Police
Cars
Cars
How many times have you watched a police car pass with lights and siren
and thought to yourself, that could be me? I don't know about women,
but I do know that young men like the idea of racing to the rescue in
the grand manner the police car provides.
You'll have plenty of opportunities to use your lights and siren, and
you'll tire of them soon enough...especially the siren. You're going to
be spending a lot of time inside your police car, and you need to
understand your responsibilities regarding the care and maintenance of
that police car.
There's a lot more to the operation of a police car beyond emergency
response driving and vehicle pursuits; which, by the way, I cover in my
book. You need to understand that the police car can affect your career
in many more ways than you might imagine.
It's safe to say that the majority of disciplinary actions against police
officers result from circumstances involving the police car. While very
few people would ever drive their personal cars over curbs, you'll learn
that police officers do it with regularity. If you're ever foolish enough
to drive onto a golf course, you'd better be certain the suspect you're
chasing is nothing short of a mass murderer.
Some police officers take the responsibility for their cars seriously right
from the beginning. Some have to be burned once to get the message
while others exhibit a serious learning disability when it comes to
learning from experience.
Aside from police officers being killed in traffic accidents at a higher
rate than any other line of duty death, police officers maintain an
abysmal record for the run of the mill property damage accidents.
Besides tearing up those front ends on curbs, you can count on police
officers to find poles to back into or hitting just about any fixed object
imaginable. Ditches, depressions and speed bumps claim their toll as
well.
Police departments have been trying to solve the problem of vehicle
abuse for decades, and they're still behind the curve. Without a doubt,
the best solution has been the "take home car" policy that you'll find
here and there among police departments. When a police officer has
the exclusive use of a police car, that officer is going to treat it as his or
her own.
Since take home cars are rare, you'll be operating a police car that's in
use 24 hours a day. It is so important that you conduct a thorough
inspection of that car each time you take possession. If you accept a car
with unreported body damage; undercarriage damage, or any other
problem like no oil or transmission fluid, it's on you. If you think that
another police officer would not, knowingly, pass on damage to you,
you've got a lot to learn.
Remember those curbs? Let's say that during your tour of duty, you
get a flat tire. You go to your trunk only to find that the spare tire is
flat. Okay, one of the other officers in your squad loans you his spare.
Once you're up and running, you head for the shop to get his spare and
your flat spare replaced. As the mechanic removes your spare from the
trunk, he points out to you that the rim is bent. What's a bent rim
mean? It means that you just bought yourself an accusation of vehicle
abuse.
A bent tire rim is a traffic accident. If you're really lucky, the accident
was previously reported, and the tire was not replaced as it should have
been. However, that possibility is about as remote as any possibility can
get. Another indication of a cover up might be evident by the spare tire
being bolted down with the big dent underneath. Since you failed to
inspect the tire, the responsibility for the abuse falls on you.
This example of the assignment of responsibility may seem arbitrary,
but it really isn't. Had you inspected the tire, the responsibility would
have been placed on the officer you relieved. That officer may be as
innocent as you if he or she had not inspected the tire. Things could get
worse. Suppose you didn't get the flat, but the officer who relieves you
discovers the bent rim, and he or she is actually the one who bent the
rim.
When it comes to accepting responsibility for vehicle abuse, some police
officers justify their avoidance of that responsibility by passing along the
abuse as in the tire example. Their warped thinking dictates that they
have to be caught versus simply accepting responsibility. They seem to
forget that criminals think the same way.
Damage and abuse aren't the only things for which you must inspect.
Contraband frequently has a way of finding its way into police cars. The
most common items of contraband will consist of guns, knives, drugs or
drug paraphernalia. Aside from the bad guys leaving bad things in your
car, you have to remember that internal investigation units like to put
drugs, or items that look like CDS (controlled dangerous substances) in
your car to see if you properly recover and submit the drugs. It's pretty
easy to spot the cop stings. Bad guys try to conceal the contraband while
the IAD will leave the contraband in plain view. You can easily avoid
the nuisance of the sting by always locking your car.
In all probability, your department will hold you to a higher standard
when it comes to assessing your level of fault in a traffic accident. Your
department could classify departmental vehicle accidents as
"preventable" and "non-preventable." Striking a fixed object will
always earn you the " preventable" label. Let's say you're responding
to an emergency with lights and siren. You come to a red light, and you
come to a full stop before proceeding as departmental procedure
requires. You make sure the traffic with the green light is stopped.
However, as you enter the intersection, you're struck by some idiot who
uses the curb lane to pass the stopped traffic. While the operator of the
other car will be cited for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, the
accident will still be classified as "preventable" since you didn't proceed
without get hit.
About the only time your accident will be classified as
"non-preventable" is when you're rear ended, or your car is struck
when legally parked and unattended. Let's say you stop in a traffic lane
to block a traffic accident scene or some other obstruction, and your
rear ended. As long as your emergency lights are activated, the
accident would be "non-preventable." If you fail to activate your
emergency lights...well, you know the answer.
If you take notice of unattended police cars, you might get the
impression that police officers are not proficient at parallel parking
even when a space of three car lengths exist. Don't get in the habit of
just parking in a traffic lane, because you can. If your responding to an
emergency, that's one thing. If you're just too lazy to walk a few steps,
you could regret leaving your car where someone lazier and less
attentive than you runs into it.
I am amazed that more police cars aren't stolen. It is no exaggeration
when I say that better than ninety percent of police officers, under
varying circumstances, leave their police cars unattended with the car
running and the key in the ignition. The most common instance is
when the officer jumps from his or her car to engage in a foot chase.
Imagine yourself chasing some guy in a big circle only to watch him
jump into your police car and speed off...and it's happened.
A big city police officer left his department to take a job as a police chief
in a smaller jurisdiction. Unfortunately, along with his experience, he
took a bad habit with him. He left his car running and unattended along
with the shotgun. Sure, the shotgun was locked in the trunk, but the
key for the trunk was on the ring with the ignition key. Having the car
stolen was bad enough, but having the suspect commit suicide with the
chief's shotgun was a lot worse.
Every time I'd question officers as to why they left their cars running
and unattended, the response was always the same, "I didn't have time."
You always have time. After you jam the gear shift into park, you
simply turn and remove the key with a downward movement of your
hand.
and thought to yourself, that could be me? I don't know about women,
but I do know that young men like the idea of racing to the rescue in
the grand manner the police car provides.
You'll have plenty of opportunities to use your lights and siren, and
you'll tire of them soon enough...especially the siren. You're going to
be spending a lot of time inside your police car, and you need to
understand your responsibilities regarding the care and maintenance of
that police car.
There's a lot more to the operation of a police car beyond emergency
response driving and vehicle pursuits; which, by the way, I cover in my
book. You need to understand that the police car can affect your career
in many more ways than you might imagine.
It's safe to say that the majority of disciplinary actions against police
officers result from circumstances involving the police car. While very
few people would ever drive their personal cars over curbs, you'll learn
that police officers do it with regularity. If you're ever foolish enough
to drive onto a golf course, you'd better be certain the suspect you're
chasing is nothing short of a mass murderer.
Some police officers take the responsibility for their cars seriously right
from the beginning. Some have to be burned once to get the message
while others exhibit a serious learning disability when it comes to
learning from experience.
Aside from police officers being killed in traffic accidents at a higher
rate than any other line of duty death, police officers maintain an
abysmal record for the run of the mill property damage accidents.
Besides tearing up those front ends on curbs, you can count on police
officers to find poles to back into or hitting just about any fixed object
imaginable. Ditches, depressions and speed bumps claim their toll as
well.
Police departments have been trying to solve the problem of vehicle
abuse for decades, and they're still behind the curve. Without a doubt,
the best solution has been the "take home car" policy that you'll find
here and there among police departments. When a police officer has
the exclusive use of a police car, that officer is going to treat it as his or
her own.
Since take home cars are rare, you'll be operating a police car that's in
use 24 hours a day. It is so important that you conduct a thorough
inspection of that car each time you take possession. If you accept a car
with unreported body damage; undercarriage damage, or any other
problem like no oil or transmission fluid, it's on you. If you think that
another police officer would not, knowingly, pass on damage to you,
you've got a lot to learn.
Remember those curbs? Let's say that during your tour of duty, you
get a flat tire. You go to your trunk only to find that the spare tire is
flat. Okay, one of the other officers in your squad loans you his spare.
Once you're up and running, you head for the shop to get his spare and
your flat spare replaced. As the mechanic removes your spare from the
trunk, he points out to you that the rim is bent. What's a bent rim
mean? It means that you just bought yourself an accusation of vehicle
abuse.
A bent tire rim is a traffic accident. If you're really lucky, the accident
was previously reported, and the tire was not replaced as it should have
been. However, that possibility is about as remote as any possibility can
get. Another indication of a cover up might be evident by the spare tire
being bolted down with the big dent underneath. Since you failed to
inspect the tire, the responsibility for the abuse falls on you.
This example of the assignment of responsibility may seem arbitrary,
but it really isn't. Had you inspected the tire, the responsibility would
have been placed on the officer you relieved. That officer may be as
innocent as you if he or she had not inspected the tire. Things could get
worse. Suppose you didn't get the flat, but the officer who relieves you
discovers the bent rim, and he or she is actually the one who bent the
rim.
When it comes to accepting responsibility for vehicle abuse, some police
officers justify their avoidance of that responsibility by passing along the
abuse as in the tire example. Their warped thinking dictates that they
have to be caught versus simply accepting responsibility. They seem to
forget that criminals think the same way.
Damage and abuse aren't the only things for which you must inspect.
Contraband frequently has a way of finding its way into police cars. The
most common items of contraband will consist of guns, knives, drugs or
drug paraphernalia. Aside from the bad guys leaving bad things in your
car, you have to remember that internal investigation units like to put
drugs, or items that look like CDS (controlled dangerous substances) in
your car to see if you properly recover and submit the drugs. It's pretty
easy to spot the cop stings. Bad guys try to conceal the contraband while
the IAD will leave the contraband in plain view. You can easily avoid
the nuisance of the sting by always locking your car.
In all probability, your department will hold you to a higher standard
when it comes to assessing your level of fault in a traffic accident. Your
department could classify departmental vehicle accidents as
"preventable" and "non-preventable." Striking a fixed object will
always earn you the " preventable" label. Let's say you're responding
to an emergency with lights and siren. You come to a red light, and you
come to a full stop before proceeding as departmental procedure
requires. You make sure the traffic with the green light is stopped.
However, as you enter the intersection, you're struck by some idiot who
uses the curb lane to pass the stopped traffic. While the operator of the
other car will be cited for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, the
accident will still be classified as "preventable" since you didn't proceed
without get hit.
About the only time your accident will be classified as
"non-preventable" is when you're rear ended, or your car is struck
when legally parked and unattended. Let's say you stop in a traffic lane
to block a traffic accident scene or some other obstruction, and your
rear ended. As long as your emergency lights are activated, the
accident would be "non-preventable." If you fail to activate your
emergency lights...well, you know the answer.
If you take notice of unattended police cars, you might get the
impression that police officers are not proficient at parallel parking
even when a space of three car lengths exist. Don't get in the habit of
just parking in a traffic lane, because you can. If your responding to an
emergency, that's one thing. If you're just too lazy to walk a few steps,
you could regret leaving your car where someone lazier and less
attentive than you runs into it.
I am amazed that more police cars aren't stolen. It is no exaggeration
when I say that better than ninety percent of police officers, under
varying circumstances, leave their police cars unattended with the car
running and the key in the ignition. The most common instance is
when the officer jumps from his or her car to engage in a foot chase.
Imagine yourself chasing some guy in a big circle only to watch him
jump into your police car and speed off...and it's happened.
A big city police officer left his department to take a job as a police chief
in a smaller jurisdiction. Unfortunately, along with his experience, he
took a bad habit with him. He left his car running and unattended along
with the shotgun. Sure, the shotgun was locked in the trunk, but the
key for the trunk was on the ring with the ignition key. Having the car
stolen was bad enough, but having the suspect commit suicide with the
chief's shotgun was a lot worse.
Every time I'd question officers as to why they left their cars running
and unattended, the response was always the same, "I didn't have time."
You always have time. After you jam the gear shift into park, you
simply turn and remove the key with a downward movement of your
hand.
When I was a special operations lieutenant, I had the
district traffic officer under my command. The
department had purchased nine Ford Mustangs; one for
each district traffic officer.
That was one pretty car, and it had all the police
markings. It didn't have a roof bar light, but it was
loaded with grill lights; alternating flashing headlights;
and red and blue lights for the front and rear windows.
The right side bucket seat was replaced with the latest
computer hardware giving the interior the appearance of
a cockpit.
In a police department where the duplication of car keys
was conducted like a hobby, the traffic officer urged that
the keys to the Mustang be restricted to himself and his
sergeant. Above the objections of the shift commanders,
the district commander granted the restrictions on the
Mustang.
One overcast day I was passing by one of the traffic
officer's locations where he would conduct radar
enforcement. The traffic was light, and I had to smile
when I saw the officer using the slow time to put a fresh
coat of wax on the Mustang.
Cops simply hate to be denied anything, and I fought a lot
of battles with shift commanders who demanded use of
the Mustang for their own traffic enforcement initiatives.
I'd simply point out to them that they already had police
cars with red and blue lights and sirens.
Needless to say, that Mustang had a longer -- and painless
-- life span than its eight brothers.
district traffic officer under my command. The
department had purchased nine Ford Mustangs; one for
each district traffic officer.
That was one pretty car, and it had all the police
markings. It didn't have a roof bar light, but it was
loaded with grill lights; alternating flashing headlights;
and red and blue lights for the front and rear windows.
The right side bucket seat was replaced with the latest
computer hardware giving the interior the appearance of
a cockpit.
In a police department where the duplication of car keys
was conducted like a hobby, the traffic officer urged that
the keys to the Mustang be restricted to himself and his
sergeant. Above the objections of the shift commanders,
the district commander granted the restrictions on the
Mustang.
One overcast day I was passing by one of the traffic
officer's locations where he would conduct radar
enforcement. The traffic was light, and I had to smile
when I saw the officer using the slow time to put a fresh
coat of wax on the Mustang.
Cops simply hate to be denied anything, and I fought a lot
of battles with shift commanders who demanded use of
the Mustang for their own traffic enforcement initiatives.
I'd simply point out to them that they already had police
cars with red and blue lights and sirens.
Needless to say, that Mustang had a longer -- and painless
-- life span than its eight brothers.
| A Most Embarrassing Circumstance |
| Traffic Accidents |
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| Copyright © 2006 - 2008 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
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