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PROFESSIONAL
COURTESY
"Professional courtesy begins with the officer being stopped,
not
with the officer making the stop."
Since the days of Wyatt
Earp there has been an unwritten but etched-in-stone doctrine which we
call professional courtesy.
Under this doctrine law
enforcement officers are suppose to take care of each other. It’s not
just about traffic tickets either. It is much more than that.
Throughout this article,
the words “cop” and “officer” are used frequently. They refer to
all law enforcement officers including State Troopers, Sheriffs and
Corrections officers, Federal officers, retired officers, municipals, etc.
None of us on the job
today created professional courtesy. We inherited it from those who came
before us, and we’ll hand it down to those who come after us. Law
enforcement is a culture and is no different from other cultures. We have
certain rules, certain language, certain music, certain days and periods
of remembrance and celebration, and, for the most part, we enjoy being
around each other. Professional courtesy is just part of our culture.
Several years ago during
a trip up to Hoboken with some guys from work, we stopped off at the bar
district which overlooks Manhattan. I forget the name of it. When we
couldn’t get a parking spot we asked some Hoboken cops for guidance.
They put us in an unauthorized area behind their police car so we wouldn’t
have to walk and so they could watch our car for the night. The guys and
girls at Newark Airport Port Authority PD will let you put your car in
their lot and shuffle you to and fro when manpower allows. If your wife
and kids break down in our town, we’ll get them back to you in one piece
even if it means setting up a three-county leap frog with the departments
in between.
The bottom line is that
we go the extra mile for each other and extend courtesies that we couldn’t
normally do for the public. I may have never met you, but you know if you
need a favor, just ask.
I know the same.
This is not to say that
we don’t go above and beyond for the public, because we do. It’s just
that most of us understand that as part of an often alienated group, it is
important that we stick by each other.
Taking care of other cops
doesn’t stop at a state border either. If you’re not familiar with New
York City and you flag down a radio car for directions, tell them who you
are and where you’re going. If it’s in their sector and they're not
busy, I’ll bet that 9 out of 10 times they’ll throw you in the back
seat and shuttle you to the front door.
Professional courtesy,
however, is not diplomatic immunity. In the old days there were no limits
to what cops were suppose to do for each other. Those guys though didn’t
make the salaries we do today. There aren’t many readily available jobs
with the money, benefits, and pensions we have, so risking your job to fix
a traffic ticket is no longer part of the equation.
If after returning to
your car you find a parking ticket, pay the friggin thing. Don’t risk
your job and the job of the officer who gave it to you.
In New Jersey, or at
least in some towns, in order to withdraw a ticket you have to write a
letter to the judge requesting permission for the dismissal. You also have
to explain why you want to have it dismissed. If you indicate that it was
because you wrote the wrong statute, you will be asked to produce the
ticket you issued with the correct statute. All tickets are numbered and
tracked, and if a summons is not turned in, you’ll receive a letter from
the court asking you to document it’s disposition. Behind-the-scenes
chicanery takes down peoples careers and lives and, often, when you see
some officer’s career self destruct, it is for some stupid, minor
violation. It’s just not worth it.
Also, if you’re drunk
and end up causing a three-car accident with injuries, you can’t expect
to be whisked out the back door of the scene. Doing 75 MPH in a 25 MPH
school zone is nothing less than abuse. When a spouse signs a domestic
criminal complaint, hands are tied. An arrest has to be made.
There is a very important
element of this doctrine too which is too often overlooked.
Professional courtesy
begins with the officer being stopped, not with the officer making the
stop.
Most road officers have a
story of a fellow officer they stopped who immediately caught an
attitude. There is no reason for this.
By far, the majority of
us subscribe to the "doctrine" of professional courtesy, and
most of us would agree that committing crimes or severely abusing your
privileges is out of bounds. One could probably speed on the Parkway from
Cape May County to Bergen County and not receive a summons. This doesn’t
mean we should do it.
It's important to
remember too that there are always two sides to every story.
If your relative or
courtesy card gets written, give the issuer the benefit of the doubt
before declaring war. Sometimes people don’t produce the card or
identify who they are. Other times their conduct was absolutely deserving
of the citation, and they're only telling you half of the story. Then,
there are those situations that don’t fall into either of these
categories. These are the instances where the issuer just doesn’t care.
Unfortunately, this crap happens a lot in some southern states. The
really disturbing part is that these same officers wouldn't hesitate to
call you at your job asking for a favor. That is complete hypocrisy.
Fortunately, this group is by far the minority.
Oh, one final note.
There is one last group
whom should not go without mention. While they may not fall under the
doctrine of professional courtesy, they are somewhat relevant to this
topic in general. In fifteen years as a police officer, I have never, and
absent extraordinary circumstances, would never give a minor summons to a
veteran. These older guys from WWII, Korea, Viet Nam and even the more
recent conflicts have been to places geographically and mentally that most
of us couldn’t even imagine. In a way, they’re even above professional
courtesy. Most of us have never served a day in a military uniform, but
that doesn’t mean we can’t try and understand and appreciate this very
special people.
And please,
"Professional courtesy begins with the officer being stopped, not
with the officer making the stop."
NJLawman.com
September 9, 2004
I would like to comment
on the professional courtesy topic. Recently I encountered 2 DOC
employees on RT. 287. I was enroute to a call, and subsequently got
cancelled. So, slowing down I was passed by a vehicle who could clearly
see my marked vehicle. I then "paced" that vehicle at 90mph. Mind you
the speed limit in that area of 287 was 55mph!
As I stopped the vehicle
and approached it I found 2 officers from NJDOC in uniform. I believe my
initial response was, "You've got to be kidding me". Of course I didn't
write the guy, instead engaged in a brief conversation. However, I got
the impression that I was holding them up.
I'm totally about
professional courtesy, however it is a two way street. When you pass a
marked unit, and have total disregard for it, how can you expect a
break? What do you think other motorists were thinking when they
observed that? I have never, and will never write another officer. Had I
wrote the guy, I would have been an "A-Hole", not him for not having the
sense to slow down.
The fact is, if you can't
have enough respect for a marked unit, then you don't deserve a break.
There have been times when I have stopped family members and have
received an attitude from them. Everyone that gets a family card from me
is advised that if they act like an a##, they will get no help from me.
-Anonymous
August 4, 2004
As a Military Law
Enforcement Officer, we have many civilian Police officers (state, local)
and Corrections Officers who use our government road as a short cut when
coming to and from work. Not once have I nor my department for that fact
ever issued one summons to any one of these officers (nor will I ever). A
cop is a cop is a cop.
-R. Moore
-NWS Earle Base
Police
-gerrold.moore@navy.mil
July 29, 2004
I am formally
from NJ and now live and work LE in GA. I have definitely found that
professional courtesy is not as widespread down here as I found up home.
However, that trend is changing, thankfully. I agree with the former
NYPD officer, if you have TIN then you are good to go. I also believe
that some of the attitude that cops form the north get form cops in the
south comes from a cultural dislike for Yankees. But they are working on
it.
-RF46
July 29, 2004
I live in
Wisconsin which is not the cultural hub of the nation. Never the less,
I've stopped a number of out of State cops, and I've never given them a
ticket, nor would I give a citation to a cop from Wisconsin. Cops are
cops, no matter where they live.
-KH
July 29, 2004
As a former
2nd generation NYPD officer, now a deputy sheriff in a large Southern
Sheriff's office, I do and will always extend courtesy to all LEO.
If you got tin, your OK in my book. Some of my fellow Southern
officers may think this is unethical. Its a cultural thing down here that
I hope may change, most guys are OK but some still feel they are obligated
to write despite LEO status.
-Deputy Sheriff
July 25, 2004
I want to
comment on the Professional Courtesy editorial. I agree with everything
said. I have been a police officer in N.J. for 26 years. Something some
people don't understand is courtesy goes both ways. Must police officers I
have stopped have been professional, but you always get one jerk. I always
let them go anyway. Even officers from from other states. Sometimes
we are our own worse enemies. Writing a cop from another state, that's
B.S. If I were in another state and saw another cop in need of help, I
sure as hell would go to his aid. I just think a cop writing another
cop for a BS traffic ticket is wrong. The cop that write the other cop is
an a-hole. Some of the off duty cops I stopped had an attitude. Well
you just put your cop ego away, and walk away. I know I'm always
being told I'm "Old School" Well, yes I am. I tell
the new cops about the veterans, most of all,W.W.2 vets. I agree that a
minor violation should be overlooked. Hell, people in that age bracket are
the only ones that respect us anymore. A lot of new cops don't buy that.
We should try to stick together more.
-Anonymous
July 25, 2004
Great article!
It is so true that the courtesy begins with the officer being stopped. I
had the privilege of having a great instructor back in the academy who
gave us a little heads up about being stopped and what to do once we do
get stopped by just laying your shield in your lap and to not shove it in
the face of the officer making the stop and to not get defensive.
Put yourself in the officer's shoes, wouldn't you want it the same way not
knowing in advance that you have a cop stopped? I continue to use that
method today and it seems to be the way to go when being stopped.
-Anonymous
July 20, 2004
Excellent commentary!
I was stopped outside of Demming, New Mexico by a Deputy 2 years ago.
Yes I was speeding (75 in a 45) and yes, I did not see the posted limit as
I came off of the Interstate. The Deputy approached the vehicle, gun
drawn. He asked for my Dl and other paper work which I produced. He
told me how fast I was going and I apologized and that I wouldn't have put
him in that position had I known the limit and that I did the same job as
him. He went back to his squad, returned with a summons...I asked
him if he could give me a break and he said "Not in New Mexico".
So all of you brothers out there, be careful when traveling through
Demming, New Mexico.
-DW in Tucson
July 18, 2004
Good article.
I agree with professional courtesy and practice it. However, it has
gotten very interesting here in the southwest. I have been written
on duty in an unmarked car by our Highway Patrol twice. Even still, I will
extend courtesy to these patrolmen and don't hold a grudge. I am
proud of my profession and the courtesy I have been given by nearly all of
law enforcement in my travels has been outstanding. I won't hesitate
to give courtesy to any LEO from anywhere in the world.
-Anonymous
July 18, 2004
Great Article.
I have 31 years in Police work in two different states. I would
never think of writing a cop, especially a retired cop. Think about
the day you retire and what you went through for 25+ years. I have
been going to Washington DC to the Police memorial since the early 1980's,
years before the memorial was even completed. I constantly ask cops
from down south and out west why they "Write each other".
They all claim that it's not them. I tell them that if they do, they
don't belong in D.C.. mourning brother and sister officers, sharing drinks
and stories with each other and then going back home and showing zero
courtesy to other cops.
I even have a
recurring day dream. It goes like this: While driving in
Florida I get pulled over for doing 74 in a 65. I I.D. myself and
the cop says "SORRY, THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING DOWN HERE".
He writes me my first ticket in 31 years and goes on his way. My
wife says to me "ha, ha, don't complain, its the first time".
I drive about 5 miles and suddenly see 3 bikers, pulled over by the same
cop, beating the hell out of him. I cut across 3 lanes, jump out of
my car, and, suddenly decide to sit on my hood watching the show.
The bikers strip the cop to his boxer shorts, steal his car, gear and
clothes and take off. I walk up to the cop and he says to me
"WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME, YOU ARE A COP". With a smile, I
say to him, "GEE, I WASN'T A COP 5 MILES BACK WHEN YOU WROTE ME A
SUMMONS".
While I could
never really do the above, you get the point. Most important, and
not mentioned in the original article is the word "DISCRETION".
It is what makes us good cops. My question to anyone who would write
another cop is this: If you pulled over your mother, father, wife,
husband, son, daughter, would you write them a summons??? If you
said yes, you would never work for me and should take a job in New York
City as a meter maid. If you said no, then you are a hypocrite.
If we don't stick together then we have lost everything that those who
have made the ultimate sacrifice before us strived for. STAY SAFE
-A Chief
July 6, 2004
You are
absolutely right, professional courtesy goes BOTH ways. Also happy
to hear that military veterans should be given the same courtesy as police
officers. 7 years military, 35 years police. Thanks keep up the good work.
-Anonymous
July 5, 2004
Great
editorial. Hit the nail right on the head. I do believe that
courtesy has its limits as one person already put it. I've had
people tell me, "Do you know so-and-so, I work for his cousin."
or "I'm so-and-so's neighbor." The best is "I know
so-and-so" Really, How do you know him? "He locked me
up." There are limits, beginning with the offense and the
persons' demeanor and ending with just how far does courtesy extend, If
you met me once through my wife should you be dropping my name and
expecting courtesy? A number of characters will pull this one as
soon as they hear you're a cop, especially if they're poor drivers.
After a one time meeting they'll remember your name and what department
you work for for the rest of their life, but you probably won't remember
their first name. One thing nobody mentioned is the easy way to
check out the relationship between a name-dropper and a colleague for
minor MV violations. Take all the person's info and tell them you're
going to speak with so-and-so and if they're not such good friends they
can expect a present in the mail. As far as associate members, my
union doesn't have them, I extend courtesy for minor things to associate
members, but I am firmly against Associate Member Shields. What's
next, associate member badges? I firmly believe we earn those
shields every day, doing the job. I don't think it's right that someone
can decide they want one and go out and buy it. They should stick
with the nice little window stickers that distinguish
"Associates" from "Members."
-Stay Safe
July 5, 2004
I started my
career in NJ. Now working in FL. These guys her would write
their own families a ticket. I miss the brotherhood of up there.
-Anonymous
July 2, 2004
I agree
wholeheartedly! The man is uniform is always right and you should show him
the respect you would want if the roles were reversed.
-Anonymous
July 2, 2004
Have any
fellow officers here ever ticketed an associate member of their union?
I personally offer the same professional courtesy to them since they are
supporting us unless of course they are arrogant or committing a
violation outside the realm of "minor" traffic violation.
There are a
number of associate FOP members in South Jersey and I am trying to get a
feel for how others handle them.
-Officer Mike
July 2, 2004
Excellent
article !!!! I couldn't agree with you more.. I have been
stopped a few times by my brothers, and have always shown them the
professional courtesy they deserve, and have never been written.. I
have also stopped numerous off duty officers - a few of which have been
given rides home - and have never, and will never issue them a summons -
even the ones who have had a little of the attitudes !!! as for the
veterans, and families of law enforcement - whatever can be done for them,
is always done !!! no question about it !!
-Anonymous
June 24, 2004
"Agree
100% ....have seen it both ways over my 25 yrs of service in jersey...Now
I live in Florida and you're right ...Some don't respect the members of
their own department let alone someone from out of state ....Be extra
careful when driving down here."
-Retired in Florida
June 23, 2004
"An old
topic with a new twist--a call for responsibility. Good work.
If strictly followed, public support for this (unofficial) policy should
be easy to obtain.
If my reading
of your ed. was correct, "professional courtesy" should be
limited to any non-DWI "stop" where there is a strong likelihood
the case, if pursued, would remain at the Municipal Court level."
-JOHN,
-Trenton
June 18, 2004
"This
topic is very touchy. Many of the issues raised are good ones. The only
thing that gets to me is when you stop ( or attempt to stop ) city cops/
correctional officer while on their way home, ( by me, work, out in the
" sticks " Granted they are " on the job " but show
some courtesy. I would do anything and everything to make the stop go well
and almost never write a summons, but you get those few people that are
plain rude. I also see [some officers] with their PBA or FOP shields in
their windows or with their uniform on driving like complete morons!
Mostly, on Route 78. My personal opinion is that we are all in this
together, but if you roll up on a marked patrol unit, and still pass it.
That makes my blood boil, especially during daylight hours when other
motorists are able to see. At that point, I Really want to write a
summons. I will always extend the courtesy to anyone one the job, and even
go a little further in some situations, but they have to respect me,
before they get the respect. It's not that hard to look at yourself
and say " I'm in uniform, I should at least try and set some type of example."
I guess a lot of people now in this profession don't care. Be Safe
everyone!"
-Anonymous
June 18, 2004
"I agree
with your whole article. You nailed it on the head! However it seems as
though the southeastern departments look to screw the northern PD's. I
have heard many stories over the years of northern PD's getting harassed
for minor stuff. This shouldn't be! We are all a big family and need to
support one another."
-Anonymous
June 18, 2004
"To the
June 14 2004 View on Professional Courtesy....Bravo for telling it as it
is! Remember that old cliché "Garbage In - Garbage Out". Call
it what you may but If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...well
you get the point!!!"
- Old Timer... and still proud of my profession
June 18, 2004
"I AGREE
WITH THE ARTICLE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL COURTESY, BUT WHEN SOMEONE IS
GOING TO SAY ESSEX COUNTY IS THE WORST AND IM SURE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT
THE CITIES THAT WE KNOW AS THE DIRTY FOUR. JUST REMEMBER WHAT WE IN ESSEX
COUNTY DO."
-Anonymous
June 15, 2004
"Whoever
wrote The June 14, 2004 Your view posting "Professional
Courtesy" hit it right on the nose. I have only been on the road just
over 4 years now, however growing up in a Police family, I get what he is
saying. There are quite a few guys I work with that I wouldn't trust as
far as I could throw them. They will write your family members and sleep
with your Wife/Girlfriend or Daughter if she was old enough. There is no
mutual respect or morals anymore. Who can we trust if we can't trust each
other? Who has YOUR back? A wise Cop once told me, "You don't mess
with a Cops woman or a Cops paycheck." Something we all need to think
about!"
-South Jersey
June 15, 2004
"In a
follow up to this, I think it may be beneficial, especially to new
officers, on what they should do if they get stopped.
"Old-Timers" throw their badge out the window...NOT A GOOD
IDEA.. It sends a message to the public saying they are above the law and
also produces a risk for the stopping officer that a shiny metal object is
coming out the window, much like a weapon would appear. Think about this..
Be Safe."
-Anonymous
June 15, 2004
"Well
said, send this to the academies. New guys come out and they already know
everything."
-Anonymous
June 15, 2004
"Professional
courtesy-- a lot of it is based in the quality of training and the morale
of the officer/dept. Having a badge is a privilege that can be so easily
stripped away today. As far as having weights in the prisons, I'd rather
see them doing more road details and having them go in the cities and
clean up the trash and fix up the bombed out communities that they
contributed to their demise. Most are in for drugs, send them back to
clean up in the areas they were dealing in so their cronies can laugh at
them."
-Anonymous
June 14, 2004
"Professional
Courtesy? Lets be honest with this hypersensitive topic...This rebuttal is
going to ruffle a lot of feathers but times have changed and I mean with
the caliber of personnel entering the law enforcement community. If you
are on the job 20 years or more you can empathize the nature of the beast.
Officers today, in my opinion, don't have that brotherhood, cohesiveness
of self-respect for each other. To the majority of officers today, it's a
paycheck, a way to make a living to support themselves or their family.
Years ago, if you had a problem with a fellow officer on your department,
you settled it amongst yourselves. Not the case today, officers now go to
court and sign criminal complaints against each other or sign a complaint
for sexual harassment. Years ago if an officer ever did the unimaginable
actions stated above, he or she would be looking for a new line of work.
Most officers today never served a day in the military, where you learn
respect, self-control, authority, discipline and restraint. Standards of
qualifications (credentials) have changed in becoming a police
officer today. You can now have a criminal record for certain crimes and
still be eligible to apply and get hired, unprecedented years ago. I do
agree with "Professional courtesy begins with the officer being
stopped, not with the officer making the stop." There was always that
exception, that "wise ass" that blatantly disrespected you and
the profession. So why is professional courtesy on the decline………if
you don’t have reverence for yourself or your chosen profession….how
can you have respect for your fellow officer!!
-Anonymous
June 10, 2004
"Once
again, this was another well written editorial. The topic of
professional courtesy is a hot topic. While I am personally hard pressed
to ever write a fellow officer, I have had my experiences where ce="Arial" size="2" color="#000080">"Once
again, this was another well written editorial. The topic of
professional courtesy is a hot topic. While I am personally hard pressed
to ever write a fellow officer, I have had my experiences where they have
begun the contact on a bad note and made me wonder why I even bothered to
let them off the hook. I have been embarrassed the times that I have
been stopped.
However, where do we draw the line? Family members, neighbors,
friends, or certain members of another officer’s home or work community.
It seems to me that it should be based upon the nature and dangers of the
offense, along with attitude of the motorist.
There is no excuse for driving while intoxicated, by officers, family
members, or anyone else on the roads. Any officer who personally
does this is a real fool. Just risk everything that you have
probably worked hard for – nice pay check, pension, secure job, and so
forth. For us to be critical and talk bad about officers who do
their job and arrest drunk drivers is childish and irresponsible.
Instead, we should be thanking them for possibly saving that persons life,
and the lives of others. Fines and license suspensions will not kill
them. If they were arrested, there have probably been others where they
were never stopped, or were simply let go.
The courtesy card issue is a whole other thing. Everyone now has
some sort of card, be it from the PBA, FOP, Honor Legion, or any other
association. It is impossible to determine who actually issued these
cards on many occasions, and in my opinion, makes the card worthless.
We should be confiscating worthless cards and returning them to our
unions, even if a summons is not issued. And, in some cases, a
summons should also be issued, again depending on the nature of the
offense and attitude of the motorist.
Courtesy is a two way streak. I have had many people sticking
courtesy cards in my face, and while literally screaming at me that it was
“impossible” that they were speeding, etc. Forget it.
Every person who I give a card to is advised to pull over immediately when
signaled, interior light on (at night), stick the card with other
documents, apologize, and be polite. Especially with the existence
of the MVR. They are also told if they were drunk, suspended, or
committed a serious traffic offense, I want to hear that they got charged
accordingly (and they don’t get a replacement card).
Also, don’t call my Department screaming that I gave someone a summons.
There have been many times where I first learned of your relationship or
friendship from your call, and not during the stop. If you want to
talk to me in a professional, civil, and understanding fashion, perhaps I
can help negotiate a plea agreement. Don’t ask me to outright
dismiss a summons, I feel that the original editorial said it well enough.
Professional Courtesy does, and should encompass a lot more than just
traffic enforcement. If you, your kids, or spouse get a flat tire, I
am going to try to help them change it (and we don’t change flats).
If you live in my town and you need a lift somewhere nearby, I am going to
try to help you out. If you are home and need a hand moving
something inside of your house, I’ll even help you with that.
And finally to PAPD, you guys and gals are the greatest at the
airports. Thanks for always being helpful and courteous."
-Anonymous
June 10, 2004
"One
unfortunate demonstration of a lack of professional I have encountered
comes from living in a different jurisdiction from the one that I work in.
I find that my brother officers (with some exceptions of course) regard me
with a peculiar attitude because I am not employed by their agency. This
attitude is encountered despite having personally assisted some of these
officers while off duty and asking nothing in return. My general feeling
is that an agency's attitude towards Professional Courtesy tends to be
derived from the top down. Their is one department in the county that I
live that has had the reputation for years of issuing traffic tickets to
everyone they stop regardless of profession. This was a directive from the
top apparently. My personal response to that was never to drive through
that town in a manner to warrant a ticket and thereby put a fellow officer
in an awkward position. I think that some people feel that professional
courtesy is "Old School." But my answer to that is...that school
has been around all these years, it must be doing something right. And as
far as the veterans are concerned...I shake their hands and say
"Thank you." They deserve at least as much."
-Anonymous
June 10, 2004
"A-Men...I
wish somebody from the [unions for several Essex County agencies] could
distribute this to their members, because they seem to be the worst when
it comes to being "that Off duty Officer" on a stop. Once
or twice is forgivable, but just about every time...It gets old and and
frustrating after a while."
-Anonymous
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