[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by cabo35

Many sunrises and sunsets ago, as a young police officer, I remember the frequent protest of those who were cited for an assortment of infractions. It usually, as indicated above, involved a reference to who pays your salary. An old timer told me that when I was confronted with that line...to reach into my pocket for loose change not to exceed 50 cents and hand it to the violator. Follow-up with a brief, polite explanation that you are refunding what the offender contributed toward your salary. Today in The Villages, there are 80,000 residents. Average police salary maybe 30-40K....you do the math. When I hear in any context about "badge heavy tools" and the "folks who pay your salary", it brings back memories and a smile. Thank you.

A follow-up line by the miscreant might be, "Give me your name and badge number...I'm calling your chief." I would graciously comply and request that they also let the chief know what a good job I'm doing. Funny thing.......I was never called into the chief's office for a dress down. Years later, when I was the police chief, my "street" experience with handling complaints against police officers was a real asset in how I resolved them.

Another frequent disgruntled motorist retort was "Do you know who I am. I'll have your job." This usually came from some "connected" politician or political hack. My response was usually a polite smile and an explanation of how the violator could have my job. I would first explain that he would have to take a competitive exam with a thousand other candidates. Then he would have to pass a grueling physical. If he remained successful he would be required to complete six months of classroom and physical training usually run by those who served as USMC DI's. He would also have to complete the course on dealing with irate citizens. If he passed all that and was appointed, he might be lucky enough to get me as his FTO (Field Training Officer) for 3-6 months. Subject to my signing off on his performance and comprehension of the law and his job......he could have my job. Not once was I ever called on the carpet for being a smart ass cop. I probably would have plead guilty.

Tip for Villagers. Seriously, the hardest summons to write is to the driver that looks you in the eye and says "I know I was wrong", whatever you write me for, I know you're just doing your job and it's not personal." In most cases, not all, a warning would suffice.

Discretion on the issuance of summonses is built into the law. It would be impossible to enforce every law on the books equally without the discretion component. Accordingly, law enforcement generally administers "selective enforcement" to address emergent problems and circumstances. With limited resources, police administrators deploy their assets by prioritizing public safety needs. The needs are dynamic and in constant flux. Accordingly priorities are not constant and may change from month to month or even day to day. I do not know if this is relevant to the thread topic but, professionally...it's plausible.

Have a good day in the Villages.

Cabo, I agree with what you've stated 120% and in part it hits home.

About 33 years ago I was hired as an enforcement supervisor with the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles and held the position for 23 years during which time the duties expanded to triple from where they started from. It was administrative enforcement and not line enforcement. Through those years I too got those rediculous lines thrown at me like I pay your salary, you have no idea who your dealing with etc. I didn't throw lines back at such statements about the salary, but thought to myself "Hey, I pay my salary too" or ""So your responsible for my being underpaid" or "So give me a raise, I've earned it and deserve it" and some that I've long forgotten about. If I would reveal their names, you'd also be surprised at some of the people I've dealt with who had problems with their licenses; you'd probably recognize one or more of them.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is one of the things you mentioned... giving a refund of change $ to people who say they pay your salary. I wished I had heard of that. What a great idea! I just might of used that if I had thought about it. I can just imagine the looks on their faces now if I had done that!

Also I'd like to tell you something regarding not giving a hard time to an officer who's about to give you a ticket. About 14 years ago I was stopped by a New York State Trooper and for the first and only time in my life I was given a summons for a moving violation, a speeding ticket. Just before the Trooper handed me the ticket I said to him... "I can't really complain about getting this ticket since it's the first time I've gotten one in 34 years of driving." He responded by saying "I wish I could have said the same!" and we both laughed. He then handed me the ticket and we both went on our way.

So in conclusion let me say, thank you for serving us in the capacity you have as an enforcement officer and if you're a veteran... ditto that!