The official "Ask a cop/deputy anything!" thread

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

Yikes. Because California?

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

Please do!! I see this soo much lately up here around Sac, it's really surprising how many people can't tell they don't have their lights on. I try to signal to most but they are just clueless.

It's a dangerous violation. Imagine looking down a street, doing your due diligence by looking both ways, only to be blindsided and hit by a car driving without lights on. It's a shitty position to be in. The cars I've pulled over could've easily been overlooked by a casual observer.

Next time you're out driving at night, look around and see how many cars are out there with no lights on. Now imagine other factors like a dimly lit street combined with a darker colored car and you'll now see how impactful an accident can be.

I was on the freeway the other night heading home after my shift, and I came across a dark gray Hyundai SUV with no lights on. I was in uniform, so I pulled up next to him and hit him with a beam from my Streamlight. It took another mile for him to turn on his lights. He was oblivious and I was highly annoyed.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

It's a dangerous violation. Imagine looking down a street, doing your due diligence by looking both ways, only to be blindsided and hit by a car driving without lights on. It's a shitty position to be in. The cars I've pulled over could've easily been overlooked by a casual observer.

Next time you're out driving at night, look around and see how many cars are out there with no lights on. Now imagine other factors like a dimly lit street combined with a darker colored car and you'll now see how impactful an accident can be.

I was on the freeway the other night heading home after my shift, and I came across a dark gray Hyundai SUV with no lights on. I was in uniform, so I pulled up next to him and hit him with a beam from my Streamlight. It took another mile for him to turn on his lights. He was oblivious and I was highly annoyed.

Yeah I see it multiple times a week because I get off work at 10pm. I've noticed a lot are people with slightly newer cars with the like Auto lights, or atleast cars that have headlights with like halos or running lights. It seems they see these running lights come on and slightly light up the road in front and they think their actual lights are on.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

Please do!! I see this soo much lately up here around Sac, it's really surprising how many people can't tell they don't have their lights on. I try to signal to most but they are just clueless.

Aside from all the idiots that fail to turn the headlights on when needed I think there is also a lot of blame to be directed to the manufacturers that thought it would be a good idea to have the dash lights come on with the DRLs but not the tail and marker lights. Seriously, how many planning steps did this go through and how many levels of management approved the idea before it went into production? And it's not just one manufacturer, it seems to have happened with a lot of different makes simultaneously.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I nail inoperable headlights, tail lights, people driving around with only DRL's running, inoperable license plate lights (…usually just to warn and advise and see who's driving the car; it's often gangsters), etc.

Just today, a town police department in our region announced that they are part of a grant program where their officers give out repair vouchers instead of tickets for burned-out bulbs. There is apparently a national organization behind this program.....

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Just today, a town police department in our region announced that they are part of a grant program where their officers give out repair vouchers instead of tickets for burned-out bulbs. There is apparently a national organization behind this program.....

I would rather cite. Lol! Half of the cars I stop are doing it because they think it looks cool (…mainly the Charger, Challenger, etc. camp).

[jamesinaz]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I would rather cite. Lol! Half of the cars I stop are doing it because they think it looks cool (…mainly the Charger, Challenger, etc. camp).

Hmmmm profiling? Well heck if it's true I'm oddly OK with it.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jamesinaz

Hmmmm profiling? Well heck if it's true I'm oddly OK with it.

Where there's profile smoke, there's fire. Lol! They are the most common offenders I see. Same with "takeovers"…..lots of Chargers and Challengers.

[paquet]

Originally Posted by Murf993

What I see a lot and if I was still working I'd be laying lots of charges for are people with their daytime running lights on (required in Canada on all new cars for years now). The headlights are on, and I think often the system has the dash lights on but not the full compliment of marker and tail lights. You'll see someone driving down the road at night with just headlights on and no other lights on the vehicle at all. Pretty dangerous in my view.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but the DRL's are only on front, aren't they?

Comparatively, the bike has both front and rear DRL's.

Ah, article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/driv...unning-lights/
Seems newer cars now will have them? Or already have them?

[F30lolz]

Earlier this morning I saw a tow truck driving w/o lights on in the dark. I would assume:

Creeping on an apartment complex nearby to see who’s illegally parked? But not many are out looking at their cars at 4:30 in the morning.

Looking to repo a car?

If you saw a tow truck driving w/o lights on, I would assume the same rules apply.

[upstatedoc]

What are the laws in California about a citizens arrest? I'm asking this after watching that woman assault the stewardess on the southwest flight. What kind of protection is there for someone who makes a citizens arrest?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Earlier this morning I saw a tow truck driving w/o lights on in the dark. I would assume:

Creeping on an apartment complex nearby to see who's illegally parked? But not many are out looking at their cars at 4:30 in the morning.

Looking to repo a car?

If you saw a tow truck driving w/o lights on, I would assume the same rules apply.

Do you mean on private property? Unless it's explicitly stated, we don't enforce the vehicle code on private property.

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

What are the laws in California about a citizens arrest? I'm asking this after watching that woman assault the stewardess on the southwest flight. What kind of protection is there for someone who makes a citizens arrest?

Well there are certain misdemeanor crimes we cannot arrest for unless we actually witness them; basic assaults being one of them. The person/victim has to be willing to pursue the court portion and the citizen's arrest (…e.g. press charges against the other person).

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by packet

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but the DRL's are only on front, aren't they?

Comparatively, the bike has both front and rear DRL's.

Ah, article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/driv...unning-lights/
Seems newer cars now will have them? Or already have them?

Yup, DRL are headlights only. So you see folks driving around here at night with only headlights on. I believe that many cars with the DRL lights have the instrument panel on all the time as well so folks forget to turn on the full lights.

[paquet]

I get what you mean now (I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue)

I actively look for the 'auto' lights button/setting in every vehicle I drive and then 'set it and forget it'.
Though I must say, yesterday's snow/rain weather combo in the GTA was bad enough to set the fog lights to 'on' (in addition to the lights coming on automatically)

[Fly320s]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

Aside from all the idiots that fail to turn the headlights on when needed I think there is also a lot of blame to be directed to the manufacturers that thought it would be a good idea to have the dash lights come on with the DRLs but not the tail and marker lights. Seriously, how many planning steps did this go through and how many levels of management approved the idea before it went into production? And it's not just one manufacturer, it seems to have happened with a lot of different makes simultaneously.

The dash lights are on because modern cars have electronic dashboards. Basically, they are computer screens. LCD screens. They need to be backlit to work. Very few cars have mechanical needles and gauges these days.

I put the blame on the government mandates that require DRLs. At night an average driver sees that there is some sort of headlight on and that the dashboard is lit up and just assumes the headlights are on. If the DRLs weren't on, then the driver might realize his mistake. Or if the dash was unlit that might also be a clue.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by Fly320s

The dash lights are on because modern cars have electronic dashboards. Basically, they are computer screens. LCD screens. They need to be backlit to work. Very few cars have mechanical needles and gauges these days.

I put the blame on the government mandates that require DRLs. At night an average driver sees that there is some sort of headlight on and that the dashboard is lit up and just assumes the headlights are on. If the DRLs weren't on, then the driver might realize his mistake. Or if the dash was unlit that might also be a clue.

I understand the need for a screen to be backlit. The vehicles I am talking about are the ones with analog instrument clusters that are lit up with the DRLs without lighting the tail lights and marker lights. There is a whole generation of these vehicles including my own 2010 VW Golf. I mean how hard could it be to send power to these lights along with the instrument cluster? When DRLs were first mandated in Canada the dash lights did not light up until you actually turned the headlights on when it got dark or when weather conditions dictated. It was some years later that the dash lights were tied to the DRLs. At that point the tail and marker lights should also have been tied to the DRLs but they weren't for some unknown reason. Well there are really two reasons that come to mind. The first is cost. But the wiring change to add a jumper to the DRL harness to power the tail light harness would cost literally pennies per vehicle. The second is mass stupidity on the part of the automotive industry in general. This could have been because no one thought to tie the DRLs to the tail lights or, management decided deliberately to not tie them together. Either way it's a failure on the part of the manufacturers, IMO.

Edit: I also realize that this is a moot point since Canada has now mandated that tail lights and marker lights are part of the DRL system and must light when the DRLs are on on all vehicles sold in Canada, effective September 2021.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

I understand the need for a screen to be backlit. The vehicles I am talking about are the ones with analog instrument clusters that are lit up with the DRLs without lighting the tail lights and marker lights. There is a whole generation of these vehicles including my own 2010 VW Golf. I mean how hard could it be to send power to these lights along with the instrument cluster? When DRLs were first mandated in Canada the dash lights did not light up until you actually turned the headlights on when it got dark or when weather conditions dictated. It was some years later that the dash lights were tied to the DRLs. At that point the tail and marker lights should also have been tied to the DRLs but they weren't for some unknown reason. Well there are really two reasons that come to mind. The first is cost. But the wiring change to add a jumper to the DRL harness to power the tail light harness would cost literally pennies per vehicle. The second is mass stupidity on the part of the automotive industry in general. This could have been because no one thought to tie the DRLs to the tail lights or, management decided deliberately to not tie them together. Either way it's a failure on the part of the manufacturers, IMO.

Edit: I also realize that this is a moot point since Canada has now mandated that tail lights and marker lights are part of the DRL system and must light when the DRLs are on on all vehicles sold in Canada, effective September 2021.

Finally, but given the average life span of a car is about 11 years we will have cars driving around without tail lights for years to come.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by Murf993

Finally, but given the average life span of a car is about 11 years we will have cars driving around without tail lights for years to come.

And the idiots driving them will still be around long after that.

[M5Rick]

On 80's Volvo Estates ALL the lights came on front and back whenever you started the car.

[Littlebear]

Respects to all those who fell protecting us. If not for them....

This is a good op/ed. An interview with Bill Bratton, the NY & LA Police Chief, by Maureen Dowd:

"Cops have never been so blue.
“The morale has never been as low as it is right now in the 50 years I’ve been dealing with it,” says Bill Bratton, the top cop who transformed the police departments in New York and Los Angeles, only to watch much of that progress go up in smoke."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/o...ce-reform.html

[Lady Jane]

Yesterday, I was invited by three of my Mounties for an RTE. During lunch, it was obvious they had lots on their mind so I invited them over this evening for dinner. Male Cops are tough nuts to crack unlike their female counterparts who, generally are like a breached dam.

My partner in crime from the clinic will also bring munchies and expertise. We can then chit-chat about the bullshit they must endure on a daily basis. They are young, married and still reeling from the murders of a couple of years ago.



Attachment 2616126

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Yesterday, I was invited by three of my Mounties for an RTE. During lunch, it was obvious they had lots on their mind so I invited them over this evening for dinner. Male Cops are tough nuts to crack unlike their female counterparts who, generally are like a breached dam.

My partner in crime from the clinic will also bring munchies and expertise. We can then chit-chat about the bullshit they must endure on a daily basis. They are young, married and still reeling from the murders of a couple of years ago.

I love them so much.

Attachment 2616126

That's really sweet of you L.J.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Yesterday, I was invited by three of my Mounties for an RTE. During lunch, it was obvious they had lots on their mind so I invited them over this evening for dinner. Male Cops are tough nuts to crack unlike their female counterparts who, generally are like a breached dam.

My partner in crime from the clinic will also bring munchies and expertise. We can then chit-chat about the bullshit they must endure on a daily basis. They are young, married and still reeling from the murders of a couple of years ago.



Attachment 2616126

I suspect they won't open up in a group if at all. I rarely talk about the demons and only to a select few. I remember telling a dear friend about a particularly bad weekend years ago. She was a reporter named Christie Blatchford whom I knew for decades and who I trusted completely. She'd been with the troops in Afghanistan, covered horrific murder trials as a crime reporter and was a tough nut. She was balling when I was done. Sometimes coppers just want to keep it buried deep. But none the less a very nice gesture on on your part.