Do Our Cops Call Out All Traffic Stops?
January 11th, 2007 by josh farleyThere was a tragic story out of Tennessee last Saturday: it concerned a highway patrolman that had pulled over a car on a dark road late in the evening.
When Calvin Jenks, 24, leaned into the car to check for drugs, he was shot point-blank in the head, according to a story by tennessean.com.
The article by tennessean.com also examines the policy for Tennessee troopers — one that states it is not mandatory for them to call in to dispatchers when making traffic stops.
Jenks apparently did not call in when he made his.
That got me thinking about our local policies.
Brian George, trooper spokesman for the Washington State Patrol,
said that troopers are required to call out traffic stops, though
the rule to do so was adopted only recently.
Scott Wilson, deputy spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, said that while his office’s policy and procedures manual is undergoing some changes, paragraph 7.01.04 (E) applies:
It states:
“Answer your radio promptly. When leaving the car, sign out giving your location and a telephone number. Monitor your portable radio at all times unless prevented by the circumstances of the call or contact.”
“Deputies know what the course of instruction is at the basic law enforcement academy about traffic stops,” Wilson said, “and what is driven home to student deputies while they are in a field training status (is) call out traffic stops! That is a major officer safety factor.”
Wilson added that the basic information deputies radio to dispatchers is:
Stop location. This typically means the road / street / highway name together with some other reference point, such as a cross street or an easily recognizable landmark, ie: business parking lot, or in front of a known building, etc. When nothing else is readily available, use the block number.
License plate number of the vehicle being stopped and, if feasible, a brief vehicle description, ie: maroon-colored Dodge truck.
Any other unusual circumstances that the deputy feels should be made known to the dispatcher and to others who monitor that radio channel, i.e.: driver’s actions, multiple occupants, someone acting suspiciously, vehicle believed to be stolen, etc.
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January 12th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Of course, call in all stops.
Trouble is how does that prevent the officer from being shot by someone from inside the stopped car?
The information called in can catch the person shooting the officer, but often too late for the officer.
Alternatively, the state patrol officer can make the stop after s/he has called in for back up from the local county or city departments.
I have said it before and I will say it again.
Our teachers and police officers should be among the highest paid professions in the country.
Teachers are in charge of our nation’s future…the education of our children.
Police officers put their lives on the line for us, every working day or night.
The sad fact is, I once knew an officer on partial state assistance for his family (large family) some years ago.
Why doesn’t ten percent salery from such high paid game players go toward paying our teachers and police officers? The players would not miss it…at the least; they would be pleased for the tax deduction.
How do we value our teachers and police officers v the pay of football, basketball players?
That’s right.
Not even close.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
As unfair as it may seem, it’s simple economics that entertainers and athletes make hundreds of times what police officers, teachers and fire fighters do. Their professions generate revenue, the latter folks drain it (which we need them to do).
One way to combat this is to ensure the athletes’ salaries aren’t further inflated by subsidizing things like new Sonics’ arenas.
January 18th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
The discrepancy tells us what our society most values… the majority are willing to provide the sport arena…to spend time, energy, dollars to support the players.
Zip to pay for good teachers and pay our police officers.
The sports figures provide entertainment…teachers educate our children…police officers put their lives on the line for us every time they go to work…
Yet our sports entertainment people earn incredible dollars.
I wonder if they would consider donating a small percent of what they earn to support our teachers and police officers?
It seems right to me. Our athletes are supported by the people who value them over their child’s education and a police officers life. seems fair that they might want to donate back… IN ADDITION, get a tax deduction.
What do you think?
January 19th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
We could also ask that they donate a portion of their over one million dollar salary to strengthen our police departments and teachers.
They could write it off and I can’t believe I suggested it…the players are doing everything right and work hard for what they get….they don’t need to do anything…but it would be nice if they did…
Sharon O’Hara
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Some players work hard at their sports, others are naturally gifted and take too much for granted (read Terrell Owens, Tank Johnson, etc.) but even the hardest workers probably aren’t giving their all any more than some of our teachers and police detectives.
Cops and teachers will never be paid what LeBron James gets but anyone who votes “yes” on a new Sonics arena that could be outdated in 12 years (the last one was) and “no” on a law and justice levy, school bond or fire department levy, really needs to take a good, hard look at their priorities.