ask a cop/jailer

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Graustein

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ace_of_something said:
I have actually sold drugs myself... but that was to arrest mid level dealers... and i didn't see one dime :p.
The cops are allowed to do that? I thought that came under entrapment (although I could be completely wrong).
 

ace_of_something

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Graustein said:
ace_of_something said:
I have actually sold drugs myself... but that was to arrest mid level dealers... and i didn't see one dime :p.
The cops are allowed to do that? I thought that came under entrapment (although I could be completely wrong).
entrapment is very very complicated. But I'll try to simplify it, it is entrapment if you make someone do something they would NOT normally do. example:

We put word out on the street that I am a drug wholesaler (selling large quantities to avoid arresting users and focusing on dealers) everyone in the neighborhood knows that another cop as a cornerman, who points to the building i'm 'living' in the our dealer comes in and buys the thousands of dollars of drugs. He was in no way 'forced' or 'tricked' to buy the drugs. Not entrapment

Now if that same guy comes in and says "naw, I don't want to buy today" I than tell him he can't leave till he buys. That would be entrapment.

Another example: We would set up cars with three cameras in them in nasty areas, and leave the windows rolled down. Those cars would get stolen about 5 times a day. Every one of them argued entrapment, none of them won because nothing forced or coerced them to steal the car, it was just parked on the street with the windows down. (No key!)
 

Action_Bastard

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Why is it that some cops are cool about some of the dumb shit that people do and some are ready to give you every charge that they could possibly give you? On a side note, do cops liked to be referred to as cops?
 

ace_of_something

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Action_Bastard said:
Why is it that some cops are cool about some of the dumb shit that people do and some are ready to give you every charge that they could possibly give you? On a side note, do cops liked to be referred to as cops?
Cops are human beings, some are cool, some are dicks. Just like anyone else.

Kind of the same answer for the 2nd one. However, I will say context is important. If you get pulled over and say "What do you want cop?" you're gonna get a pissy officer.
 

Novajam

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ace_of_something said:
Or in one case while I was on foot patrol I actually honest to god, got a little girl's cat out of a tree. She was 5 her mother thanked me and the little girl gave my leg a hug.
How dare you! Stealing the fire department's job like that. Disgraceful =P

Anyway, here in Western Australia the number of incidents of assaults on police officers has increased recently, and now the state government is putting new laws in place to punish people who do this (previously there was a fine of $100).

How do they treat that sort of thing in the States?
 

excessum ado

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Are the rumors about the showers really true? eg is there a lot of sexual assault? Or is that just a deterant to scare people out of crime?
 

ace_of_something

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Novajam said:
ace_of_something said:
Or in one case while I was on foot patrol I actually honest to god, got a little girl's cat out of a tree. She was 5 her mother thanked me and the little girl gave my leg a hug.
How dare you! Stealing the fire department's job like that. Disgraceful =P

Anyway, here in Western Australia the number of incidents of assaults on police officers has increased recently, and now the state government is putting new laws in place to punish people who do this (previously there was a fine of $100).

How do they treat that sort of thing in the States?
Wow, One thing most people from other countries don't realize about the USA is we have 50 states and they all have 50 different sets of law/punishment practices, although you can generalize... Most states Assault on Officer carries jail time, usually a month. Also if an officer is assaulted they legally can use one level of force above the offender.
So if you start punching, a cop can use a mild weapon (a baton). If you pull out a knife, that's lethal force so expect it back.
 

ace_of_something

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excessum ado said:
Are the rumors about the showers really true? eg is there a lot of sexual assault? Or is that just a deterant to scare people out of crime?
There is a small amount of truth to this, however it is GREATLY exaggerated. First of all this is pretty much non-existent in jails. (a jail is where you go when first arrested and where you sit while you await trial or are sentenced to less than 2 years)

Statistically, if a grown man is raped in the United States it will most likely be in prison. (prison is where you go after sentencing and if it's more than 2 years) But cases are incredibly rare. Part of this is because of the only thing president Bush did that I approved of The Prison Rape Elimination Act. This helps correctional centers train their officers and administration to identify potential victims and predators, and address the situations accordingly.
The reason it was previously a problem is that you could NOT be prosecuted legally for it, now you can be thanks to PREA.

Most of it is just Hollywood.
smallharmlesskitten said:
Would you take offence if I said
"Good afterble Constanoon"
Acting slightly drunk when I really wasn't
You'd be surprised how many people think it's HILARIOUS to fake being drunk. And how often they don't think we have hours upon hours of training to identify when someone is drunk.

I personally would make you do a sobriety test or two or three. This will waste some of your precious time. And if it's bad enough I'll give you the breathalyzer test and than say it was positive. (yes, deception is legal) Most people would freak out and let you know they?re faking by then.

They won't be a smart ass again. :)
 

ace_of_something

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Khell_Sennet said:
Couple Q's for ya Ace...

First, what state/province was your time spent in. Reason for asking being that your answers will reflect that jurisdiction's laws and thus things may or may not work the same where any of us are.

Second, in whatever jurisdiction you served, what would be the max, min, and most likely punishments for shooting someone with a paintball gun. This is of course, off range, and incase it matters or not, the person shot would be guilty of trespassing and possibly other misdemeanors which would be the motivation for the shooting. Also tied into this question, what trouble could a person face if they just brandish the paintball marker but do not point it at them, or fire it. Furthermore, if someone were to shoot another person with a paintball gun for the trespassing, can and would charges be filed against the so-called victim of the shooting for his misdemeanors?

Thirdly (if you count all the above one as one), I have a folding/lock-blade knife in my glove box, I keep it there because (especially in an emergency) you never know when you need a knife. I consider it a tool, not a weapon, and the blade itself is a legal model within the knife size/type restrictions of where I live. Being that it is kept in the same place as my insurance papers, should I mention its presence to an officer before I ever reach for my insurance, or am I just making more trouble for myself for doing so?

Fourthly, did they ever reveal to you the location of Jimmy Hoffa's body?
Well I?m trying to remind people that it is just my jurisdiction, outside of SENTENCING most states have very very similar laws. My area if you must know, pop is about 400,000 (plus surrounding areas).

Little confused on the question.
If someone is trespassing on your property shooting them with a paintball gun, while really stupid (what if they have a REAL gun?) isn?t illegal. You?re looking more at civil problems than criminal.

If YOU?RE trespassing on someone elses property and shoot THEM with a paintball gun. The paintball gun itself could be? terroristic threats, 1st degree assault, attempted armed robbery. The thing is that if you have something that LOOKS like a weapon you can still get a weapon charge. (a toy gun, or putting your finger under your coat and pretending it?s a gun) I couldn?t even hazard to guess the sentencing, as sentencing in this country is made of many complex formulas and deals are made frequently that?d be more a question for an attorney.

I would keep it somewhere else, or say ?there is a knife in my glove box next to my insurance papers, do you still want me to grab the papers or do you want to do it??

No, they don?t tell you until you?re a captain I only made corporal
 

milskidasith

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To carry around a tazer and pepper spray as a cop, do you really have to be tazed/pepper sprayed? It's a popular rumor around here.

Also, what's the most graphic sight you have seen as a cop?
 

ace_of_something

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milskidasith said:
To carry around a tazer and pepper spray as a cop, do you really have to be tazed/pepper sprayed? It's a popular rumor around here.

Also, what's the most graphic sight you have seen as a cop?
Nearly every department makes you do that now-a-days. It's so your understand how it feels and don't go all willynilly with it. That being said, I'd rather be tased than pepper sprayed. Tazed it's like other than getting the hooks out once your tased it's over. The OC spray makes it look like you have two black eyes for like a good 24 hours later.

The most graphic?
Assuming you mean gory, probably when they hauled a body out of a swimming pool, I was the lucky patrolman who was first on scene so I had to stay around while detectives did their thing.
Here's what you don't know about bodies submerged in water, the skin if not handled properly slides off the body like soft putty, exposing all of what is underneath said skin. Also chlorine burns all the hair, lips, and the eyelids off of a body, turns the eyes to raisins, and makes the skin look semi-transparent.

Khell_Sennet said:
ace_of_something said:
Little confused on the question.
If someone is trespassing on your property shooting them with a paintball gun, while really stupid (what if they have a REAL gun?) isn't illegal. You're looking more at civil problems than criminal.

If YOU'RE trespassing on someone elses property and shoot THEM with a paintball gun. The paintball gun itself could be... terroristic threats, 1st degree assault, attempted armed robbery. The thing is that if you have something that LOOKS like a weapon you can still get a weapon charge. (a toy gun, or putting your finger under your coat and pretending it's a gun) I couldn't even hazard to guess the sentencing, as sentencing in this country is made of many complex formulas and deals are made frequently that'd be more a question for an attorney.
Not to pre-incriminate myself for an offense I may or may not commit, but the reasons behind the paintball query is the number of bottle/trash picking hobos we get in my complex is astounding. Being I am in Canada, there must be a big difference in how we treat paintball versus how the US does, because I don't know much about the laws, but I know pointing a paintball marker at someone, whether or not you fire it, is a felony.

So my whole line of inquiry was regarding what potential punishment I would face should I paintball the trespassing hobos, and if charges were filed against me for the attack, would the hobo also be charged for his crimes (namely trespassing, invasion of privacy for going through our garbage, and possibly other minor offenses).

I would say if it?s illegal to point the marker it?s probably not real smart to fire the thing.

Well, in the united states it is perfectly legal to go through someone?s garbage as something you were throwing out you can not reasonably expect a right to privacy. (fbi does it a lot) Violation of rights is also a civil issue, not criminal. I would call it first degree assault since you had to think ?I?m going to shoot this guy? by going to get the gun, it shows forethought. Here that?s I think 6months-3years if it?s the first time. I think, like I said sentencing is insanely complex.

I suggest putting glue traps around the trash, hobos hate getting their feet sticky.
 

hypothetical fact

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Do you believe in the death penalty and do you believe that sentences for criminals are given too lightly, particularly when the criminal is underage.
 

Helnurath

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Nov 27, 2008
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Is it legal to shoot someone who is trying to mug/rob/carjack you?
Have assault weapons been banned or is there a special license you need to purchase/maintain one?
Why are silencers banned?
How many times can I shoot someone during a home invasion before its considered excessive?

(I live in Florida, we have a conceal and carry law.)

Can you recommend a good personal defense handgun?