Posted on 12/06/2022 3:03:04 PM PST by Stingray51
The police chief in Tampa, Florida, resigned Monday after using her position to escape a ticket during a traffic stop involving a golf cart driven by her husband. …. During that stop — which was recorded on video by the deputy's body camera — O'Connor identified herself as the Tampa chief, flashed her badge and said, "I'm hoping you will let us go tonight." … f The deputy issued only a verbal warning instead of a citation. The golf cart did not have a license tag, a requirement for when such vehicles are driven on public streets. O'Connor's husband, Keith, said they had just come from a restaurant and didn't usually drive the cart on streets. …
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
> Bottom line is I don’t have a problem with a cop using discretion... <
Government officials represent the all of us. So if anything, I would argue that they be held to a higher standard. To give cops special breaks just widens the divide between the governors and the governed.
But I do see your point, and I respect it.
Now, feel free to answer my question.
How is asking you a question putting words in your mouth??? lol.
“ou put your police ID under your license and let the uniformed officer take it from there.”
She wasn’t driving.
“I would let the golf cart go as long as they immediately went back to private property.”
Putting an unlicensed illegal vehicle without lights or proper brakes bake on a public street after dark is dangerous.
“The golf cart did not have a license tag, a requirement for when such vehicles are driven on public streets.”
Even putting the abuse of power aside, isn’t this fact something that the police chief should be expected to know more than the average citizen? I can see giving some old geriatric retiree a warning for not knowing this, but a cop who is supposed to enforce laws can’t claim ignorance.
As for letting the cart go back to the private property, I don't know how far the cart was from the private property, and I don't know if avoiding public streets was possible. If they could have taken the sidewalk the entire way I would have escorted them the short distance with my lights on. Stuff like this happens all the time. People do stupid stuff, and cops allow them to right the wrong without penalty as long as there was no property damage and no one got hurt.
The fact that this cop felt the need to turn the Chief in tells me there was more happening here. So I will trust that the cop had little choice in the matter and was right when he turned her in.
“Now, feel free to answer my question.”
You never posed a question to me.
You’re obnoxious, and Mustangs suck.
I think you’re right that it’s a bad attitude to have but that attitude seems established and here to stay. There’s definitely an “us vs. them” mentality between the police and the rest of the citizenry, and it is increasingly going both ways.
But what better term do we have to use than “civilian”? Potential suspects? Less privileged citizens? Constitution-clingers?
She either broke the law or she didn’t. If she did, cite her like any other jamoke would be cited.
L
“As for letting the cart go back to the private property, I don’t know how far the cart was from the private property, and I don’t know if avoiding public streets was possible.”
But you posted, without conditions, that you would have let them go.
This is Florida, not Missouri. Illegal carts on the roadway is a problem. Driving at night with no lights is not just “bad judgement”.
> . If you are a police officer and you are pulled over, you are supposed to identify yourself. <
Why would that be?
But these days with bodycams, it's not bright to say "I'm a cop!" as soon as the officer approaches your window. I find handing them your license and ID is the best way to go.
I placed TWO conditions on letting them go. If you think that is "without condition" then I don't know what to tell you.
> She either broke the law or she didn’t. If she did, cite her like any other jamoke would be cited. <
I think it’s a bit more than even that. Let’s say a cop would normally let a jamoke off with a warning. Should a police officer or other government official then also be let off with a warning?
I would argue no, because perceptions matter. A citizen seeing a cop being let off wouldn’t think, “I’ll bet that’s normal procedure.” Instead he’d be thinking, “Yep, more special privileges for the powerful.” And so the divide widens.
Is that fair? I suppose it isn’t. But if you don’t want to be held to a higher standard, don’t enter government service in the first place.
PS I had to look up “jamoke“ before posting this. So I learned a new word today.
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the reply.
how about the unannointed?
“I placed TWO conditions on letting them go. If you think that is “without condition” then I don’t know what to tell you.”
We were discussing conditions related to driving an illegal vehicle without lights being on a public roadway. Keep on subject.
“I find handing them your license and ID is the best way to go.”
Are you a cop?
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