Do Police Officers have a conscience?

Question

A while back, I had been considering becoming a police officer. I was working two jobs and struggling to make ends meet. During this time I drove a lemon of a vehicle that had serious electrical issues that I was unable to pay to have repaired. While commuting to work and back, I was ticketed by an officer for an out-tail light (the bulb was fine it was an electrical issue). I understood the issue completely and paid the fine. Not long after the incident the same officer ticketed me again. Before that ticket payment was even due, he pulled me over 2 more times and harrassed me for said tag light issue. The officer knew me by this time and had searched my vehicle several times for narcotics and found nothing. I was given 30 days to pay the fines for the tickets. WIthin 10 days, I went to the courthouse to pay the tickets off, and the lady at the counter informed me that my license had already been suspended for "non-payment of tickets". So for the last 10 days I had been driving on a suspended license and had no idea. I was never informed. I don't think that is right. So considering I had driven my vehicle to the courthouse, I had to drive it home. On my way there I was pulled over and then arrested for driving on a suspended license. I then lost my job and my vehicle was impounded. I was then left with fines to pay and no income. I didn't hurt anyone, I didn't even commit a real crime. I was paying my tickets and basically had everything I had worked for taken away from me. I am not trying to bash the police system in any way, or police officers personally, I understand that laws must be inforced and criminals should pay for their crimes. So this situation leaves me to wonder: Does it ever bother a cop when they know that they are destroying somebody's life that way? I just would like to know for my possible future career, thank you...

Answer 1

Let me put it to you this way. Every time you drove the vehicle while it was in a state of disrepair, you committed another infraction and were liable to receive a citation. I am not defending the officers decision to site you. I would suspect that at some point you were told not to operate the vehicle again until repaired. I can't tell you the number of times I have explained very carefully to someone that they were to repair the vehicle immediately. Several days later they are back on the road with no repairs. In some cases the repairs needed were serious. It does get old. It is your responsibility to make the repairs and keep the vehicle in good operating order. It's interesting that you blame the officer for ruining your life but take no responsibility for your own actions. Maybe this is the real problem?

Answer 2

No,

the more tickets they write, the more money it brings in. Law enforcement is a money making business just like any other business.

Answer 3

Oh my - I don't usually read stories the length of yours but I found yours compelling - perhaps you should consider writing as a career choice?

Anyway - I speak from experience as I was a cop back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

I remember itching to write my first ticket, and there was a guy driving a junk car (this was Georgia) with numerous (and obvious) violations. My training officer (who was a very well thought of rough-and-ready type cop) gave me a mini-lecture that night on how I needed to stop and think before pulling someone over for that kind of violation. This guy wasn't hurting anyone, wasn't speeding, no lives were at stake, and if the guy could afford to fix his car he probably would have.

"That's what warnings are for" he told me. And he was right. You've never seen a guy so grateful as he was when I stopped and 'warned' him he needed to get his car fixed as soon as he was able.

Ultimately the only tickets I wrote were for obvious in-you-face serious violations and these people got read the riot act as well because they had endangered lives by their actions.

I never acted in a violent or profane manner with anyone I arrested and I'm very proud of that. That's what being a professional is all about - and it sickens me to see the handful of bad cops that pop up now and then on those videos, cast a bad light on the ones just doing their jobs.

Sounds like you got a real jerk of a cop. I knew plenty of those too.  It might be worth it to consult an attorney that works in traffic court - these guys don't charge a lot and it might be well worth the money.

Hope it all works out for you.

Answer 4

judging by the numerous youtube clips of corrupts cops beating up people i'd say no. i don't trust them and neither should anyone else.

Answer 5

Cops don't care. They just want to make your life h**l. next time give him some donuts.  

Answer 6

There are some very fine police officers. But the majority of them are not. They are there to do their "job" and nothing more. Their function is to collect money for the government, in turn collecting their pay. What happens to the individual is irrelevant. So long as they get to break the speed limit, run red lights to get free coffee, drive without their seatbelt, make U-turns in the middle of intersections, and so on...they don't care. Of course if something is wrong with the patrol car, say a burned out headlight, that is perfectly acceptable. They are permitted to drive around with it until their shift ends. And it gets repaired at the taxpayer's expense. I'd have to buy my own but I can't afford it after paying for theirs. You must live in the USA, land of the free.

I suggest writing to your legislator, governor, whomever, and the press. This sort of thing must stop. Ask to have your license returned. Then demand laws are changed.

I once considered a position in law enforcement, because I genuinely feel good about helping people. I know now that is not what the modern police force is for. They are glorified tax collectors. Police, courts, and lawmakers assume everyone is made out of money. $50 parking ticket, no problem, never mind I only had 75 cents for the parking meter in the first place. I guess next time I'll just quit my job since I can't afford to park. It's a shame too because those few fine officers get lumped in.

Answer 7

its not the cops fault that you had your license suspended. cops arent incharge of that. thats an entirely different department. its up to you to pay those tickets or fight the tickets. nobody cares about your excuse for not paying them. im sure it doesnt bother a cop to destroy a rulebreakers life to protect a followers life

Answer 8

police officers are doing their dutys they cant sit idle and get paid some are bad officers not all many case they felp the public

Answer 9

Sounds like you had a run of bad luck . . . but, you are thinking like a victim. Take it to court and present the facts, don't whine. You may find that the judge shares your opinion of the cop who was a little too tough.

Answer 10

There is no such thing as a "real crime" as you state.  Any violation of the law is a crime.  There are classifications of violations of law, as you now know.  Yours was a fix it ticket and perhaps a small fine was to be paid.  When you first got stopped by the officer, you should have gotten your car fixed.  I know, you didn't have the money, you didn't get time, etc.  That's no issue to the officer.  His job is basically, public safety.  You were hurting someone (i.e everybody on the road).  The fact that a wire to your light wasn't working, you could not notice me what you were doing (i.e stopping, making a turn, showing you're a hazzard, etc.)  Regarding notice and suspension, most tickets informs you what to do and perhaps you forgot to read it, I don't know.  The courts don't always send out "Courtesy Notice".  Police are human beings, just like you and I, however, in this situation he/she doesn't feel or believe his/her conscience should come into play, unless he would fell to ticket you and someone got hurt.  Now his conscience may bother him.  You have to also understand that we all ignore our conscience at some point and times because we don't want to suffer the consequences of our action(s), if any.  Police  lie all the time but are trained it is a part of their job and the greater good.  So what if he tells a lie and it gets a scum bag off the street, he's not going to worry about "Mirranda Rights", etc.  Although I feel for you, this was your fault on all counts.  If you're going to be a cop in the future, you had better think about inforcing the law, no matter how small and who it is that violates it.  

Answer 11

How about fix your tail light and stop whining about it?  It really doesnt matter who you are or how much money you make. Fix it-its that simple.  You were told once and didn't comply.  How many more times will it take???

Answer 12

It would have been best to suck it up and have the light fixed the day you got that first ticket.  The reason you were ticketed was because you continued to drive the car without fixing the tail light.

I do understand your plight.  I have been there, done that a million times.