Are Calgary police above traffic laws?

[fulham]

I have multiple family members who were police officers

Cops(especially Traffic cops) aren't super heros

Like teachers, construction workers, pizza delivery men, and plumbers,
some are idiots who abuse what power they have, some are great people who go above and beyond, and the majority are somewhere in between.

Cops running traffic lights sets a bad example, but its not something that would be on "Top 10 things wrong with modern policing list"

[HerbalMagic]

MOD EDIT: Nope. Not on here.

Ok seeing as we can't post hip hop songs apparently.... I'll just say that NWA, and Eazy E sums up my feelings towards cops speeding and not having any consequences...

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by gildo

I think the point you're missing is do CPS or any officer have exceptions to the norm and the answer is yes. I can almost guarantee that at the hospital I work at that if nurses, doctors' social workers, health care workers etc. starting killing patients cause they felt "threatened" they would be jailed or out of work on the least. Trust me working on the psych unit we are trained to try to de escalate situations and if we can't and the person poses no threat to someone we leave the room....the CPS could have easily left that hotel room that day, the guy posed a harm to only himself heck they entered the room for crying out loud the guy was only a threat to himself before the CPS entered why not try to calm the situation from outside, the taser failed and he was shot bottom line

I wonder how, as someone who clearly has a difficult job, if a police officer tried to give you advice on how to better perform your duties, how you would feel.
Because the situations are the same right?

[pylon]

If I am OK with anyone exceeding the speed limit, it is Police Officers.

At least they have adequate driver training to do it with relative safety. I speed quite a bit, and I have no problem admitting it. I just seem to have a thing for powerful cars and bikes, and a bit of a lead foot. If I am going to speed on occasion, and slow down right before I pass a photo radar vehicle, I can't besmirch police officers for doing it and not caring if there is a speed trap or not.

The only difference is I'm not getting caught, and they are.

[pylon]

LOL, forgot the second point....

As for the mental make-up of police officers. It does tend to be a but of bully magnet for career choice. Two of the absolute jerkiest, worst, pick on the weak, and ridicule fat girls to tears in my high school joined CPS. These were guys that would just punch you in the head to hear the cool sound. I'll never forget listening to one of them gloating in a pub a couple years after he joined the force, how he beat the lie detector using the butt-pucker technique.

You are silly to think every police officer is doing it for altruistic reasons. Many of them are simply in it for the power trip.

[speede5]

I know the policy here is to only use lights when you need to, such as running a red, speeding in a congested area. They do it so as not to attract attention, they can get to a call without rubberneckers following.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

And really, what I was saying (using a reducto ad absurdium, which makes me a dick), is that there are a lot more frightening reasons to not trust the police beyond traffic violations.

For sure. My wife is a teacher, and after school one day the basketball team was waiting for the bus outside the school. All the black kids got loitering tickets, and none of the white kids did, which seems a bit suspect. That to me is hugely more offensive than officers running traffic lights.

I generally have had only positive experiences with CPS*, and I think the vast majority of officers do an excellent job. I do think that those who don't increase the risks faced by those who do and the public at large, which is why they should be dealt with, not so much due to the actual offense but because of the second order consequences.

*I also recognize that I'm an educated white male nicely dressed driving a relatively new car, which might make a difference.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by HerbalMagic

Ok seeing as we can't post hip hop songs apparently.... I'll just say that NWA, and Eazy E sums up my feelings towards cops speeding and not having any consequences...

Ya, I'm sure you have been just terribly oppressed by the police over the years, leading you to be a fan of those thug songs.

What, a police officer give you a scolding for speeding in a school zone or something??

[HerbalMagic]

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Better make sure it's for actual issues then or else it will just be a nonstop barrage of perceived issues.

And, just so you know, you're statement about legally using violence is completely false. Go read the CCoC and figure out why you're wrong.

Read the entire Criminal Code of Conduct? Care to point me somewhere specific?

I'm pretty sure police do have a monopoly on violence (with some pretty rare/reasonable exceptions, like Brink's guards...). It's important we make sure they obey the laws they enforce.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Read the entire Criminal Code of Conduct? Care to point me somewhere specific?

I'm pretty sure police do have a monopoly on violence (with some pretty rare/reasonable exceptions, like Brink's guards...). It's important we make sure they obey the laws they enforce.

Police do not have a monopoly on the use of force. Depending on the circumstances, it is totally legal for anyone to use force to protect their life or that of someone else. Up to and including deadly force.

As for obeying the laws they enforce, the exceptions made for police, fire are written into those laws.

[Dan02]

Meh call it a perk of the job, a few minor traffic violations aren't really something to write home about. Hell I'm no cop, yet even I've been given warnings a couple times when I could have been ticketed.

That being said the way the hotel situation went down stinks. Through their actions, they turned a non violent situation that was contained into a fatal one and that needs to be examined whether you believe that a potential needle stick justifies lethal force or not.