Posted on 06/09/2005 9:44:22 AM PDT by Millee
Beginning this fall Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies will be pulling over teen drivers who haven't broken any traffic laws.
As part of a new program, deputies will be pulling over teens for safe driving and rewarding them with free movie theater and movie rental certificates.
Uniformed deputies driving unmarked cars will follow the drivers and give out the certificates.
"Deputies will follow them for a short distance, down a thoroughfare and we will watch their driving," said Sgt. Glenn Luben, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. "Once we identify a good safe driver, we attempt to follow them to their house or open shopping area."
Some parents think it's a great idea to reward teens for safe, responsible driving. However, while most agree the reward is nice, some parents are concerned about this method of identifying safe drivers.
"I'd be concerned whether they'd think it's a real police officer pulling them over," says Jennifer Zeitler, parent of a teen driver. "It's scary for parents too. There's so many kidnappings and other things going on; I'd be concerned for my child."
The program was started by an Oldsmar, Fla. man whose son was killed in an accident involving a teen driver. After the program begins this fall, there is a possibility it will spread to other communities.
i never figured you out to be a police apologist, you're simply defending your position. I know lots of cops, and I know their culture. this isn't gonna be used for any good purposes - it's like Clinton saying how happy we're all gonna feel when we pay higher taxes.
You are just way too paranoid. I understand. I've been incorrectly paranoid before.
Oh yea, also, how does one go about NOT getting pulled over when a cop is following them? Drive bad? Drive good? Nope, either one is good enough. This doesn't even pass the laugh test.
"Attn young drivers: If a unmarked car attempts to pull you over drive to the police station."
A guy got shot after driving from MD to VA a year or so back, he didn't want to stop for an unmarked car flashing a badge.
They could even add a regulation that offsets one speeding ticket by 3 or 5 Good Driving Citations. No, wait - that would take money out of the guvmint's pockets. Never happen.
not every cop is a good cop. and not all cops are up on any given day. the constitution is to protect us from bad cops, or cops simply having bad days.
not every cop is a bad cop either, but this opens the door for a lot of abuse by the cops.
you were pulled over for not wearing your seatbelt. how would you like to be pulled over because you weren't doing anything wrong?
I'm not a police apologist but I've also learned not to be so horrible distrustful of the government. I've seen too many instances of really decent people in government trying to do decent things and I also live among the amazingly disfunctional rabble that passes as a free society today.
The police could just as well copy the license number down...obtain the address...and send the free movie tickets with a cover letter.
i'm not being paranoid, I just enjoy a little concept called liberty. part of liberty is being able to drive down the street and not worry about being rousted by the cops for not doing anything wrong.
I've been wrongly busted by the cops on occasion and i'd hate to see us sacrificin g our kid's dreiving records on the altar of police entitlement.
I do hope someday you have reason to amend that opinion.
Very good point. A less intrusive manner of achieving a legitimate purpose. This would probably pass muster.
If they want to reward safe drivers, they can take the tag number and send the reward to the registration address, as others have suggested. I wouldn't have any problem with that and would think it's a neat idea.
I think another reason they are doing this is to get our kids used to the idea that they can be stopped at any time for any reason.
camle, I wouldn't like it. I get that adrenaline(sp) rush just like anyone else when I see a cop behind me. But the point I have tried to make with you is that if the cops really want to harass you, they already can. I learned this when I was in the Army which is why I asked someone, can't remember if it was you, if they had been in the military. It is impossible to pass an inspection if they don't want you to pass. That is what we have today on the streets constitution or no. Therefore I finally quit being paranoid when I realized that if they wanted the could lock me up at anytime.
This is confusing because we have two parallel threads on the same thread. ;-)
well, we disagree. most government workers exist to control the population. whatever help they give, they take freedom and responsibility away in turn. Ronald Reagan said that the government governs best that governs least. I agree with that.
this is a thin excuse to garner public support for taking our liberties away.
I agree, that would probably work a lot better. This seems like a good intention that is going to make people mad. OK, it would almost certainly work a lot better. The only way to make this reward thing work well is to follow the teen to his destination and then just catch up to him on foot with the reward.
Maybe I confused you with someone else with "bible" in his screen name.
I also like the way we came to that better solution.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.