I'm not taking any summer vacation this year in my job. Have a huge project my boss wants completed by the end of the calendar year (that's not going to happen, but I have to make an effort to try). So that sucks.
Having said that, until Starcraft 2 gets released, I'd like to replay Mass Effect 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. We'll see though, as I am going to pick up Transformers so there might not be a lot of time between Transformer's release and the release of SC2.
" Two is the rule for academic papers and literary writing, so I use that. "
This for me. It's the way I was taught and I was docked marks on a term paper in university for doing otherwise. That pretty much branded me a 2-spacer for life.
Hey guys. User BlackJedi sent me a pm disagreeing with my reply to him. He was extremely respectful and warrants a public correction on my part, as I feel I misinterpreted him.
" @BlackJedi said:
" If he is grilling you guys for about 20 mins that is harassment, I would of wrote his car number down..and plate. Asked for his card and personally went down to the station and report him. A cop has no right to do that. "
Actually, we have every right to do this. If there was a sexual assault a few nights ago, and now I see someone driving around at 2:30 in the morning, I'm going to stop and talk for a while. A long while. Until I'm certain I'm not dealing with the person I'm looking for. This is just one example for someone I might stop and talk for.
Now, if I'm stopping you every day and tailing you and never stating my reasons, that IS harassment and should absolutely be reported.
You can make a public complaint about a cop anytime you feel you were mistreated and I strongly encourage everyone to do so. It likely won't go anywhere for just stopping someone for twenty minutes though.
I want to clarify this. I was speaking of a situation where I am getting out of the cruiser and speaking with a driver of a vehicle about what he's up to and making sure it isn't a suspect I've been looking for. It is a chit-chat and really nothing more. Unless I have grounds to detain or arrest someone, that person is under no obligation to answer any of my questions or continue talking to me. I have stopped and talked with guys driving late at night in crime hot-spots that were not the suspects I was looking for. It usually boils down to me asking what's up, and having a casual conversation...ending with me telling them of the trouble in the area and to be careful about potential threats out there. I make it my business to be courteous and professional in every traffic stop I do. Especially when I'm just making sure someone isn't the bad guy.
Now if a cop pulls someone over and has them step out of their car with no reason given and makes them sit in the backseat if the police cruiser, that is essentially an arrest. That cop better read the arrest rights then and there and offer the person being held an opportunity to call a lawyer...right there. If the cop is holding and questioning someone for twenty minutes without cause, that is unlawful arrest, and that is illegal. If this happens to you, report it immediately to his supervisor and the equivalent of a public complaint commission. Hell, you may even make a ton of cash after suing the son of a bitch. Cops on ego trips driver me nuts.
Now bear in mind, this is Canadian law I'm talking about and things could be different if you live elsewhere.
I just wanted to point out that BlackJedi had the right of it, and I had misunderstood him.
" If he is grilling you guys for about 20 mins that is harassment, I would of wrote his car number down..and plate. Asked for his card and personally went down to the station and report him. A cop has no right to do that. "
Actually, we have every right to do this. If there was a sexual assault a few nights ago, and now I see someone driving around at 2:30 in the morning, I'm going to stop and talk for a while. A long while. Until I'm certain I'm not dealing with the person I'm looking for. This is just one example for someone I might stop and talk for.
Now, if I'm stopping you every day and tailing you and never stating my reasons, that IS harassment and should absolutely be reported.
You can make a public complaint about a cop anytime you feel you were mistreated and I strongly encourage everyone to do so. It likely won't go anywhere for just stopping someone for twenty minutes though.
@bhhawks78 said:
" @BlackJedi said:
" If he is grilling you guys for about 20 mins that is harassment, I would of wrote his car number down..and plate. Asked for his card and personally went down to the station and report him. A cop has no right to do that. "
When a cop guns down a fucking innocent person doing nothing the punishment is fucking desk duty or paid leave, you think a random complaint is ever going to matter? "
Gunning down an innocent is murder and the cop will be charged for it. There might be a long trial, during which the cop is presumed innocent until proven guilty like everyone else in North America. Because of the assumption he/she will be suspended with (or without) pay until the matter is dealt with. If proven guilty, then the cop loses his job and goes to jail as he/she should. Murder is awful.
Hey! I'm a cop! Been one for ten years. I joined the RCMP when I was 21, I'm 31 now.
Okay. First thing....you know the co-worker / classmate you have that drives you fucking crazy with their stupid-ass bullshit? They just seem to like being douchebags. Yeah...I'm sure you all know someone like that. Well, they are in policing too. Trust me, we hate these tools as much as you guys do, because they give the rest of us good guys a bad name and they make the calls we go out to far more irritating, because we are always having to smooth over the shit they stir.
There are assholes in absolutely every profession. Unfortunately, policing puts us front and center in the public eye and the ones people are going to remember are the assholes.
People are afraid of the police. There are a lot of laws out there, and it isn't too hard to end up breaking at least one. Speeding, drinking in the wrong place, seat belts, a fist fight, shit....in Canada if you swear in public, you can get a Summons for Causing a Disturbance (note: Police CAN NOT be disturbed under this law, the complaint and statement have to come from someone else)! So, people get frightened when a cop shows up as they worry that this cop is going to start looking for transgressions to charge you for. It's a natural thing to think and worry. Hell, when I'm off duty and traveling down the highway with my lead foot and see a cop car, I slow the fuck down and pray that they never noticed me just like everyone else does.
But here is the thing: We are busy fucking people. If we are stopping you on the road and seem to be harrassing just about everyone we see in a certain area it is because there was either:
A fatal vehicle accident nearby in the last few days.
We've been getting complaints from the public about people driving too fast or stunting
There have been some break and enters in the area and we are looking for leads and suspects
It's a weekend and we want to get as many drunks off the road so they and EVERYONE ELSE gets home to their families safely.
A butt-ton of other reasons.
Most of the time, we are out there to make everything safe for everyone else. There are times when our boss is riding us to "get more tickets, get more impaireds, hang around the schools and slow everyone down" and we have to go out and just bother people. Myself, I like to be kind and nice to everyone when I can. Although when the shit hits the fan at a domestic, I have to turn into "mean-fucker" when I arrest the wife-beater.
Alright, my rant is done. It's not all that easy being a cop...we see and deal with some messed up stuff, but it's so worth it in the end.
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