Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
Sounds like it. Impersonating a police officer is illegal in most (all?) states. Installation and use of certain revolving, blinking or flashing lists on a car is also illegal in most (all?) states.
Yes.
Criminals are generally lazy. So, to reduce the chances of a criminal breaking into your home, make things more difficult for them. Consider things like
- good locks, door and windows
- a security system
- a camera system
- good night time lighting
- trimming back overgrown landscaping that can help conceal them
- own a large dog (or two)
Of course, all of these things are merely persuasive in nature. A determined criminal won't care about any of them and will still attempt to break in and harm you. In that case, having a plan and means to protect yourself and your family is needed. That might include a firearm - but that is a personal decision.
If you own or are thinking about owning a gun for self-defense, get training. A local concealed weapon class is not training. Good training will generally run two days or longer and will give you the basic skills needed to use a firearm under extremely stressful conditions.
There are a variety of trainers out there that can help such as Paul Carlson http://www.safetysolutionsacademy.com/ , Grant Cunningham http://www.personalsecurity.us/ , and Massad Ayoob http://massadayoobgroup.com/ .
Children drinking alcohol is a really bad idea. I'd suggest avoiding being where kids are drinking, and talking with your parents if you have any questions about what actions you should or should not take.
Investment Banker
Did you experience the notorious 100-hour work weeks?
EMT
Does your crew ever fake an emergency to slice through traffic?
Debate Coach
Are presidential debates actually "debates", by the traditional definition?
There is no law against it that I am aware of. You should check with your department regs if you are worried about your job.
Yes, any time an officer arrives at the scene of a call, makes a traffic stop, rolls up on an undispatched incident, or does pretty much anything, he/she calls it in on the radio. It is a safety issue. Most patrol cars have GPS and are constantly tracked by dispatch also.
I don't know. You should ask the officers on scene.
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