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Just a personal observation concerning the driving habits of our police officers, and a response to those so concerned about it.
Maybe that police officer dropping off that child had to hurry back to court to testify in a case where he got to hear more lies from a citizen trying to get out of a ticket, or to go pick up a witness in a domestic violence case that now wants to drop the charges, maybe he was ordered back to the station to handle a walk in complaint that the office staff is too lazy to handle, or maybe he had to hurry back to City Hall and pick up Council Agendas that he had to hand deliver to Council Members because they are too lazy to pick them up, or he might have to go get a cooler full of soda pop to deliver to the Council meeting before it starts.
Maybe he had to handle a complaint on the telephone with someone from out of state that wants to give them their whole life story, and while on the telephone, he gets dispatched to a family disturbance call, but upon his arrival, he learns that it is just an upset mother who can't control her six-seven year old child that refuses to go to school.
Maybe he wants to please the public he serves by trying to get to calls in a timely manner because the last time he took more than five minutes to arrive somewhere the person made a complaint about having to wait. Oh yes, I forgot, more areas to cover in all of this annexation and no increase of patrol officers. And you have police command staff and politicians promising quick response times, for prompt service, to non criminal related calls.
I agree that law enforcement officers need to be role models in their actions, whether it's driving, communicating/interacting with people or how they handle themselves in situations. Complaints need to be lodged when legitimate violations are observed, and you need to follow-up on those complaints. Also remember the demands/expectations that are thrown on the underpaid, understaffed PATROL OFFICERS that respond to numerous emergency/non-emergency calls everyday. When you see them speeding or rolling through a stop sign, it might just be your house they are responding to.
- MaryAlice's blog
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Hunny, you can say it till the cows come home. We've had this type of discussion on this blog before and 1/2 the people just don't get it. They never will. However, I appreciate your effort. Here's an email I received again (LOL) in my box...
An Officer's Life
You wonder why he pulled you over and gave you a ticket for speeding,
He just worked an accident where people died because they were going to fast.
You wonder why that cop was so mean,
He just got done working a case where a drunk driver killed a kid.
You work for 8 hours,
He works for up to 18 hours
You drink hot coffee to stay awake,
The cold rain in the middle of the night keeps him awake.
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick,
He goes into work still hurt and sore from the guy he had to fight the night before.
You drink your coffee on your way to the mall,
He spills his as he runs code to a traffic crash with kids trapped inside.
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket before you leave the house,
He makes sure his gun is clean and fully loaded and his vest is tight.
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you,
He watches his buddy get shot at, and wounded in front of him.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls,
He walks down the highway looking for body parts from a traffic crash.
You complain about how hot it is,
He wears fifty pounds of gear and a bullet proof vest in July and still runs around chasing crack heads.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong,
He runs out before he gets his food to respond to an armed robbery.
You get out of bed in the morning and take your time getting ready,
He gets called out of bed at 2 am after working 12 hours and has to be into work A.S.A.P. For a homicide.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone,
He holds the hair of some college girl while she's puking in the back of his patrol car.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over,
His shift ended 4 hours ago and there's no end in sight.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight,
He can't make any plans because on his off days he still gets called back into work.
You yell and scream at the squad car that just past you because they slowed you down,
He's in the driver seat of the squad car, going to cut somebody out of their car.
You roll your eyes when a baby cries in public,
He picks up a dead child in his arms and prays that it will be crying.
You criticize your police dept and say they're never there quick enough,
He blasts the siren while the person in front of him refuses to move while talking on their cell phone.
You hear the jokes about fallen officers and say they should have known better,
He is a hero and runs into situations when everyone else is running away in order to make sure no one else Gets hurt and loses his life doing it.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents, You don't,
He would take a bullet for his buddy without question.
You sit there and judge him, saying that it's a waste of money to have them around,
Yet as soon as you need help he is there.
If you support your local police officers, send this to
5 other people in your address book.
If you don't support your local police officers, well, then don't send this to 5 other people, but just remember that when you need help one day.
I like that
They've always been my friends since I met up with two of them who drove me around sitting in the middle of their patrol car til I found my way home - a lost kid aged six, newly moved to the big city and not knowing my address.
Then, every day for six more years as they directed traffic so I could walk to school.
I've never dealt with a policeman I didn't like. City, town or state, they all do a good job and they are there for us when we need them. Just a phone call away.
SOUNDS LIKE A MARINE SO AFTER I TRAINED MARINES FOR 32 HOURS STRAIGHT I HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEED HOME BECAUSE MY WIFE NEED ME TO TAKE THE KID TO SCHOOL HOW ABOUT GOING ON PATROL WITH 20 MARINES AND CARRYING 10 BACK WHO TOOK A BULLET FOR THERE BUDDIES SO YOU HAVE JUST GAVE ME THE RIGHT TO ACT LIKE I OWN THE ROAD BECAUSE BEEN THERE DONE THAT THANKS FOR THE INFO I DO RESPECT THE POLICE OFFICERS BUT WHEN THEY ARE SPEEDING TO TAKE THERE KID TO SCHOOL NO EXCUSE IF THEY HAVE A EMERGENCE TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON OR HOW ABOUT DRIVING LIGHTS ON WHEN IT RAINS STATE LAW THEY DON'T O THATS RIGHT THEY HAD A ROUGH DAY IF IT IS THAT ROUGH FOR THEM TO THINK THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW THEY MAY WANT TO BECOME A RENT A COP AT A PLANTION
CORPSMAN UP!
Dude, take a breath. Use a period sometimes.
As for the use of emergency lights, did you know most officers have to ask permission to use them for things other than a traffic stop? Those "Rent a cops" @ the plantations, well, they take their tests and get their SLED card just the same.
MARYALICE,
I THOUGHT I WOULD RESPOND TO THAT AS WELL, BUT AFTER READING YOUR BLOG........THERE JUST ISN'T MUCH TO SAY AFTER THAT. IF IT MAKES SINCE THEY JUST DON'T GET IT.
CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN?
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. I couldn't have said any of that better myself.
That was an awesome post. When the subject of council pay raises was in thee news a few weeks ago I thought that maybe one of the conditions should be that they pick up their own agendas and get their own sodas. The public has no idea how of the number of b.s. trivial task that patrol officers are asked to do when they are already understaffed. Usually there are more "command and support" staff in the BCSO LEC building or the Beaufort and Port Royal police headquaters than there are officers on the street but the street officers are still asked to do these things. Really sad.