Cop by Osmosis

[Archangel M]

Something I notice while debating LE issues on the internet is the inevitable "My (X) was a Cop" statement. If ones father, uncle, cousin etc. was a cop you will eventually find out and it will be used to support that persons opinion about LEO's and LE issues.

I always tell people "My wife and kids have lived with a Cop for many years...all they can tell you is what its like to live with a cop..not what its like to BE a cop."

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena?

[seasoned]

Something I notice while debating LE issues on the internet is the inevitable "My (X) was a Cop" statement. If ones father, uncle, cousin etc. was a cop you will eventually find out and it will be used to support that persons opinion about LEO's and LE issues.

I always tell people "My wife and kids have lived with a Cop for many years...all they can tell you is what its like to live with a cop..not what its like to BE a cop."

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena?



There are many gratifying jobs out there. Some where you can help other people in a meaningful way, but very few where your very life depends on your training and good judgment, as in LE. My wife is a nurse, and I think it is one of those jobs, where you would have to work at it, to understand the mental strain of dealing with saving lives.

[Empty Hands]

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena?

Pretty much all of them. When discussing health issues, I always hear about "my brother the doctor". When I sold computers, I was forever hearing about "my neighbor who works at Intel." It's a cheap and easy way to bolster an argument. Or in the case of my past customers, a perceived defense against being cheated. Not that I would of course, but I guess they didn't know that.

[Makalakumu]

Yeah, it happens all of the time with education. People think that since they went to 12 years + of school that they can speak authoritatively about education.

[jks9199]

Yeah, it happens all of the time with education. People think that since they went to 12 years + of school that they can speak authoritatively about education.
That was kind of my thought -- though I do think there's an extra dynamic in law enforcement. An awful lot of people think seem to think that they know all they need to know about law enforcement because they've seen tv cop shows (most of which bear very little resemblance to real police work) or know someone who's a cop... I think medicine, law, and some other professions have a clear, extensive educational system; police work has "the academy" which seems from the outside to be pretty much the same as boot camp. And "who can't handle boot camp..."

[Sukerkin]

It really does happen with every profession where people think that having an opinion holds as much water as having a professional opinion.

I run into an awful lot of that with Economics, as I've mentioned before. I spent a decade studying this subject and have the bits of paper to prove it and people still think they know better than me how an economy works because they have a bank account :grr:.

So, as you can imagine, I sympathise a great deal and would never dream of telling a policeman his job. I might have opinions on the law and how it is enforced or on the publicised behaviour of specific officers but they are just that i.e. opinions that I have as a tax payer and voter.

An officer tells me I'm talking rot and shows me why and I will never argue the toss.

The best example is that incident a while ago where I became all self-righteously angry over a video clip that showed 'clear' abuse of a woman in custody.

A couple of officers tried to set me straight but, at first, I was so incensed my 'ears' weren't working. Then I read a bit more about the incident and realised that what the 'news' clip had shown was almost engineered to give a bad impression of the officers involved.

So I apologised to the LE members here who'd tried to tell me that things are not always what they seem. Humble pie is good for the soul on occasion you know :D.

[arnisador]

I'd have to agree that it's a near-universal phenomenon. Competence by proxy.

[Carol]

Keep in mind though, this is also a way of showing common ground in conversation.

My first martial arts school didn't have changing rooms so arriving to class in uniform was highly encouraged. While I generally did not appear in public with my uniform on, if I absolutely had to do so (ie: at a gas station), I was frequently met with comments like "hey, my daughter has a junior black belt" or "My cousin used to take TaeKwon Do".

Some people gravitate to this style of conversation naturally, others are taught...business communications classes, for example. This can give the appearance of being an authority (sometimes), but it can also give the appearance of simply being open and approachable.

[Archangel M]

Keep in mind though, this is also a way of showing common ground in conversation.

My first martial arts school didn't have changing rooms so arriving to class in uniform was highly encouraged. While I generally did not appear in public with my uniform on, if I absolutely had to do so (ie: at a gas station), I was frequently met with comments like "hey, my daughter has a junior black belt" or "My cousin used to take TaeKwon Do".

Some people gravitate to this style of conversation naturally, others are taught...business communications classes, for example. This can give the appearance of being an authority (sometimes), but it can also give the appearance of simply being open and approachable.

I can see that.

Im referring to the situations where someone disagrees with you and says "Well my (X) was a cop so I know a thing or two about what Im saying".

I wouldnt presume to talk with authority about nuclear physics because my cousin is a nuclear scientist...and I wouldnt expect my wife to be spreading around her opinions about law enforcement in my name.

I dont want to imply that people cannot have an opinion on the way policing is done. The best oversight we have is by people reporting when cops have gone over the line. Im just talking about a particular debate tactic. Hmmm..maybe I could cook up a name for it a la "Red Herring", "Ad Hominum" and all that.

[jks9199]

I can see that.

Im referring to the situations where someone disagrees with you and says "Well my (X) was a cop so I know a thing or two about what Im saying".

I wouldnt presume to talk with authority about nuclear physics because my cousin is a nuclear scientist...and I wouldnt expect my wife to be spreading around her opinions about law enforcement in my name.

I dont want to imply that people cannot have an opinion on the way policing is done. The best oversight we have is by people reporting when cops have gone over the line. Im just talking about a particular debate tactic. Hmmm..maybe I could cook up a name for it a la "Red Herring", "Ad Hominum" and all that.
One thing that I've noticed is that, with the exception of teachers, I don't think any other profession has as many people who will argue and deny what they're told by practitioners based on what they're friend/brother/tv hero says...

I don't think I've ever heard or even heard of someone telling a doctor "But I saw this on ER..." (OK... some wacky self-diagnosis, but there are usually other issues there...) Few people seem to think twice about arguing about what cops do -- despite the vast differences in policing from one end of the country to another, and across various agencies.

[Carol]

Thats because you guys get all the good TV shows! :lol2:

No one writes productions about a telecommunications engineer *sniff* :(

[sgtmac_46]

Something I notice while debating LE issues on the internet is the inevitable "My (X) was a Cop" statement. If ones father, uncle, cousin etc. was a cop you will eventually find out and it will be used to support that persons opinion about LEO's and LE issues.

I always tell people "My wife and kids have lived with a Cop for many years...all they can tell you is what its like to live with a cop..not what its like to BE a cop."

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena? I usually don't hear 'My dad was a surgeon, let me operate on that for you.'

[sgtmac_46]

That was kind of my thought -- though I do think there's an extra dynamic in law enforcement. An awful lot of people think seem to think that they know all they need to know about law enforcement because they've seen tv cop shows (most of which bear very little resemblance to real police work) or know someone who's a cop... I think medicine, law, and some other professions have a clear, extensive educational system; police work has "the academy" which seems from the outside to be pretty much the same as boot camp. And "who can't handle boot camp..." EXACTLY! Folks think since they've been watching cop shows all their lives, they know the job as well (or better) than the guys working the road.....the only other folks who get second-guessed more than cops are FOOTBALL PLAYERS (thus the term 'Monday Morning Quarterback') ;)

[sgtmac_46]

I can see that.

Im referring to the situations where someone disagrees with you and says "Well my (X) was a cop so I know a thing or two about what Im saying".

I wouldnt presume to talk with authority about nuclear physics because my cousin is a nuclear scientist...and I wouldnt expect my wife to be spreading around her opinions about law enforcement in my name.

I dont want to imply that people cannot have an opinion on the way policing is done. The best oversight we have is by people reporting when cops have gone over the line. Im just talking about a particular debate tactic. Hmmm..maybe I could cook up a name for it a la "Red Herring", "Ad Hominum" and all that. It's a form of 'Appeal to Authority' fallacy......http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-authority.html

[Drac]

Shows like Cops only show the physical portion of our jobs, the glamorized tasks of driving fast with your red and blue blinkies on and the siren wailing..They NEVER show the mountains of paperwork or the hours on the keyboard that follows every arrest or physical confrontation..They never show the joys of searching a car that someone has been living in and storing their dirty laundry in the trunk, or creeping around someones back yard at 4 AM because the neighbor swears that she heard something and knows that those those people are out of town...

[shesulsa]

I usually don't hear 'My dad was a surgeon, let me operate on that for you.'

Do you hear, "My grampa was a cop, let me arrest that jerk for you?"

[Andy Moynihan]

Do you hear, "My grampa was a cop, let me arrest that jerk for you?"


:D

I did once get "This is an old commando hold" while an old acquaintance was( Quite obviously either joking, or not really wanting to hurt me but wanting to show off to ( isn't it always) some girls in the store where I and friends used to hang out by grabbing me around the neck in a very bad , insecure headlock type thing and a very halfassed hammer lock on my left arm.

Thing was he was trying to make it work by stepping back to off balance me which left a foot and a half of distance between us and he totally ignored that my RIGHT arm was totally free to move.

But he found out after I shuto'd his balls with it( just a nice straight up, straight down edge of hand thing which was the natural movement of my arm anyway) which bent him over and released his grip and i just kept the natural movement of the right arm going, looped it up behind his back/opposite shoulder and just held him in the middle of a hip throw with a **** eating grin on my face( because again it was obvious this wasn't serious combat) then completed the throw niiiice and slow and said, "But you ain't no old commando". :D

[shesulsa]

:D

I did once get "This is an old commando hold" while an old acquaintance was( Quite obviously either joking, or not really wanting to hurt me but wanting to show off to ( isn't it always) some girls in the store where I and friends used to hang out by grabbing me around the neck in a very bad , insecure headlock type thing and a very halfassed hammer lock on my left arm.

Thing was he was trying to make it work by stepping back to off balance me which left a foot and a half of distance between us and he totally ignored that my RIGHT arm was totally free to move.

But he found out after I shuto'd his balls with it( just a nice straight up, straight down edge of hand thing which was the natural movement of my arm anyway) which bent him over and released his grip and i just kept the natural movement of the right arm going, looped it up behind his back/opposite shoulder and just held him in the middle of a hip throw with a **** eating grin on my face( because again it was obvious this wasn't serious combat) then completed the throw niiiice and slow and said, "But you ain't no old commando". :D

LOL! Sweet.

[Drac]

:D

I did once get "This is an old commando hold" while an old acquaintance was( Quite obviously either joking, or not really wanting to hurt me but wanting to show off to ( isn't it always) some girls in the store where I and friends used to hang out by grabbing me around the neck in a very bad , insecure headlock type thing and a very halfassed hammer lock on my left arm.

Thing was he was trying to make it work by stepping back to off balance me which left a foot and a half of distance between us and he totally ignored that my RIGHT arm was totally free to move.

But he found out after I shuto'd his balls with it( just a nice straight up, straight down edge of hand thing which was the natural movement of my arm anyway) which bent him over and released his grip and i just kept the natural movement of the right arm going, looped it up behind his back/opposite shoulder and just held him in the middle of a hip throw with a **** eating grin on my face( because again it was obvious this wasn't serious combat) then completed the throw niiiice and slow and said, "But you ain't no old commando". :D

Excellent...

[LawDog]

Drac,
Paperwork, do you mean the redundant hours and hours on the key board? The the super who says, I don't like it, do it over. Then theres the D.A. who states, why don't you rewrite this and this.
This is what the real world of LEO's is like.
:sadsong:

[jks9199]

Thats because you guys get all the good TV shows! :lol2:

No one writes productions about a telecommunications engineer *sniff* :(
We'll have to come up with one, just as a starring vehicle for you! ;)

Maybe take off from the "Can you hear me now" ads... The telecom engineer swooping in to save the day as some one can't hear the guy!

[jks9199]

Shows like Cops only show the physical portion of our jobs, the glamorized tasks of driving fast with your red and blue blinkies on and the siren wailing..They NEVER show the mountains of paperwork or the hours on the keyboard that follows every arrest or physical confrontation..They never show the joys of searching a car that someone has been living in and storing their dirty laundry in the trunk, or creeping around someones back yard at 4 AM because the neighbor swears that she heard something and knows that those those people are out of town...
How about serving a search warrant on a house where the walls are MOVING? Or where there's a narrow path between piles of hoarded crap, or just plain crap, that're strewn throughout?

(Not to mention the utterly inescapable and unmistakable smells... like "dead guy", or even better, "dead guy aged 2+ summertime weeks.")

[Drac]

How about serving a search warrant on a house where the walls are MOVING? Or where there's a narrow path between piles of hoarded crap, or just plain crap, that're strewn throughout?

(Not to mention the utterly inescapable and unmistakable smells... like "dead guy", or even better, "dead guy aged 2+ summertime weeks.")

I was never on the warrant squad but I have taken reports in houses like you mentioned...There is a $75,000 SUV in the driveway and the house is maybe worth $25,000..Oh yes the smells..Dishes stacked in the sink, garbage cans overflowing BUT there is a 60" plasma screen TV...Most folks have NO IDEA what our job is really like..

[Archangel M]

I usually don't hear 'My dad was a surgeon, let me operate on that for you.'

I think its more along the lines of "My dad was a surgeon and I think that you are doing that wrong..you shouldn't have cut there..you shouldn't have given him that medication..."

[Tez3]

How about serving a search warrant on a house where the walls are MOVING? Or where there's a narrow path between piles of hoarded crap, or just plain crap, that're strewn throughout?

(Not to mention the utterly inescapable and unmistakable smells... like "dead guy", or even better, "dead guy aged 2+ summertime weeks.")

Dead person who died in bed with the electric blanket on several weeks ago?

[Archangel M]

I think its more along the lines of "My dad was a surgeon and I think that you are doing that wrong..you shouldn't have cut there..you shouldn't have given him that medication..."

Which of course is different from..."You cut off the arm of a guy in for eye surgery...you should be fired." I want to be careful to NOT be implying that we are above criticism.

[sgtmac_46]

Do you hear, "My grampa was a cop, let me arrest that jerk for you?"
I hear it about once or twice a week as someone, who is usually wrong on a point or issue that we are dealing with, tells us that he or she is RIGHT, or that we are WRONG, and he or she KNOWS we're wrong because their relative is a cop and they know for a fact they wouldn't do it that way.

[Guardian]

Something I notice while debating LE issues on the internet is the inevitable "My (X) was a Cop" statement. If ones father, uncle, cousin etc. was a cop you will eventually find out and it will be used to support that persons opinion about LEO's and LE issues.

I always tell people "My wife and kids have lived with a Cop for many years...all they can tell you is what its like to live with a cop..not what its like to BE a cop."

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena?

Just saw this. Oh yes, I was a military cop, so I can relate a little here, not totally though as we differed from a civilian LEO in duties and responsibilities to a degree.

I find this in my present job as an Animal Control Officer (Retired Air Force now). The same principle, "I've dealt with animals my whole life" so that makes them qualified to explain or tell me about my job or how I should do it.

I just smile and walk away.

[shesulsa]

I hear it about once or twice a week as someone, who is usually wrong on a point or issue that we are dealing with, tells us that he or she is RIGHT, or that we are WRONG, and he or she KNOWS we're wrong because their relative is a cop and they know for a fact they wouldn't do it that way.

Interesting. Other side of the coin, as it were, eh? But I'm sure you set 'he or she' straight on the matter.

[Rich Parsons]

Something I notice while debating LE issues on the internet is the inevitable "My (X) was a Cop" statement. If ones father, uncle, cousin etc. was a cop you will eventually find out and it will be used to support that persons opinion about LEO's and LE issues.

I always tell people "My wife and kids have lived with a Cop for many years...all they can tell you is what its like to live with a cop..not what its like to BE a cop."

Are there any other professions out there where you find this phenomena?

Yes, Engineering, medical, and construction to name a few off the top of my head that have a similar issue of people knowing someone, and they think it gives them special knowledge. My problem is anyone in any field who acts like they know everything. A police officer cannot know every law there is. Let alone those from other states or counties. Lawyers, have to do research. In the medical field here are specialists because of the amount of knowledge. In the engineering field, while much of the mathematics is similar, the applications can be different enough to be an issue as well, as in Medial and or Law. Mechanical engineers who leave electricity alone or software embedded systems, while electrical and software embedded systems leave the mechanical alone and then there are the EMC experts that every leaves alone, or the chemical engineers who must people leave alone for the chemistry involved. To expect or to claim that a person knows everything is pretty much absurd, but, they can still be considered an expert in their field. One special note though, if you disagree with a police officer, that is not the time nor the place to make your case. (S)He has their opinion, and they get to make their decisions. In court with lawyers and judges are where you get to present your case. So, if an officer asks you what happened and they disagree with you then just smile say thank you, document what you can, and call your lawyer.

[LawDog]

Sgt Mac 46,
It is like those type of lines have been rehersed.
:lfao:

[Drac]

Sgt Mac 46,
It is like those type of lines have been rehersed.
:lfao:


Yup.....

[jks9199]

Sgt Mac 46,
It is like those type of lines have been rehersed.
:lfao:
The ones I like are the ones who tell me that I "can't do that!"

Funny... I usually do "do that!" And I've only had one or two do so much as file a complaint on me over it. (The IA result was unfounded... and, yes, I COULD INDEED "do that!")

[Drac]

The ones I like are the ones who tell me that I "can't do that!"

Do you include the ones that say " You can arrest me or tow my car" in that...

[jks9199]

Do you include the ones that say " You can arrest me or tow my car" in that...
Isn't that a two-fer... :D I'll arrest them AND tow the car! :EG:

[Bob Hubbard]

If you can become something by osmosis, or just by surrounding yourself with it, someone tell me why Hef hasn't turned into a woman yet?

[jks9199]

If you can become something by osmosis, or just by surrounding yourself with it, someone tell me why Hef hasn't turned into a woman yet?
:rofl::highfive::lfao:

[shesulsa]

Um ... well ... he *does* have to take a pill to have sex ....

[arnisador]

I think you do gain some general sensibility by living with someone in the profession, but while I know things about civil engineering that I didn't know before marrying one, I'm not designing bridges for anybody. Still, when I happen to meet another civil engineer, they're surprised how much I understand about the day-to-day components of their day.

[Carol]

We'll have to come up with one, just as a starring vehicle for you! ;)

Maybe take off from the "Can you hear me now" ads... The telecom engineer swooping in to save the day as some one can't hear the guy!

Well somebody has gotta make the 911 system work so well y'all don't even question its effectiveness.

"It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it...we care a lot" ;) :D

[sgtmac_46]

I think you do gain some general sensibility by living with someone in the profession, but while I know things about civil engineering that I didn't know before marrying one, I'm not designing bridges for anybody. Still, when I happen to meet another civil engineer, they're surprised how much I understand about the day-to-day components of their day. You do as far as being aware of threats that exist, and a generally change in attitude regarding them.

Before we got together my wife never thought of using a gun for self-defense.....now she'd never think of not having one in the house.

As far as doing the job, she doesn't really know anymore than any other member of the public.

[sgtmac_46]

Interesting. Other side of the coin, as it were, eh? But I'm sure you set 'he or she' straight on the matter. You can't tell those folks anything.....a man convinced against their will is of the same opinion still.

Short of God himself coming down in a bolt of lightening and telling them they're wrong, they wouldn't believe it....and not even then!

[sgtmac_46]

The ones I like are the ones who tell me that I "can't do that!"

Funny... I usually do "do that!" And I've only had one or two do so much as file a complaint on me over it. (The IA result was unfounded... and, yes, I COULD INDEED "do that!")

That usually involves an arrested suspect telling me.....


Them: 'I don't give you consent to search my car!'

Me: 'Well, that's fine....I don't need it.....search incident to a lawful arrest'

Them: 'That's BS, you're ILLEGALLY SEARCHING MY VEHICLE! My COUSIN IS A COP, I KNOW THE LAW!!!!!'

Me: Ahuh.....

[Drac]

Isn't that a two-fer... :D I'll arrest them AND tow the car! :EG:

Yep....There have been occasions where the car was towed and the operator was not arrested...They have to stand there and watch their "ride" towed away...

[punisher73]

I was never on the warrant squad but I have taken reports in houses like you mentioned...There is a $75,000 SUV in the driveway and the house is maybe worth $25,000..Oh yes the smells..Dishes stacked in the sink, garbage cans overflowing BUT there is a 60" plasma screen TV...Most folks have NO IDEA what our job is really like..

Arnisador wrote:
I think you do gain some general sensibility by living with someone in the profession, but while I know things about civil engineering that I didn't know before marrying one, I'm not designing bridges for anybody. Still, when I happen to meet another civil engineer, they're surprised how much I understand about the day-to-day components of their day.

I agree with this that you can understand some things of the job, but only on a superficial level. My wife is a nurse (I break 'em and she fixes 'em), and I will NEVER know what it is like to take care of someone and develop a relationship with them and their family and then have them "code" and not be able to save them. As a civilian, you will NEVER know what it really feels like when you are driving as fast as you can with lights and sirens to a large gang fight when an officer is requesting help and just thinking that you aren't getting there fast enough to help him.

I might understand "how" a bridge is built by watching a show that goes through the process, but I would never talk to an engineer and tell him how to do it better or what is wrong with the bridge.

I have had more than a couple tell me HOW to do my job and why don't we "just walk into that house and arrest them" because they think it is a drug house. Also, gotta LOVE CSI and how as the police we aren't doing our jobs if we don't have a full time forensics lab at our disposal because somebody threw eggs at their house and we should be able to reconstruct the eggshell and pull a fingerprint off of it.

[Drac]

Do you hear, "My grampa was a cop, let me arrest that jerk for you?"

Naw, but I would dearly love to do that too some of the rubber neckers I have encountered..Let them discover that placing the cuffs on someone is NOT as easy as it looks on TV, especially if that person decides that they are not going to jail today...

[jks9199]

Arnisador wrote:

I agree with this that you can understand some things of the job, but only on a superficial level. My wife is a nurse (I break 'em and she fixes 'em), and I will NEVER know what it is like to take care of someone and develop a relationship with them and their family and then have them "code" and not be able to save them. As a civilian, you will NEVER know what it really feels like when you are driving as fast as you can with lights and sirens to a large gang fight when an officer is requesting help and just thinking that you aren't getting there fast enough to help him.

I might understand "how" a bridge is built by watching a show that goes through the process, but I would never talk to an engineer and tell him how to do it better or what is wrong with the bridge.

I have had more than a couple tell me HOW to do my job and why don't we "just walk into that house and arrest them" because they think it is a drug house. Also, gotta LOVE CSI and how as the police we aren't doing our jobs if we don't have a full time forensics lab at our disposal because somebody threw eggs at their house and we should be able to reconstruct the eggshell and pull a fingerprint off of it.
Another analogy... I'm actually two or three courses shy of a BS degree in psychology, just as a quirk of how I my education went. I can speak intelligently and use the appropriate terms when discussing a mental case with the psychologists and psychiatrists of our mobile crisis unit. But I'm NOT a psychologist or psychiatrist; nowhere close.

And the "CSI effect" is a major frustration... Just for everyone's edification, let me share how I often explain fingerprints to people. Next time you clean the windows, try to leave a nice, clear fingerprint, where you can make out the ridge lines. It's tricky to do... even when you're trying. If you're not trying, you don't tend to touch surfaces in a way that's likely to pull good prints off of it. And that's before we get into whether or not the prints are in the system at all. (I've got some beautiful latents that a patrol officer did a great job lifting sitting in evidence. The fingerprint guys have looked at them, run them through their records... and if we ever find the guy, we'll be able to prove he left them.)

[arnisador]

We called the police within the past year for a minor burglary (rifling through the car and stealing some loose change) and just about the first thing the police officer said when he arrived, defensively, was "This isn't CSI; we're not going to fingerprint the car. We don't have a magic database of all criminals." We hadn't even asked and hadn't really expected they would, but I geuss they get that a lot as mentioned above!

I understand prosecuting attorneys feel the same way--juries want DNA evidence for every crime now ("the CSI effect").

[Archangel M]

And the "CSI effect" is a major frustration...

Along that line.
While surfing through Brian VanCise's blog (http://brianvancise.wordpress.com/) I found a link that lead me to this. 10 things about the entertainment industry that piss me off (http://tgace.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/10-things-about-the-entertainment-industry-that-piss-me-off/). It's pretty funny.

[Makalakumu]

I understand prosecuting attorneys feel the same way--juries want DNA evidence for every crime now ("the CSI effect").

Lol. That's right! Because the first thing a criminal does when they commit a crime is spray seman everywhere!:lfao:

[punisher73]

Lol. That's right! Because the first thing a criminal does when they commit a crime is spray seman everywhere!:lfao:

There are others ways to leave DNA other than deploying your personal navy....

[Drac]

I responded to a possible B and E last Summer and the homeowner was quite put out that I didnt dust the doorknob for prints..I love shows like CSI, but some of the citizens take it as Gospel on how things are done....

[sgtmac_46]

Naw, but I would dearly love to do that too some of the rubber neckers I have encountered..Let them discover that placing the cuffs on someone is NOT as easy as it looks on TV, especially if that person decides that they are not going to jail today... I heard that!

[sgtmac_46]

We called the police within the past year for a minor burglary (rifling through the car and stealing some loose change) and just about the first thing the police officer said when he arrived, defensively, was "This isn't CSI; we're not going to fingerprint the car. We don't have a magic database of all criminals." We hadn't even asked and hadn't really expected they would, but I geuss they get that a lot as mentioned above!

I understand prosecuting attorneys feel the same way--juries want DNA evidence for every crime now ("the CSI effect"). Oh yeah, if I had a dime for every person who wanted us to haul out the 'Quantum atomic spectromographic DNA/Fingerprint analysis device' when they left their vehicle unlocked, i'd retire to FIJI!

I don't even bother to explain they don't exist.....I just tell them it's broken and is in the shop. ;)

[arnisador]

In my defense, one of the kids went out to my car in the evening to retrieve something and left it unlocked...I'm from NY and would never do that myself!

[Drac]

Oh yeah, if I had a dime for every person who wanted us to haul out the 'Quantum atomic spectromographic DNA/Fingerprint analysis device' when they left their vehicle unlocked, i'd retire to FIJI!

Come over for coffee neighbor....

[sgtmac_46]

In my defense, one of the kids went out to my car in the evening to retrieve something and left it unlocked...I'm from NY and would never do that myself! It happens to all of us.....

I've mentioned to folks they should lock their cars, but I always get 'Well, I don't want them to bust the window'.....for the record, i'm amazed that most vehicle thefts ONLY occur to unlocked cars.

Of the reports i've taken over the years, maybe 1% or less have involved someone busting a window......most petty thieves will check a car door, if it's locked, they'll move on to another one.......I guess busting a window is more noise than it's worth.

[Carol]

I think that depends on where you live. Car breaks were the most common crime in my old town in Mass, and many of those did involve busting a window....or so it seems. When a pile of broken safety glass is all thats left in a parking space that is deeded or assigned to your neighbor...its a pretty good guess at what happened. :lol:

But, I also think that care needs to be taken to not give the bg's reason to bust window. My mom in North Carolina is usually very safety-conscious. We went out over the hoidayay to get a flat screen TV for her house. We decided to buy one at Target because she was able to get a 10% discount by applying for store credit card. So, I got the TV loaded in the car, then she turns to me and says "Well, since I get 10 percent off for the rest of today, I should go get some groceries." I shrugged and I said OK I'm waiting in the car. She got this look of surprise and asked me why I wasn't going to help her with the groceries (as I usually do when I visit).

"Um, Mom, you just spent $500 for a TV? And you want to leave it in the car in the parking lot of a Target while you get more groceries?" :banghead:

[sgtmac_46]

I think that depends on where you live. Car breaks were the most common crime in my old town in Mass, and many of those did involve busting a window....or so it seems. When a pile of broken safety glass is all thats left in a parking space that is deeded or assigned to your neighbor...its a pretty good guess at what happened. :lol:

But, I also think that care needs to be taken to not give the bg's reason to bust window. My mom in North Carolina is usually very safety-conscious. We went out over the hoidayay to get a flat screen TV for her house. We decided to buy one at Target because she was able to get a 10% discount by applying for store credit card. So, I got the TV loaded in the car, then she turns to me and says "Well, since I get 10 percent off for the rest of today, I should go get some groceries." I shrugged and I said OK I'm waiting in the car. She got this look of surprise and asked me why I wasn't going to help her with the groceries (as I usually do when I visit).

"Um, Mom, you just spent $500 for a TV? And you want to leave it in the car in the parking lot of a Target while you get more groceries?" :banghead:

Well, there is that......you leave an enticing enough reward, and thieves will go to much greater lengths to get it!

Most won't bust a window for a cheap car stereo (especially with the face removed) and some change, though.

[Carol]

Well, there is that......you leave an enticing enough reward, and thieves will go to much greater lengths to get it!

Most won't bust a window for a cheap car stereo (especially with the face removed) and some change, though.

A cheap radio, no. But, ubiquitous little electronics, yes. A GPS (even the cheap ones) or an iPod (even the cheap knockoffs), were enough for some theives...especially in the nicer complexes where cars in car ports were not line-of-sight from the housing units.

[Drac]

A cheap radio, no. But, ubiquitous little electronics, yes. A GPS (even the cheap ones) or an iPod (even the cheap knockoffs), were enough for some theives...especially in the nicer complexes where cars in car ports were not line-of-sight from the housing units.

They busted into a car down here in the Flats because the owner kept change in his catch-all on his counsel...

[sgtmac_46]

A cheap radio, no. But, ubiquitous little electronics, yes. A GPS (even the cheap ones) or an iPod (even the cheap knockoffs), were enough for some theives...especially in the nicer complexes where cars in car ports were not line-of-sight from the housing units. I don't keep that kind of stuff in my car overnight......no using tempting the little goblins anymore than we have to.

[arnisador]

I'm careful to hide electronic stuff, but always have a pile of quarters for buying newspapers.

[Drac]

They busted into a car down here in the Flats because the owner kept change in his catch-all on his counsel...


I'm careful to hide electronic stuff, but always have a pile of quarters for buying newspapers.

Thats what tempted the little jerks here..They saw a bunch of change....My partner and I caught the guy hoofing it acorss the bridge and handed him over to the locals...They guy was still denying it even when they made him empty his pockets at the station and they was broken safety glass among the change...

[LawDog]

Drac,
How much key board time did that little caper cost you guys?
:disgust:

[Drac]

Drac,
How much key board time did that little caper cost you guys?
:disgust:

This time I got lucky...It was a simple assist other agencies report...The CPD guys had the majority of the paperwork...