Has the enforcement of traffic violations changed over the years?

[nachogrande]

WHAT DO THEY KNOW?

I have always wondered how much a LEO knows about you before they even appraoch the car during a stop. Priors, CC, LEO? Probably varies by jurisdiction, but my hunch is they know more than we think.

IF the patrol car has a computer & they run your plate,
More than you would think, or like. ALL of those things your teachers told you would "end up on your permanent record".

My wife worked as a cardiac ultrasound tech that at times would be needed in open heart surgeries to guide the Drs work. One night app 3am she was paged stat to the OR. Doing app 45 in a 35 (she did not have the optional flashing blue light). She was pulled over wearing scrubs, showed her hospital ID & explained the urgency. After she asked the officer "what if it were your Mother on the table"? He let her off with a warning, wasted some valuable time & "BANNISHED HER FOR LIFE" from EVER driving on that road again. WE have a chuckle EVERYTIME we drive on that road. I'm sure the Sgt I spoke to the following day had a talk with that kid/cop.

 

[Golddollar]

The MD trooper may have been looking to see if you had a concealed carry permit. (In NC, your concealed carry permit is linked to your drivers license.) With MD's Draconian gun laws, carry a handgun in your vehicle is against MD law. If you were legal in PA with your concealed carry, as soon as you cross the state line, you are illegal. When MD first passed their gun laws, the NRA put out a warning about traveling into MD with your legal concealed carry handgun from your state. The troopers were targeting out of state vehicles which had pro-gun stickers and stopping them to look for handguns. Maybe you lucked out.

I don't have any bumper stickers at all on my car. The only distinctive things on my car are the BatSignal and Batmobile license plates (this if for real,what else do you call a big, black Mercury). He must have run me just for being from PA, because Batman didn't carry a gun.

 

[keith44spl]

I don't have any bumper stickers at all on my car. The only distinctive things on my car are the BatSignal and Batmobile license plates (this if for real,what else do you call a big, black Mercury). He must have run me just for being from PA, because Batman didn't carry a gun.

My first unmarked unit.....Was a 2003 Mercury.


file photo:

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[Walkingwolf]

When I was in the job, (100 years ago), if you worked traffic, you had a ticket quota. The higher-ups officially denied it, but it existed. You were expected to issue X number of tickets per shift. Make a habit of not meeting said quota and you could wind up a turn key in the jail. Motivation enough. Highly disliked confinement duty.

Never had a quota, but dept reminded us that income in, affected income out. Want a raise, bring in more income, want a new squad or equipment bring in more income. DUI's brought in the most income, and I never felt guilty about getting them off the streets.

 

[Sistema1927]

Just a couple of random observations:

1) It doesn't cost you anything to be polite. Cops deal with enough jerks already why would I want to add to their grief?

2) If you speed, don't come to a full stop at stop signs, don't use your turn signals, have defective equipment, etc., then don't be surprised with you get pulled over.

3) For those who wonder why they aren't going after the druggies, do you realize how many they find during traffic stops?

4) My last ticket was when I was 18, and I deserved it. I am 62 now, and that time back in 1974 was the last time I was pulled over. I do drive quite a bit, but I am one of those rarities who puts their cruise on the speed limit, uses their turn signals, keeps his cars maintained, etc. If I get stopped, then it will probably be because I deserve it, and made a slip up.

5) Quite a few tickets could be avoided if people left 10-15 minutes earlier.

 

[WR Moore]

Friday, I got pulled over and I did not come to a complete stop at a rural 4 way stop sign. Admittedly, it has excellent visibility all around, and you would be able to see a car coming well before the intersection. I was polite and admitted that I made a California stop.

OK, if there was excellent visibility all around you didn't see the police car? Somewhat tongue in cheek, but blowing a stop sign in front of the law usually doesn't end well.

Second thought: I've driven in Europe, especially England, a reasonable amount, and intersections such as these would contain a yield sign. Also, there is a much more liberal usage of passing zones overseas vs here. I guess more of a use your own judgment overseas vs more strict regulation of driving-......

Comments?

If our drivers license requirements were more like those in England (and many other countries), a great many current drivers would be riding public transportation or bicycles. Which would not be a bad thing in my experience.

Absurdities: speed limits that make no sense given the terrain and population density. A good example is Rt 404 across lower Maryland and Delaware. The speed limit is 50 mph over darn near pool table flat farmland with the very occasional 3-4 house/building group and darn few curves. I was returning over this road one day and got passed by a guy in a little car going at least 10 mph over the speed limit. Due to frequent trips, I knew the areas where the Staties were likely to hang out and figured I'd see him again. Came around a little bend, and yep, there he was. Shortly thereafter, he passed me again, I figured slow learner. Passed him again in a couple miles after coming over a rise chatting with Smokey. Third time he passed me, I decided some people don't learn. After I passed him the third time, I never saw him again. I figure he spent the holiday weekend in the stone motel.

 

[mrcvs]

Right! Public transportation in this country is atrocious relative to England and Europe. But that's another topic.

I wasn't in a hurry that day. I'm usually not. However, my observations since then are that unless a complete stop is necessary, I am not one for doing so. I'm doing better since Friday though.

One I observed today. More major road curves to right. Much less traveled road intersects on the curve. Excellent visibility. I think the 3 way stop is unnecessary. Just have the less traveled road stop and continue driving at that curve. Both are back roads. BTW, I stopped going right. The other day I would have slowed but not completely stopped.

 

[Watchdog]

When is America going to become a developed country and stop this hick rubbish about LEOs badging their way out of tickets.

About when this happens...

 

[Golddollar]

My first unmarked unit.....Was a 2003 Mercury.


file photo:

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Aren't those great cars?

On my last job, I had someone in the office tell me they thought I was driving an unmarked police car and he made sure to slow down.

 

[keith44spl]

Aren't those great cars?

On my last job, I had someone in the office tell me they thought I was driving an unmarked police car and he made sure to slow down.

I really liked it.......
Had the guys in the motor pool plug it up
and remover the RPM and Speed limiter....

She was purty fast on the top end.

Tires were rated for 168 mph continuous run


It was all A-Okay till one nite some outta state dopers kinda ambushed me.

Gave me a glancing lick in the side and shot er up a bit.

.

 

[joeintexas]

I really liked it.......
Had the guys in the motor pool plug it up
and remover the RPM and Speed limiter....

She was purty fast on the top end.

Tires were rated for 168 mph continuous run


It was all A-Okay till one nite some outta state dopers kinda ambushed me.

Gave me a glancing lick in the side and shot er up a bit.

.

Wow, that's going to take a whole lot of Turtle Wax!

 

[Doug M.]

Are there municipalities/agencies populated with knotheads that embarrass us all? Yup. Are they common? Maybe, in some places. In smaller towns, there are a lot of older folks, little kids, etc., who pay less attention than I consider prudent. This results in a major incentive to slow traffic down and keep a lid on the driving in general. In bigger cities, traffic enforcement is rare unless something odd happens, because the call volume for the average radio slave is staggering. a few hours behind on calls is is not unusual.

Badge out? One had best be careful; I know of agencies that will hammer an officer doing that, and others that will turn them in.

 

[Watchdog]

My first unmarked unit.....Was a 2003 Mercury.

Confiscated from a drug dealer? Or did the department pony up for those mags and chrome exhaust tips? I like it.

 

[keith44spl]

Confiscated from a drug dealer? Or did the department pony up for those mags and chrome exhaust tips? I like it.

Came right off'n the lot like that........
Everyone else got a Crown Vic P-71,

I just had to take what was left...


.

 

[LVSteve]

The jurisdiction I worked in, there was an unwritten code of the west...
We didn't write other cops, nor their wives...Didn't write doctors, nurses and or
firemen, ya never knew when you might need your own life saved.

There was a small collage town, west of where I worked, that the city police was so micro managed,
officers had no discretion on traffic stops. They wrote everyone, for everything.
Well, a rookie patrolman wrote an undercover (state gold badge) for a licence plate violation, once.

We were advised not to back this particular city department on any calls and to write any officer
Of that department up to and including the chief for any and all witnessed violations.



.

Paragraph one is the BS that needs to stop.

As for paragraph 3, whoever issued the order should rot in prison for the rest of their natural. No perceived slight or politics should EVER stand in the way of effective law enforcement.

As I said before, when will the US stop this hick behavior and join the civilized world.

 

[Muss Muggins]

At what level of offense did you start "writing" this privileged (at least in your eyes) group?

The jurisdiction I worked in, there was an unwritten code of the west...
We didn't write other cops, nor their wives...Didn't write doctors, nurses and or
firemen, ya never knew when you might need your own life saved.

.

 

[A-37]

Cameras

Speed cameras are popping up all over this area. Local law enforcement cite the safety factor but those cameras are nothing but revenue generators; for the municipalities and for the camera companies.

If a guy is speeding and no cop is there to stop him, he'll keep speeding and possibly cause an accident. In a week, he'll get his $150 speeding ticket in the mail.

I thought LEOs are supposed to stop perps, not take pictures of their license plates.

 

[nachogrande]

WANNA TALK ABOUT POLICE DISCRETION BACK IN THE DAY?

In my, then small town Dad was the village attorney, fire dept Chaplin, C of C, Elks, in other words well known. My younger Bro had the gift of gab along with a drinking problem. More than once they would take his keys & give him a lift home.

 

[Ματθιας]

Came right off'n the lot like that........
Everyone else got a Crown Vic P-71,

I just had to take what was left...


.

How/why did your department get a top of the line, flagship model Merc. Marauder?

 

[S-W4EVER]

How/why did your department get a top of the line, flagship model Merc. Marauder?

Rumor I heard was they were given to FHP. My agency (WSP) never got any so I bought the first one I saw (new). The Mercury Marauder is what the CVPI should have been.