Nascar driver's helicopter ride results in a suspension...

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A nascar driver's helicpoter ride results in a suspension for two Georgia troopers--

Ga. Cops Suspended for NASCAR Chopper Ride



ATLANTA (AP) - Two Georgia State Patrol troopers were suspended without pay for letting NASCAR driver Bill Elliott hop a ride in their helicopter when they were supposed to be reporting about marijuana fields.

The troopers spent two hours shuttling Elliott from his home in Dawsonville, where he had dropped off an airplane, back to Blairsville, where Elliott's car was parked.

Cpl. Kevin Coalson, the pilot, was suspended for three days last week, and Lt. Eddie Williams began a six-day suspension Monday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

During the June 29 flight over northern Georgia, Elliott, a licensed helicopter pilot, took the controls of the surplus military aircraft intended only for law enforcement.


Meanwhile, anti-drug officers on the ground waited for details about the location of the marijuana fields.


The newspaper said the troopers could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But according to investigative files, they said they didn't know there was anything wrong with giving Elliott a ride.


Source:link
 
Finaly soneone has disaplined police officers. Its time for cops learn what that badge means. The badge means you uphold the law and enforce the laws. Not to abuse your power as a police officer. The badge does not give you permission to drive 25 MPH above the speed limit unless you have a call and you must put your flashing lights on. That badge does not give you permission to park in a fire lane while youre getting a couple of things at the grocery store. That badge does not give you permission run though red lights and stop signs. Because when an ordinary person breaks traffic laws we get a ticket pay a fine and our insurance goes up. And heres what ordinary people can do if you ever get a traffic ticket from a cop. GET EVEN take your video cameria if you ever want to follow a cop around and if you see him speeding video tape him and go as fast hes going and point the cameria down your speedometer. and point at him again find a speed limit sign then you slow down go home make 3 copies of the tapes. Next day go down to the police station ask for a sargent and ask him to view the tape. Tell him you want him suspended without pay for 1 week that equals the fine if you volate the law. Tell the sargent if you find that officer driving around again i will send the tape to your local news media TV station and they will air that tape on the 6 oclock news. Cops do not like the press that makes em to look bad.Plus your mayor and the chief will have to answer to the press why your officers get to break the laws and the private sector cant? So its about time these police officers know what that badge their wearing is for.
 
ravensteve1961 said:
Finaly soneone has disaplined police officers. Its time for cops learn what that badge means. The badge means you uphold the law and enforce the laws. Not to abuse your power as a police officer. The badge does not give you permission to drive 25 MPH above the speed limit unless you have a call and you must put your flashing lights on. That badge does not give you permission to park in a fire lane while youre getting a couple of things at the grocery store. That badge does not give you permission run though red lights and stop signs. Because when an ordinary person breaks traffic laws we get a ticket pay a fine and our insurance goes up. And heres what ordinary people can do if you ever get a traffic ticket from a cop. GET EVEN take your video cameria if you ever want to follow a cop around and if you see him speeding video tape him and go as fast hes going and point the cameria down your speedometer. and point at him again find a speed limit sign then you slow down go home make 3 copies of the tapes. Next day go down to the police station ask for a sargent and ask him to view the tape. Tell him you want him suspended without pay for 1 week that equals the fine if you volate the law. Tell the sargent if you find that officer driving around again i will send the tape to your local news media TV station and they will air that tape on the 6 oclock news. Cops do not like the press that makes em to look bad.Plus your mayor and the chief will have to answer to the press why your officers get to break the laws and the private sector cant? So its about time these police officers know what that badge their wearing is for.
Click to expand...


And smile when they issue you a ticket for speeding since you've documented it. :wave:
 
Actually, not all agencies drive the way you say they do. They are pretty tough on us when it comes to violating traffic laws. A lot of it is to break the very same image that you are pointing out. Some departments will dock the officers pay (aside from any fines). We can also lose vacation time, comp time (similar to vacation time) and a variety of other things. While you may get a ticket and go on your way, I may lose part of my paycheck, lose 2 days vacation and 2 days comp time. I'd also be responsible for the fines. In our state, you get points added to your license for moving violations. This also causes a problem with your employment. Heck, when I was hired, they questioned a ticket I had received a number of years ago that was for doing 8mph over the speed limit.

You will sometimes hear of somethign called 'professional courtesy'. Thats when a cop pulls over another cop and doesn't write him a ticket because its another cop. I've seen where the stopping officers seargant calles the offending officers seargant. I'd rather have the ticket than get called into a seargants office ;)

Our jursidiction is all city. While we have major roads, we do not have interstates that pass through our jurisdiction. I often see our equivalent to the highway patrol traveling fast at times. I've asked them about driving so fast. I received a variety of explanations. The most common was that if an officer is doing the speedlimit, he'll ovserve the same 10 cars over a long stretch. By moving faster than the pack, he is coming up behind speeders or aggressive drivers that don't know a cop is behind them. While the officer is speeding, he isn't being dangerous.

Additionally, if you have ever seen an officer on the interstate doing the speed limit, nobody will pass him and causes things to get a little crowded. I have seen that repeatedly. In our area, everyone goes above the speedlimit on the highway. I've done the speedlimit and have almost been killed because some idiot is doing 80+ coming up fast from behind. On average, I tend to do 5 to 10 over the speedlimit (on the interstate) and people still fly past me. I have no problems with troopers doing what they need to get behind those folks to get them stopped...even if it means they have to drive faster than the speedlimit.

Another situation that was mentioned was officers responding to a call that isn't a life/death situation but is urgent to get there in a reasonable time. One example that comes to mind is a shoplifting that has just occured. You want to get there quickly, but you don't need to be flying through intersections with lights/sirens because someone stole a bag of potato chips. If the shoplifter is fighting with a clerk, its obviously a different story. When responding lights/sirens you put everyone in danger...not just officers but the general public. You want to get there, but lights/sirens are always not the best option. Granted, the officer should not be driving dangerously without lights and sirens. He may be doing a little over the speed limit but shouldn't be passing cars in a single lane, etc. He should not be driving like he has his lights on. Not sure if I'm clear on my explanation but you probably know what I mean by going quickly but not full speed as if you had lights/sirens on.
 
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