Are Calgary police above traffic laws?

[username]

If it helps them perform their duties then I don't care. These are people that get crap for compensation and have to risk their lives every time they report for duty.

I nothing but respect for cops and I could care less if they don't pay for speeding tickets. The media should leave this alone.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Couple of days ago I was tempted to start a topic like this when I saw a cop walk into safeway with a pistol holstered just so he could get himsalf a starbucks from inside the store.

Of course they don't care about gun laws. They enforce them. Does anyone actually think the vast majority of police obey guns laws.

lol. awesome post.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

lol. awesome post.

I thought the same thing about yours.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I thought the same thing about yours.

Super duper. I dont know why you get all wound up about something as benign as cops break traffic laws. Is it really that controversial a statement?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Super duper. I dont know why you get all wound up about something as benign as cops break traffic laws. Is it really that controversial a statement?

I am not "wound up", and I am not sure where you got that impression.

My first post was directed at Ben, commenting on how EMS vehicles are exempt from the distracted driving law(s).

My second was in response to yours which certainly seems like someone that is "wound up".

Happy Wednesday to you.

[PsYcNeT]

Isn't dissentowner a cop? He could probably provide some insight rather than speculation and conjecture.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Couple of days ago I was tempted to start a topic like this when I saw a cop walk into safeway with a pistol holstered just so he could get himsalf a starbucks from inside the store.

Of course they don't care about gun laws. They enforce them. Does anyone actually think the vast majority of police obey guns laws.

Great post.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I'm all for cops who speed. It royally sucks to be stuck behind a cop doing exactly the speed limit forcing everyone else to do the same

[PsYcNeT]

I think the most telling thing is that most people's objection to this is either a) "I can't do that!!!" or b) "They are supposed to lead by example!!!"

I could not care less, until a cop causes an accident due to traffic negligence.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Couple days ago I was tempted to start a topic like this when I saw a K9 unit SUV park in the fire lane at safeway so a cop could get himself starbacks from inside the store.

Of course they dont care about traffic laws. They enforce them. Does anyone actually think the vast majority of police obey traffic laws?

I'm sure the cop would be the first to know if there was a fire in that location and trucks were on their way...

In response to the topic - I really don't give a #### whether or not cops are speeding or put their sirens on through red lights at 2 am. Media types love busting cops for stuff because it becomes news and ups their value; not a fan of d'em media types.

[CaptainCrunch]

I am the LAW!

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Stealth22

You guys should go on a ridealong with the CPS before making stupid assumptions like this.

90% of the time you see a police cruiser, he or she will be on their way to a call. The vast majority of calls do NOT warrant a response of driving at 160 km/h with the lights and sirens going.

The 'sirens through intersections' thing is common practice, and is done for a variety of reasons:

- Responding to a call that is not a life or death situation, but time is of the essence. For example, a burglary call, whereby they have to get there quickly, but don't want to announce their approach to the suspect

- Attempting to catch up with someone who has broken a traffic law, or the officer would like to check out, such as a vehicle matching the description of a wanted suspect. Again, they want to catch up without making their presence known

- The officer was trying to respond quickly to a call (see first point), but another unit arrived on scene and radioed that no further assistance was needed, or the call was bogus/cancelled

Read further here: https://www.facebook.com/CalgaryPoli...62160210502081

And even if they do go to Tim Hortons once in a while...WHO CARES?! You take coffee breaks at work, don't you? These guys (and girls) work 12 hour shifts, sometimes with no breaks, or a chance to eat lunch, and have to deal with the worst kind of people all day long. Not to mention, you know, the whole putting their lives on the line for you thing. Every day.

Next time you're at Tim Hortons and see a police officer, you can go ahead and ridicule them. I'll personally be paying for that officer's coffee.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...6&postcount=48

I let it go the first time, figuring maybe he was going somewhere else, but when I saw it happen 2 more times in a month, I can only assume its lazyness. Maybe the Tim's comment was out of line, I just don't understand how a cop can watch a crime happen directly in front of him and go, "meh".

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by username

If it helps them perform their duties then I don't care. These are people that get crap for compensation and have to risk their lives every time they report for duty.

I nothing but respect for cops and I could care less if they don't pay for speeding tickets. The media should leave this alone.

The media should make it a priority to stay on top of police activities and transgressions.

We give police the monopoly on violence in our society. No one else can legally use violence except for them. And yet people want to turn a blind eye to monitoring them? Insane... I'd be very uncomfortable living in a place where police aren't under examination for laws they break.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

The media should make it a priority to stay on top of police activities and transgressions.

We give police the monopoly on violence in our society. No one else can legally use violence except for them. And yet people want to turn a blind eye to monitoring them? Insane... I'd be very uncomfortable living in a place where police aren't under examination for laws they break.

I'm pretty sure no one here is calling for a disbanding of Internal Affairs.

That said, I would guess a cop running a red safely or parking in a fire lane is pretty low on their investigation list.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

I'm pretty sure no one here is calling for a disbanding of Internal Affairs.

That said, I would guess a cop running a red safely or parking in a fire lane is pretty low on their investigation list.

It's important for public trust in the police that the standards be the same for them as for everyone else. Bad things happen in a society when the police aren't perceived to be trustworthy.

[Derek Sutton]

I deffend the police on a lot of issues but the one that I will not defend them on is their driving. I live in Lethbridge and our city police do all the same things, go through red lights, use their computers, speed etc... I pull over and phone the police station when I witness them disregarding the traffic laws.

One morning within 10 minutes I was passed by three different cops, two in town and one on the hiway who were doing well over the speed limit no lights or siren going and two of them were on their computers as well. They should be the first ones to obey and respect the laws, one pick and choose what they are going to follow and when.

[blueski]

Photo radar makes me want to fast-forward to the future when we are all in self-driving cars with no need for traffic police.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I'd be rich, well at least able to buy a pair of shoes, if I had a dollar for every time I've watched a cop drive up to a red light, flip on the flashers, zoom off for a couple of blocks, then turn them off and slow down again.

#######s!!!

I posted this on CP a few years ago, but I once saw a police officer make a sudden and dramatic u turn on glenmore, after throwing on sirens, which resulted in about a 4 car pile up with the cars behind. The first police officer on the scene was the one that made the u turn and she had no idea she had inadvertently caused the accident.

edit- not saying the police officer was at fault as it certainly could be argued that the first vehicle behind the cruiser should have been paying close enough attention, and following at the appropriate distance given the conditions, to make the stop. The reason why everyone at the scene was a little ticked with the officer was because she was the one first at the scene, despite making the u turn with sirens on.... which, for what it is worth, was right in front of a no u turn sign.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

lol. awesome post.

Fun Fact:

Police Officers are not required to have a PAL (Possession and Acquisition License) for their service weapon. It is only if they wish to purchase additional arms must they have the license.

It's actually been a source of controversy when they are enforcing gun laws without fully understanding them.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

It's important for public trust in the police that the standards be the same for them as for everyone else. Bad things happen in a society when the police aren't perceived to be trustworthy.

Yeah revolutions often begin when cops abuse their authority by angle parking in a cul-de-sac.