change departments. Officers here start at $50,000 per year, plus. In the Phoenix area they hire at up to $38,000 per year, which equates to about $50k a year here. There are good paying police jobs in a lot of areas if you care to look, and you qualify. Overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated? Please. Insert egotistical, arrogant, and on a power trip. If police were off for 5 days, the national guard could be used or the army. Regardless of what you think, most people are honest, and we have no need for police officers to keep an eye over our shoulder. If the investment brokers all quit work for 5 days the economy would crash. If the telecommunications industry went on strike for 5 days and service was shut off, the country would completely malfunction.

My personal opinion about police officers are they are more often than not, underqualified, poorly trained, and are self-righteous. People earn my respect with actions, not with a title. If you don't make any money, you've either decided to stay where you're at because you like your job, you haven't been looking, or you're in the above description and don't qualify for better pay/hours/benefits at another location.

09-24-2002, 07:25 PM	#38
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	As per standard overly defensive officers automatically assume I'm flaming you. If you're a good officer, there is no reason to be upset cause you know you've done your job. You don't know what the other jerk-off police officers may be doing, do you? You can't relate, just like I can't relate to somebody who does a crappy job. All I know is I'd rather those who are doing crappy jobs be let go or at least have pressure put on them to do a good job. If that means I have to perform, and prove I'm doing something occationally, then so be it. Being a professional witness is an interesting assumption. You're not a professional witness. You're a professional police officer who's duties happen to cross over to testifying. Does that mean a running back on a pro football team who throws a pass is a professional quarterback? You are trained on how to present your side of the story while on the stand as a witness, but it's not what your main job duty is. How about if you pull over a lawyer? He's a far more professional witness than you could ever hope to be. Does that mean his word is better than yours? How about a true professional witness who makes a living testifying (ie expert witness)? A persons word is a persons word, and officers DO make mistakes. Obviously, you feel an officer cannot possibly make a mistake as though they are robots, and their word should therefore be law, but I have a tendency to believe an officer should have to back up his case in court with more than "he was speeding because I said so." What makes you think you're more honest or able to determine what I was doing at a given time than I am able to know my own actions? On just about anything more important than a traffic citation the prosecution needs more evidence than just an officer saying "he did this." They need some evidence of what was done, how it was done, and establishing a picture of how it all went down. It's called making a case. Your radar evidence, your speed measuring devices historical accuracy, your FCC license and training to use the equipment, conditions during the use of the equipment, and your testimony all serves as evidence. Along with the ticket, and your write up and/or notes on the event. Without this it would be nothing more than your word against his, and you should lose in that scenerio every single time, as our legal system is setup. SVOCOP the LAWS have ruled what you are bound to do. Not your personal belief laws put you in harms way. If you feel your job is too dangerous, you can pick a different profession. I never stated I think this country is a bad place to live. I do think it's getting worse all the time because of government sticking it's nose into peoples lives where it doesn't belong, and partially because they've decided police should be used to enforce norms. I don't give police a single shred more credit than anybody else. It's your profession, and chances are, you are less skilled than a 4 year college graduate punching buttons on an office keyboard. Just because you chose your profession doesn't give you some sort of medal of honor in my opinion. You do your job, and I hope you do it well. I also don't like the argument police officers are underpaid. If you're not paid enough, change departments. Officers here start at $50,000 per year, plus. In the Phoenix area they hire at up to $38,000 per year, which equates to about $50k a year here. There are good paying police jobs in a lot of areas if you care to look, and you qualify. Overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated? Please. Insert egotistical, arrogant, and on a power trip. If police were off for 5 days, the national guard could be used or the army. Regardless of what you think, most people are honest, and we have no need for police officers to keep an eye over our shoulder. If the investment brokers all quit work for 5 days the economy would crash. If the telecommunications industry went on strike for 5 days and service was shut off, the country would completely malfunction. My personal opinion about police officers are they are more often than not, underqualified, poorly trained, and are self-righteous. People earn my respect with actions, not with a title. If you don't make any money, you've either decided to stay where you're at because you like your job, you haven't been looking, or you're in the above description and don't qualify for better pay/hours/benefits at another location.