Ex-cop reporting drunk told to hang up

cnews.canoe.ca ^ | Sept. 23, 2011 | DAVE DORMER

[Free ThinkerNY]

CALGARY - Following a suspected drunk driver who was weaving all over the highway near Okotoks, retired Mountie Rob Laird grabbed his cellphone and dialed 911.

But Laird said he was shocked when after taking his information, the RCMP dispatcher told him to hang up and stop following the suspect SUV as Laird was breaking the province's new distracted driving law.

"In all my years (of policing) I never saw anyone drive like this," said Laird, who was an RCMP officer for 10 years in Okotoks, High River and Calgary.

"Completely over into the left-hand lane forcing vehicles to take the ditch and shoulder, then back again and down into the other ditch where I thought 'he'll end it here and roll it' but this went on for a long ways.

"Finally we pulled up to a traffic light by Okotoks and stopped so I wrote the licence plate down and phoned 911.

"I told the girl I was going to witness a fatal accident."

After giving the dispatcher the plate number and a description of the vehicle, Laird said he was told not to follow the vehicle any longer as he was breaking the law himself.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Government is a cancer that has metastasized.

[230FMJ]

I wonder how the government manages to erase every last trace of common sense during the training of new “public servants”?

[Delmarksman]

Next thing you know, they will be arresting people for defending themselves against someone breaking into their house.
/s

[arthurus]

The first part of this seems tocall for righteous indignation but reading to the end indicates that everyone acted appropriately, assuming a police car was not on the scene immediately because one was insufficiently nearby. The information was taken and the operator then told the caller to comply with the law. No one was threatened or arrested for breaking that law. The caller then did what he should do by following the drunk. As an ex-policeman he probably had some emergency training and would have been an immediate first responder at the accident that the drunk could have caused.

[Vendome]

Dumber than a box of rocks.....

[RightOnline]

Unless you’ve spent time up there, you have NO idea how politically correct/ultra-liberal/droolingly Socialist Canada really is.

There’s not enough money to get me to live there.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Still, how stupid that there isn’t any common sense exception for addressing a dangerous situation. Not even “keep following him and call us back in five minutes.”

[doc1019]

As a retired police officer I am happy to say that your response is refreshing, thank you. Logic sometimes prevails. ;-)

[arthurus]

The Exception was made. The caller was not threatened with arrest. His information was taken and utilized. The article even said that it was not an "exception" because the call to 9-1-1 was legal because it was to 9-1-1. Continuing on the line or following the drunk with cell phone in hand- is not legal. A dispatcher will always advise against following such a driver because it could possibly complicate a dangerous situation. In this sort of situation things will be said knowing that they will not be obeyed and with the intention that they not be strictly obeyed. It is CYA while getting the job done anyway.

[1rudeboy]

You read this to the end before commenting?

+1

[expat1000]

“Unless you’ve spent time up there, you have NO idea how politically correct/ultra-liberal/droolingly Socialist Canada really is.”

Not in the mid-west. Maybe you spent a lot of time in Toronto or something. Yes, this incident happened in the mid-west, but it was the RCMP, which is a federal police force that the provinces contract to police the rural areas.

They are brainwashed, rigid, cannot do anything but go by the book, and are very PC. Their training is nothing like that of a municipal police force. - neither are many of their actions.

Not to excuse this in any way, but they are usually understaffed in the rural areas and look for ways to avoid responding to calls so this is not so surprising to me. This would not have been the response from the Calgary police. No way.

[easternsky]

Maybe they were familiar with license number and it belonged to a local official.

[Deaf Smith]

"Taniguchi said police got enough information from Laird -- the licence plate, vehicle make and colour -- to begin investigation, which is now ongoing."

I read this; that a police vehicle was never dispatched to intercept the alleged drunk driver. )Not saying the guy wasn't drunk.

[maine-iac7]

“...one was insufficiently nearby. “

ahahahaha.

Thanks for the laugh. (I have an inkling you’re not a writer.)

[Inyo-Mono]

You read this to the end before commenting?

Amazing!

[familyop]

"After giving the dispatcher the plate number and a description of the vehicle, Laird said he was told not to follow the vehicle any longer as he was breaking the law himself."

Probably an untouchable. Most jurisdictions have such favored constituents in this age of corruption. The police work for those particular individuals/families.

[kearnyirish2]

Canadians are lucky; their territory (outside of the cities) is ungovernable.

[healy61]

He should have said, “Ma’am, I’m not following anyone, but we do see to be going the same direction. Good day to you.”

[healy61]

He should have said, “Ma’am, I’m not following anyone, but we do see to be going the same direction. Good day to you.”