Oh The Places You’ll Actually Go

One Response to “Oh The Places You’ll Actually Go”

1. Igor Says:
   August 11th, 2015 at 5:43 pm

   All I can say is that after a year or so of being a cop, I figured out that ctntiug somebody a break on a traffic stop was usually more trouble than it was worth. Easier to just write them for everything…as we used to call it “the full boat.”Cut somebody a break on one violation, then they get pissed about the other one you didn’t cut them a break on. I didn’t like running traffic enforcement, but when I had to, I soon developed the personal policy that if I stopped someone for a violation that they were getting a ticket. No breaks. I didn’t go digging for more violations (“piling on”), but any violation I discovered during the normal course of the stop was written. Otherwise, the citizen figures out you have discretion, and they are on you like white on rice to drop the whole thing.Besides, by simply writing the violation, and every violation to the letter of the law, your rationale for using discretion on violation X and not on violation Y can never be called into question in court. The defense pulls your record of citations issued over time, and they see that you write EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME. Harsh, perhaps…but consistent. Inconsistency will get you in trouble every time.A cynical take, maybe. But that’s what happens when you get repeatedly lambasted by people who don’t appreciate that you have a job to do, but are trying to cut them a bit of a break.

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