View from the cop: Crime & punishment
View from the Cop is moving to a new site on Wordpress. Blogger Steve Rose of the Sandy Springs Police Department gives his take on crime, offers safety tips and give his weekly picks from the police blotter. Follow Steve Rose to the new blog site.
AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > October > 05
Friday, October 5, 2007
Good cop vs. non-cop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every once in a while you see a news story of someone impersonating a police officer. A young woman was robbed by a man who followed her and then pulled her over while she was on her way home. He asked for her license, walked back to his car, and then returned and took the contents from her wallet. She said he had a large knife in his belt.
This method is well documented all over the country. Years ago, Cherokee County authorities arrested a man who used a blue light to pull over and then sexually assault women. He placed a blue light in the dash of the car.
The term “Blue Light Rapist” has been used in cases throughout the country to describe this particular method of trickery used by sex offenders or robbers. Fortunately, In the case of the woman stopped in Barrow County this past week, all the man wanted was her money and credit cards.
What do you do when you’re being pulled over?
Police vehicles are required to have blue lights and at least six-inch letters that say “POLICE” on the car. Some traffic cars are black or dark and have red or dark gray lettering but they must have the departmental ID on the car.
Some departments still use a number of ‘slick-tops’ but most have mounted strobes on the top and all over the car. They light up like a Christmas tree. Police uniforms vary but will display the patch of the department as well as the badge of the department, whether cloth sewn on or a metal badge. The badge and patch show the name of the department. The uniform will display the name of the officer, usually the last name or initials and last name.
Unfortunately, real badges are out there. Badges can be purchased at Goober conventions and are probably traded around more than we know. Patch collecting is done by both civilians and police officers. The fact is that someone could stop you and be wearing a real badge.
Being pulled over by the cops is not on the Top 10 list of things that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. It’s a rather stressful situation, even more so if you’re just leaving the “Most Beers Drunk in an Hour” contest with a blue ribbon.
But there are things you can do that are considered acceptable when pulled over.
For instance, you are on a remote area at night and the blue lights come on behind you, if you want to drive a short distance to an area that is lighted, it should be okay if you’re not intending to drive fifty miles or do so at 80 mph. We call that a chase. Don’t do that. Turn on your flashers while you change locations.
Cops call out on the radio when making a traffic stop. You can dial 911 and verify this with the call-taker and/or dispatcher if you feel that something isn’t right.
Officers carry a gun belt with all the goodies that go with it. Radio, baton, weapon, cuffs and if you’re me, two sets of reading glasses and a portable GPS so I can find my way back to the main road. If you’re pulled over and the “officer” walks up wearing noticeably little on the belt, that should trigger you to be aware. The girl who was stopped this week said she saw a large knife. Cops don’t wear large knives out in the open. That would get in the way of the gun. They wear knives but most are concealed. We call wearing a large knife where the gun should be a poor substitution during a gunfight.
Police use blue lights. Some departments, usually sheriff’s departments, will use blue and red lights. They don’t use red lights exclusively here in Georgia. Being stopped by a red light usually means a fire truck, ambulance, or other response fire vehicle is behind you.
I guess the point here is that fire truck sirens are loud and even at night you’ll know exactly who they are. By the way, what is the purpose of that light, sticking out in front of the fire truck that rotates round and round? With all of the other 75 lights and sirens going on, it seems that rotating light is rather insignificant. I think they bought those at Spencers? Can I get one for my pickup truck?
So, I suggest this: know your options. Police officers wear the appropriate uniforms and they will identify themselves to those whom they pull over. You can use 911 to call and verify the car is a legitimate police or sheriff’s car pulling you over if you are afraid that you’re being set up. Officers will be patient if you want to acknowledge, put on the flashers, and pull over in a more public area.
Keep in mind that common sense comes into play here. That alone will eliminate some of you. Don’t use this as an excuse to not pull over until the beer you just spilled on your lap dries or drive around long enough to air the car out after you just finished off a big ol’ fatty of cheap domestic stink-weed.
Chances are this will never happen to you but verifying facts is OK.
