TIPS FROM AN OFFICER
A few tips from a police officer for students:
1. A big misunderstanding is the expiration of your vehicle’s registration. Many people think they have till the end of the month or until the end of the expiration day. Your registration actually expires at midnight on the registered owner’s birthday. So if it’s already the birthday, it’s expired.
2. That little, yellow registration renewal sticker you affix to your license plate is a target for thieves. They’ll peel yours off and affix it to their own plate so it appears to be up to date (unless of course, we run the plate). To prevent this, after affixing the sticker, simply take a sharp knife/razor and slice it a dozen times or so. Nobody is going to take the time to peel 20+ pieces off and puzzle them back together. It will stay attached to your plate; I’ve done it to a couple of mine and it’s fine.
3. When a police car, fire truck, tow truck, or any other service vehicle (to include garbage trucks) are stopped on the road or side of the road, you must move over and leave a lane between them and you. If you cannot move over enough to give them a full lane of space (such as a small two lane road), you must slow to 20mph below the speed limit. If the speed limit is already less than 25mph, you must go 5mph. (316.126 1b)
4. If you see a cop driving fast with no lights or sirens, it does not mean he is abusing his power and “immunity” from traffic laws. We are here for 12 long hours a day, we have no reason to rush anywhere other than a call. On a daily basis, we get calls that need us to get there somewhat quick, but don’t quite warrant an emergency. Response times are not always black and white, fast or slow; we have to use judgement and discretion. Believe it or not lights and sirens can make you arrive slower than without, and it is very frustrating. A lot of people freak out, panic, stay steady in a lane, and block us when we are running lights and sirens.
5. When you park ANY where or for ANY amount of time, short or long, do not leave anything valuable in view inside your car. Lock your car as well every single time, even if you live in a nice neighborhood. This can’t be stressed enough, but people still get complacent and think nothing will happen to them.
6. Yes, body cams are ideal. We all want them too. Funny enough, far more officers are cleared of false complaints, accusations, and straight up lies than there are officers getting in caught. My agency has them and I love it. I would never want to go back. The biggest problem, as with anything, is money. The hard drive storage space is massive. Videos have to be kept for a minimum of 90 days, and that’s only small encounters that don’t result in arrests. Think of (low estimate) 10 videos per day, times 90 days, times every Officer, times (low estimate) 100MB. I just did the math for my department and it’s over 6TBs (again, low estimate). They are stored off-site and accessible via the web, meaning its monthly service, not just a one-time hard drive(s) purchase. Now think of departments like Orlando, Miami, & Tampa.
7. On the topic of videos, PLEASE don’t take all these YouTube and WorldStarHipHop videos so seriously. You are literally seeing a small segment at the end of an encounter where the “victim” looks helpless. You didn’t see the 10 minutes leading up where he wouldn’t show his hands, or refused to stay in place, or was seen by a witness with a weapon in his pocket. The news and websites do not post entire videos with all perspectives and angles. They are in existence to get views and ratings, not tell you the truth.
8. When encountering the police, do not resist, disobey, or blatantly argue. 90% of the people who have told me they “know their rights”, do not know their rights. If you genuinely feel your rights are violated, the courtroom is the place to argue, not the street. We don’t want to argue with you any more than you want to with us.
9. Fun fact! We’re stereotyped as loving donuts because back in the day donuts used to be some of the only food available late at night.
10. Finally, you are the best line of information for us. If you see something suspicious, call. Our job is much more reactive than it is proactive. You need to be the initial eyes and ears in your neighborhood, work, and school.
