[dannl]

Is it right for a police officer to wear a city police uniform and use one of the cities patrol cars to drive to where they work for a private business after hours as security on the weekends and get paid cash on top of it all. To Top it all off the Chief allows the officer's to it. I also would believe that if someone were to check the officer's Taxes, I'd bet not one of the officer's claimed that cash on there Taxes. In this small town the police officer's count on traffic tickets as income for the city to operate. It's pretty sick when you have all these police officers writing out thousands of tickets who they say are speeding (as they say they do not have to show you your speed on the radar, all they have to do is pull you over and say you were speeding and write you a ticket.) and yet they are breaking the law every time they use a city owned patrol car after hours to work for cash for a private business. What do you think,
Do you think the state should investigate and charge all the officer's with the crimes they are commiting along with the business they are working for as I would believe the business knows it isn't legal.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

It doesn't seem right...but from what I learned, a police department allows their men to do it after they have had a certain amount of experience and assuming they are not on probation for it AND since the officers in my area drive their patrol cars home, I don't know whats stoping them from driving them to a second job...

[V20]

Originally Posted by dannl

Is it right for a police officer to wear a city police uniform and use one of the cities patrol cars to drive to where they work for a private business after hours as security on the weekends and get paid cash on top of it all. To Top it all off the Chief allows the officer's to it. I also would believe that if someone were to check the officer's Taxes, I'd bet not one of the officer's claimed that cash on there Taxes. In this small town the police officer's count on traffic tickets as income for the city to operate. It's pretty sick when you have all these police officers writing out thousands of tickets who they say are speeding (as they say they do not have to show you your speed on the radar, all they have to do is pull you over and say you were speeding and write you a ticket.) and yet they are breaking the law every time they use a city owned patrol car after hours to work for cash for a private business. What do you think,
Do you think the state should investigate and charge all the officer's with the crimes they are commiting along with the business they are working for as I would believe the business knows it isn't legal.

I keep hearing on this forum how bad crime is in certain areas in Florida and how something has to be done to stop it. Then I hear that police officers, firefighters and teachers cannot afford housing in certain areas.

My opinion: If the Chief allows them to do it, I'm sure it is not illegal. Leave the poor cops alone. We need them. It is a brutal and thankless job. The police are our only protection from scumbag criminals - they need our full support.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

V20, I see what your saying

I say empower yourself to protect you and your own family, don't rely on someone else or there could be tragic circumstances, not from intention for you to be harmed but from lack of manpower...

Check out the laws in your area and do what you can, start a neighborhood watch where you live, network with people so that you are all aware of what is really going on in your area...

[phoenixxphyre]

Originally Posted by dannl

Is it right for a police officer to wear a city police uniform and use one of the cities patrol cars to drive to where they work for a private business after hours as security on the weekends and get paid cash on top of it all. To Top it all off the Chief allows the officer's to it. I also would believe that if someone were to check the officer's Taxes, I'd bet not one of the officer's claimed that cash on there Taxes.

At least in this area, it's perfectly acceptable for the businesses to hire uniformed police officers to act as security, either after hours or during business. Police also get special projects to work security for parades, etc (hence why it's called projecting). Police don't make a whole lot of money for what they do and the danger they put themselves in, and if they are willing to work beyond their required forty hours in order to make extra income, who are you to throw a snit fit about it?

And before you whine about it not being extra work to stand around in a uniform, I'll tell you that I hardly ever saw my dad growing up because he worked 40 hrs regular duty and anywhere from 50-80 hours counting his projects. He'd come home and sleep for a couple hours between double shift days and go back out and do it again. I tried doing something similar for a few months to make ends meet and it wore on me...I've only been working third shift (which he did for years, working projects then during the day) for seven months, and I'm about to go back to days because I can't handle it, and all I do is 'stand around in a uniform' at a hotel desk...I can't imagine trying to do it wearing a gun belt and outside in the summer after no sleep and having to deal with rowdy a**holes besides.

And I wouldn't be so sure 'not one of them' is paying their taxes. My dad always has; I'm sure the rest of the officers working with him do also, and I'm pretty sure the same holds true of the cops in your area.

In this small town the police officer's count on traffic tickets as income for the city to operate. It's pretty sick when you have all these police officers writing out thousands of tickets who they say are speeding (as they say they do not have to show you your speed on the radar, all they have to do is pull you over and say you were speeding and write you a ticket.) and yet they are breaking the law every time they use a city owned patrol car after hours to work for cash for a private business.

First of all, those people probably *are* speeding. With the number of people who speed every day cops don't *need* to pull anyone over who isn't actually doing so. Sure, some of them will pull you over for a couple miles over and that can be annoying, but my dad said he never breaks out for anyone doing less than 12 over the limit (because he figures then they know and he knows they're speeding), and he still manages to make quota.

As for the radar whining:
"All jurisdictions have basic training requirements for officers who monitor speed with electronic devices, such as laser or radar. They also have requirements for the maintenance of any devices used to monitor traffic. These regulations are available for purchase, and may also be available for review at a local government office (such as a city attorney's office). You can often schedule an appointment at a police agency to review their maintenance logs, or use a "Freedom of Information Act" (FOIA) request to obtain copies of relevant pages."
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/tra...ng_ticket.html

So, yeah, the whole "it didn't really say I was speeding" thing, not holding water with me. And, I've already addressed whether your last statement's accurate.

What do you think,
Do you think the state should investigate and charge all the officer's with the crimes they are commiting along with the business they are working for as I would believe the business knows it isn't legal.

Do you *really* want to know what I think? (If not, I guess don't read further). I think that you spend too much time worrying about what other people are doing with their time and money than what you're doing with your own. I think that you have little respect for the job that police officers do, and the protection they provide for the relatively peanuts pay they get to do so. And I think that you couldn't hack working even one 'easy' day as a cop, let alone if you had to do any of the things they routinely do which put them in danger (don't think 'security' jobs can? have you watched the news lately?). Quit whining and just be glad you're not the one out there doing the serving and protecting cuz I'm sure glad you're not.

[doggiebus]

I think they should be allowed to do this! Police officers don't make a huge amount of money, and if they want to add to their income on the side why not. Who are we to say what they do in their off time and how. I can see how some would be offened by them using their cop car or wearing their uniform. But, if they use the police car or wear their uniform, who cares, if it helps keep the bads guys away let them. The neighborhood next to me pays for a state trooper to patrol their neighborhood to keep their homes safe 24/7.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by dannl

Is it right for a police officer to wear a city police uniform and use one of the cities patrol cars to drive to where they work for a private business after hours as security on the weekends and get paid cash on top of it all. To Top it all off the Chief allows the officer's to it. I also would believe that if someone were to check the officer's Taxes, I'd bet not one of the officer's claimed that cash on there Taxes. In this small town the police officer's count on traffic tickets as income for the city to operate. It's pretty sick when you have all these police officers writing out thousands of tickets who they say are speeding (as they say they do not have to show you your speed on the radar, all they have to do is pull you over and say you were speeding and write you a ticket.) and yet they are breaking the law every time they use a city owned patrol car after hours to work for cash for a private business. What do you think,
Do you think the state should investigate and charge all the officer's with the crimes they are commiting along with the business they are working for as I would believe the business knows it isn't legal.

I have no problem with it. I have hired police officers many times and I always expect them to show up looking like a cop, car and all. I like that they allow them to take cars home as well. I have no problem living next to a place with a police car parked in the driveway.

[john1963]

they do that in big cities like downtown atlanta...i think it's pretty standard everywhere cause cops make so little...they usually charge 30 dollars an hour for off duty security

as far as the car, i don't know about that. Some places let cops take cars home in case there is a columbine type incident they don't have to go to the station to get a car

[SKB]

What law abiding citizen doesn't like having a cop living on their street with a patrol car sitting in their driveway? That is about the best crime deterrent you can have.
It is pretty hard to have cops living on your street due to the crappy wages they receive. I say let them work all of the extra hours they need to make a living for themselves.

I would also like to know the number of people that lie on their taxes. That would be an interesting number for sure.

[phoenixxphyre]

Originally Posted by SKB

I would also like to know the number of people that lie on their taxes. That would be an interesting number for sure.

I'd guess pretty much anyone in a tip paying job