VA Trooper questioned me at Burger King today

Elkad · Feb 9, 2009

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He was still checking up on you, you just passed his test. If you were a critter, you would have likely panicked or been evasive when he spoke to you.

What if the encounter had gone like this.

Cop: "nice glock"
Citizen: "uh yeah. Damn, I left my wallet in the car".
*Citizen rushes to car and drives away*

While that action would be perfectly legal, likely you'd have got traffic stopped before you got 2 blocks for failure to signal or something.

Being friendly and polite to the policeman, even if he's overstepping his authority a bit, goes a long way. That doesn't mean you have to submit to illegal searches and provide ID on a whim, just don't be a jerk.

riverrat10k · Feb 9, 2009

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Nice post armed. Kinda knew most of this, but interesting to really think that you could be in five overlapping law enforcement districts. Just a little unnerving for me, in a way. Nice concise post.

riverrat10k · Feb 9, 2009

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I also agree w/Elkad. No need to be a dick just because one OC's. Again, context is everything. No way to ascertain any inflection in these on -line posts, for example. I don't feel any need to stir the pot beyond the OC itself.Don't get me wrong, I will certainly stand up for my rights, but as non-confrontation-ally as possible with LEO. Those who have had bad experiences, well, thanks loads for making my life easier.

rivverrat

Grapeshot · Feb 9, 2009

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wylde007 wrote:

Grapeshot wrote:

Local yokels !? They're responsible citizens... Either we are equal or...

Click to expand...

You seem to have a real problem with "context".:banghead:

Local Yokels is just another term for city (or county) police or sheriffs/deputies. It has absolutely nothing to do with the citizenry in this reference.

And, since you're looking for an argument, I was remarking how the fact that I see so many of our men in blue carrying Glocks, that it made me feel really good about my decision to carry same.

While I have neither a problem real or imagined, I disagree with unnecessary use of negative terms and as such would never so describe either citizen or LEO. It does reflect primarily on the user though - so knock yourself out.

Yata hey

wylde007 · Feb 9, 2009

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Grapeshot wrote:

It does reflect primarily on the user though - so knock yourself out.

If you say so.

Again, you have taken liberty to apply a context and intent to my words that do not exist and have, by that encroachment, made them out to be something that they are not - an insult.

To me, you're no better than a Hollywood liberal making the Confederate Navy Jack out to be a symbol of racism... a character that it did not originally carry but was applied to it by ignorant and arrogant misrepresentation.

But, as you say, [assumption] does reflect primarily on the user, so knock yourself out.

Sheriff · Feb 10, 2009

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In addition to the several replies above mine explaining the inner workings, one of the funniest things in Virginia is the amount of people under the assumption a sheriff's deputy can't enforce criminal and traffic laws in a city or county that has both a police department and sheriff's office. People assume the sheriff is in charge of the jails and courts only. WRONG! A city sheriff's deputy or a county sheriff's deputy can write you just as fast as a state trooper, county cop or city cop can. Many people learn this the hard way.

And of course, like in the last department I worked at, Virginia still has many counties left where there is no police department and theSheriff's Office does it all.... criminal, civil, jails and courts.

wylde007 · Feb 10, 2009

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The Sheriff (and this is being qualified in the BIG TIME in Wyoming, search it) is THE highest law enforcement office in any city or county seat.

They are the ELECTED law enforcement head and have the FINAL SAY, Constitutionally, on ALL law enforcement policy.

ProShooter · Feb 10, 2009

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Sheriff wrote:

In addition to the several replies above mine explaining the inner workings, one of the funniest things in Virginia is the amount of people under the assumption a sheriff's deputy can't enforce criminal and traffic laws in a city or county that has both a police department and sheriff's office. People assume the sheriff is in charge of the jails and courts only. WRONG! A city sheriff's deputy or a county sheriff's deputy can write you just as fast as a state trooper, county cop or city cop can. Many people learn this the hard way.

And of course, like in the last department I worked at, Virginia still has many counties left where there is no police department and theSheriff's Office does it all.... criminal, civil, jails and courts.

Some Deputies dont know that either.

Sheriff · Feb 10, 2009

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wylde007 wrote:

The Sheriff (and this is being qualified in the BIG TIME in Wyoming, search it) is THE highest law enforcement office in any city or county seat.

They are the ELECTED law enforcement head and have the FINAL SAY, Constitutionally, on ALL law enforcement policy.

Not exactly true.

The commonwealth's attorney is the highest ranking law enforcement officer in any city or county in Virginia. This therefore makes his/her office the highest ranking law enforcement office as well.

richarcm · Feb 11, 2009

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Chaingun81 wrote:

Sorry for an OT question, but can anyone explain one thing that's been bugging me for a long time? What is the difference between state, county and local police? I mean in duties, rights, responsibilities, assignemnts? Luckily, i didn't have any interactions with police so the only place i see them is on the road - patrolling, pulling people over, documenting accidents - and in all these duties i've seen all three groups, so i'm not sure what the separation is and what is the purpose of such separation. Can anyone shed light on this?

They do not have authority to enforce the law outside of their stated jurisdictions (ie Fairfax County can not enforce law in Arlington County). However they do have authority to enforce laws of jurisdictions within their own (ie VA State Police can enforce laws in Fairfax County).

I believe that only state police can enforce law on interstates as they are not ruled by local ordinances but by state ordinances. However if you get a ticket by a trooper on an interstate they send you to the county/city courthouse to which the interestate intersects. State police typically do not concentrate on local streets (although they can) because they trust the local county departments to hold them down while they take care of the interstates.

richarcm · Feb 11, 2009

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Elkad wrote:

He was still checking up on you, you just passed his test. If you were a critter, you would have likely panicked or been evasive when he spoke to you.

What if the encounter had gone like this.

Cop: "nice glock"
Citizen: "uh yeah. Damn, I left my wallet in the car".
*Citizen rushes to car and drives away*

While that action would be perfectly legal, likely you'd have got traffic stopped before you got 2 blocks for failure to signal or something.

Being friendly and polite to the policeman, even if he's overstepping his authority a bit, goes a long way. That doesn't mean you have to submit to illegal searches and provide ID on a whim, just don't be a jerk.

Well said. There is a fine line both the officer and the citizen must walk. If the cop is being pleasant with you it is in your best interest to be pleasant to him/her. If the cop is harassing you....that is when you choose to record and shutup.

Hawkflyer · Feb 11, 2009

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richarcm wrote:

...SNIP

I believe that only state police can enforce law on interstates as they are not ruled by local ordinances but by state ordinances. However if you get a ticket by a trooper on an interstate they send you to the county/city courthouse to which the interestate intersects. State police typically do not concentrate on local streets (although they can) because they trust the local county departments to hold them down while they take care of the interstates.

Actually local LEOs can enforce on the interstate too. Normally they let the State police handle interstates because in most cases the exits are not at county borders and they have to leave their jurisdictions to turn around. But they do have jurisdiction on interstates in their legal patrol areas.

Sheriff · Feb 11, 2009

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Hawkflyer wrote:

Actually local LEOs can enforce on the interstate too.

Ohh, By God, yes sir! Like the Augusta County deputy sheriff who not long ago stopped a caravan of New Jersey cops who were driving like total idiots on I-64 in his county. The New Jersey cops thought they were exempt from the Virginia laws because they were running their blue lights. Whoop-tee-doo! Wow, what a stink that was! But the deputy had no choice after numerous Virginia motorists had called in and complained on their reckless driving.

Later, there was actually a phone call posted on the Internet between theAugusta Countydeputy sheriff and the New Jersey police chief. The chief proved himself to be just as big an idiot as his troops were. I would have decked him if he talked to me like he did to that deputy sheriff!

The hilarious part of this entire thing.... as well as I recall, the Virginia State Police took most of the blame associated with the traffic stop. People assumed it was a trooper, not a deputy sheriff. :lol:

Hawkflyer · Feb 11, 2009

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Sheriff wrote:

Hawkflyer wrote:

Actually local LEOs can enforce on the interstate too.

Click to expand...

Ohh, By God, yes sir! Like the Augusta County deputy sheriff who not long ago stopped a caravan of New Jersey cops who were driving like total idiots on I-64 in his county. The New Jersey cops thought they were exempt from the Virginia laws because they were running their blue lights. Whoop-tee-doo! Wow, what a stink that was! But the deputy had no choice after numerous Virginia motorists had called in and complained on their reckless driving.

Later, there was actually a phone call posted on the Internet between theAugusta Countydeputy sheriff and the New Jersey police chief. The chief proved himself to be just as big an idiot as his troops were. I would have decked him if he talked to me like he did to that deputy sheriff!

The hilarious part of this entire thing.... as well as I recall, the Virginia State Police took most of the blame associated with the traffic stop. People assumed it was a trooper, not a deputy sheriff. :lol:

Yup. I wrote a letter to the editor down there that got published. I also sent letters to the local papers in New Jersey, and they got published. I also called that Sheriff in New Jersey. He would not take the call but I talked to one of his deputies. Basically we agreed that they should go to Louisiana via Ohio the next time.

In my book our guy was right on the money. He should run for Governor.

Armed · Feb 11, 2009

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Sheriff wrote:

Ohh, By God, yes sir! Like the Augusta County deputy sheriff who not long ago stopped a caravan of New Jersey cops who were driving like total idiots on I-64 in his county. The New Jersey cops thought they were exempt from the Virginia laws because they were running their blue lights. Whoop-tee-doo! Wow, what a stink that was! But the deputy had no choice after numerous Virginia motorists had called in and complained on their reckless driving.

Yeah, I remember that incident. That deputy deserved a medal for what he did, the amount of crap he had to put up with from the New Jersey cops (cough, spit), and then the public rant and slander from theNJ Sheriff over the incident.

What a bunch of @$$holes! I knew there was a reason I never likedNew Jersey....

Sheriff · Feb 11, 2009

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Hawkflyer wrote:

Basically we agreed that they should go to Louisiana via Ohio the next time.

They were actually on their way back to New Jersey. Which in turn means there was NO emergency in them getting anywhere to help anybody. They were in a hurry to get home and driving 90 and 100 mph in a 65 mph speed zone.

I honestly think if the police chief had been withthem, he would have talked himself into jail in a heartbeat!:lol:

KBCraig · Feb 11, 2009

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Wasn't that the same NJ bunch who made the funny papers for posing with Hooters Girls? And the lieutenant got the boot for misappropriating funds and forcing his officers to build a deck on his house?

Sheriff · Feb 11, 2009

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KBCraig wrote:

Wasn't that the same NJ bunch who made the funny papers for posing with Hooters Girls? And the lieutenant got the boot for misappropriating funds and forcing his officers to build a deck on his house?

I'm not sure. Could be.

riverrat10k · Feb 11, 2009

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Hawkflyer wrote:

richarcm wrote:

...SNIP

Click to expand...

Actually local LEOs can enforce on the interstate too. Normally they let the State police handle interstates because in most cases the exits are not at county borders and they have to leave their jurisdictions to turn around. But they do have jurisdiction on interstates in their legal patrol areas.

I-95 through Emporia, VA is heavily patrolled by both State Troopers and Sheriffs Dept.

KBCraig · Feb 11, 2009

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Sheriff wrote:

KBCraig wrote:

Wasn't that the same NJ bunch who made the funny papers for posing with Hooters Girls? And the lieutenant got the boot for misappropriating funds and forcing his officers to build a deck on his house?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure. Could be.

Ah, after some google-fu, I see that the speeders were Passaic County, but the Hooters team were Hoboken SWAT (which has been disbanded).

VA Trooper questioned me at Burger King today

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