Posted on 04/12/2007 11:49:11 PM PDT by weegee
"Our policy is pretty clear that they have to drive within the traffic laws" except under those circumstances, said Police Chief David Kunkle, who is meeting with police association officials Thursday to outline the new policy.
[snip]
So far, the Dallas Police Department has received notice of 103 marked vehicles and six unmarked vehicles running red lights, said Lt. Sally Lannom, who helped draft the new policy.
[snip]
"I think what they're worrying about is what if it's 2 o'clock in the morning, you're headed to a call but it's not an emergency call," Cpl. Bristo said. "If I roll right through that light, I might save myself a minute or two. With some calls, that minute or two can make a lot of difference."
[snip]
Cameras recorded an officer on routine patrol not only running a red light, but also turning left from the center lane rather than from the turn lane. "He is being counseled in an effort to correct his driving," Lt. Lannom said. "We're looking at correcting the driving habits of officers."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
It’s a common practice for them to run stop signs/lights at high speed without beacons for burglary-in-progress calls in some municipalities, even at high speeds. But it could get other drivers killed.
Kind of like this:
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=5866629&nav=menu132_2
They admitted that the teenager had a green light ONLY after multiple witnesses came forward. They claim the “light-changing” mechanism failed; but their call was “called off” by dispatchers well over 30 seconds before they struck her vehicle as she faced a green light. The parents will get rich off of this one, and rightly so.
I love how they concluded that both vehicles were at fault considering the last paragraph of this article.
They also have on tape the collision and the resulting chaos.
Then it needs to stop.
Under the state transportation code, officers driving a vehicle equipped with lights and sirens can run a red light when responding to an emergency call, pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law, responding to a fire alarm, conducting a police escort, and directing or diverting traffic for public safety purposes.
Apparently, some LEO's see themselves as being above the law.
Anybody who drives a good deal has seen it many times. A police car passes you at high speed with no lights nor siren on.
I have accelerated many times to keep pace with them, maintaining a safe distance the whole time. I have never been stopped.
If I do get stopped, I will allow the officer to write me a ticket and then I will make a citizen's arrest and write him a ticket.
We routinely run red lights after honking our horns slowing to look, and then proceeding.
My point is there are some that abuse the ability, but most are carefully hurrying to do thier jobs, protect people.
These are non-emergency situations. Medical attention and an assault in progress would appear to be EMERGENCY.
Police are immune from citations. They cite “professional courtesy”
They speed and drive like maniacs with impunity. TV crews regularly have done stories showing cops running red lights and speeding just to go home.
Same exemption for judges, and in some places EMS people.
I am familiar with this case and know some of the people who were close to the girl who was killed.
There was no fault on the firefighters part here. Yes they got a call right before they hit the intersection that the emergency was canceled. But they were within sight of the mall that they were headed to. I know the intersection really well.
They did have their lights on properly; they feel terrible about it and no one should ever blame them.
If it is important enough to run the damn light put on your lights and siren.
Cops are killing people left and right here in NJ. My brother was T-boned by a cop going...no where. Two girls were killed here in S. NJ a few months ago by a cop who is facing indictment. A few years ago a cop killed a whole frickin family (ex-Marine, his wife, their two young children) doing 70 in a 45 with no lights or siren. Unless it's murder or rape cops speeding and running lights should be treated the same as civilians. I know about a dozen cops and all but two were braggarts and menaces to society who abused their power all the time.
Tell it like it is brother.
I heard about that incident - the local radio reports noted at her funeral how the young lady “loved loud music”; farbeit for me to make assumptions, but the impression was she had a very loud stereo in her car and failed to hear the sirens.
They are drunken louts. Four of them spent a weekend at my friends cabin running arounf the woods pised drunk all weekened while packing heat and showing off photos of a body from a crime scene. These were cops from Fanwood and Elizabeth.
Another, from Rutgers, bragged about the blond babes he would make cry and then let off while he hammered guys he stopped. He used to e-mail pornography several times a week to his "friends".
Yet another was the worst, most dangerous driver I have ever know. He was a Freehold or Howell cop (I forget) who would make illegal turns and run light on Rt 9, and I don't mean rolling runs, I mean full throttle.
Says it all, doesn't it?
...the police ought to respond properly to the legitimate emergency, by using the lights and sirens that have been mounted on their vehicles for that purpose.
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