Going on a police ride-a-long **UPDATED** done with the ride...

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RU482

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
12,689
3
81
I was listening to a radio talk show today. The guest was the chief of police (I think) in Des Moines. He mentioned a shirt that their team wears..."90% boredom, 10% sheer terror"

the older I get, the more respect I have for cops
 

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,090
2
81
Originally posted by: Dissipate
Originally posted by: Feldenak
Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to arrange a ride-along, and who is eligible? Anyone?

It varies from department to department, but here all you have to do is go to the front desk at the PD and arrange for one. They ask for a reason, and since I'm hoping to be employed there that's what I put. Not sure what the average person would say...personal interest?

would personal interest qualify as a valid reason?

I would think that personal interest would qualify as valid. It would look good from a PR standpoint if citizens see what cops normally do on a regular night.

They can do that buy watching Cops on TV.

Riiiight.
 

Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to arrange a ride-along, and who is eligible? Anyone?

It varies from department to department, but here all you have to do is go to the front desk at the PD and arrange for one. They ask for a reason, and since I'm hoping to be employed there that's what I put. Not sure what the average person would say...personal interest?

would personal interest qualify as a valid reason?

I'm sure it would, unless they have a really high demand for ride-a-longs and have to limit them to prospective employees.

Originally posted by: Loggerman
you'll know where all the Donut shops are !!!!!

Still wouldn't want the job myself.

Damn stereotype. :|

I REALLY hope you didnt get mad at that statement...if so, perhaps you should look into another line of work. You need some thicker skin.
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
Originally posted by: Dissipate
Originally posted by: Feldenak
Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to arrange a ride-along, and who is eligible? Anyone?

It varies from department to department, but here all you have to do is go to the front desk at the PD and arrange for one. They ask for a reason, and since I'm hoping to be employed there that's what I put. Not sure what the average person would say...personal interest?

would personal interest qualify as a valid reason?

I would think that personal interest would qualify as valid. It would look good from a PR standpoint if citizens see what cops normally do on a regular night.

They can do that buy watching Cops on TV.


and Reno 911!!!
 

bunker

Lifer
Apr 23, 2001
10,572
0
71
I went on a ride-along when I was in college. I was in the back w/ two officers. The bastards thought they'd be cute and put a drunk guy in the back with me they were taking in. They got chewed out by the seargent because he saw us pull up to the station :).

Nothing too exciting happened, we went in some nasty looking crack house for an arrest warrant (this is in Detroit btw), got to the 2nd floor where the guy was sleeping...buck nekkid. I really didn't need to see that. He didn't put up any kind of resistance and they had to take him to the psych ward at the hospital.

Thankfully their backup followed them to the hospital and took me with them so we didn't have to worry about the psycho.


And before anyone asks, yes I got back in the car where they put that guy, but he had clothes on and they disinfect the plastic seat in back with some water and bleach everytime they have someone back there. At least they did when I was with them, I'm sure they probably don't always :).
 

MartyMcFly3

Lifer
Jan 18, 2003
11,436
29
91
www.youtube.com
Originally posted by: bunker
I went on a ride-along when I was in college. I was in the back w/ two officers. The bastards thought they'd be cute and put a drunk guy in the back with me they were taking in. They got chewed out by the seargent because he saw us pull up to the station :).

Nothing too exciting happened, we went in some nasty looking crack house for an arrest warrant (this is in Detroit btw), got to the 2nd floor where the guy was sleeping...buck nekkid. I really didn't need to see that. He didn't put up any kind of resistance and they had to take him to the psych ward at the hospital.

Thankfully their backup followed them to the hospital and took me with them so we didn't have to worry about the psycho.


And before anyone asks, yes I got back in the car where they put that guy, but he had clothes on and they disinfect the plastic seat in back with some water and bleach everytime they have someone back there. At least they did when I was with them, I'm sure they probably don't always :).

No offense to your story, but i call shenanigans. Too much responsibility on the officer's part to not only A) let you go inside a crack house, but B) let you sit in the back seat with him.... I couldnt even get out of the car on a random traffic stop when i went on my ride-a-long.... If it is true, Detroit has a messed up police system.

As for my experience, nothing happened there but it was awesome just to see how the police do their jobs.
 

Jhill

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,187
3
0
I went on a ride along in California once. We followed a guy who ran from us. He was in a White Bronco with a suicide note and a fake ID and a cut on his hand. He also had a passport and 2k in cash.

Luckily the courts found this poor guy innocent.
 

bunker

Lifer
Apr 23, 2001
10,572
0
71
Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Originally posted by: bunker
I went on a ride-along when I was in college. I was in the back w/ two officers. The bastards thought they'd be cute and put a drunk guy in the back with me they were taking in. They got chewed out by the seargent because he saw us pull up to the station :).

Nothing too exciting happened, we went in some nasty looking crack house for an arrest warrant (this is in Detroit btw), got to the 2nd floor where the guy was sleeping...buck nekkid. I really didn't need to see that. He didn't put up any kind of resistance and they had to take him to the psych ward at the hospital.

Thankfully their backup followed them to the hospital and took me with them so we didn't have to worry about the psycho.


And before anyone asks, yes I got back in the car where they put that guy, but he had clothes on and they disinfect the plastic seat in back with some water and bleach everytime they have someone back there. At least they did when I was with them, I'm sure they probably don't always :).

No offense to your story, but i call shenanigans. Too much responsibility on the officer's part to not only A) let you go inside a crack house, but B) let you sit in the back seat with him.... I couldnt even get out of the car on a random traffic stop when i went on my ride-a-long.... If it is true, Detroit has a messed up police system.

As for my experience, nothing happened there but it was awesome just to see how the police do their jobs.

Call shenanigans all you want. This was ten years ago and I did it as a part of getting my CJ degree.
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
As I expected, it was a pretty quiet night. The night started pretty slow with a call to a loud apartment. The officer did some paperwork waiting for the 2nd unit for about 15 minutes (he witnessed an 18-wheeler plow into the back of a car at a stop light before my ride started), but when backup arrived we went in. The guy was belligerent, disrespectful, and wasn't giving complete information. He told the other officer to leave because he was on "a very important phone call" and the officer stared at him and then said "well, I'm on very important POLICE BUSINESS." The man continued to be an ass, so the officer told him that he will be evicted. He collected info on the landlord and the guy will probably out within the week.

The next call was a drunk 50y/o woman leaving a restaurant without her coat and walking off. Her b/f (about 55y/o) was distraught and after talking with him the officer and I proceeded to search the adjacent 3-4 blocks and businesses (which was extremely cold). We couldn't find anything but a few footprints, so we returned to the squad car. When we got back there, we recieved word that she had been found, so we let the b/f know and made him leave his vehicle behind the restaurant (he was plastered too). We drove him to her home, but neither of them had keys (they were left in the b/f's vehicle), so we ended up driving the couple to his house. On the way, she threw up all over the back seat of the squadcar...needless to say the officer wasn't pleased. Compound that with the b/f trying to give directions to the officer on where to go, commenting on at least one house per block, and that he thought his g/f "may have puked" because he can "smell something"...yeah, we could smell "something" too. We arrived at his home, and she fell out of the backseat, nailing her head on the driveway. The officer wouldn't touch her, since she was covered in vomit, and the once concerned b/f said to leave her outside for about 10 minutes...nice. The officer pulled the seat out of the car and rubbed it in the snow to remove the chunks. We then went back to the PD so he could disinfect the car. He commented several times on the chunkiness of the vomit, and proceeded to identify the various chunks (mushrooms, peppers, onions, and a "bread-like" substance that he told another officer "didn't taste like bread" ;)).

After that we did a lot of driving around and the officer finished his reports. We were driving through a bar parking lot when I pointed out a young guy taking a leak on a building. We got out and got his ID and ran it for warrants, but it came up negative, so we sent him on his way.

The next (and final) incidents involved the same people. We pulled up on someone about to get into a vehicle with an open alcohol container, but as they saw our car they promptly set the container on the ground and tried to get in the vehicle like nothing happened. We stopped next to them and ran background checks on that individual and the driver, and made the driver take a breathalyzer. He came up .01 short of the legal limit, but the officer wouldn't let him drive, so they were instructed to go back in the house, which they did.

The last call was another loud party. The responsible parties were staring at us through the upstairs window, so we stood in their entryway for a good 10 minutes before anyone finally came down. The owner of the place was initially uncooperative, but he changed his tune when the officer explained the penalties he was looking at (minor in possession, distributing to a minor, violation of the loud party ordinance, etc.). The crowd dispersed, including all of the people we wouldn't let drive in the last incident--luckily for them they got a ride there from someone else, and we were let into the home. The officers made the young guy pour out ALL of the alcohol he had (a lot...we were there over 20 minutes watching him pour it out), and he was thankful that the officers didn't cite him. They made it clear that if they were ever called back he would be going to jail. He shook our hands and we were on our way. That was the end of my ride.
 

Loggerman

Senior member
Apr 28, 2000
822
0
0
See some of you have NO sense of humor.

But the New police station here is being built kitty corner to a Tim Hortons.

All joking aside. These people deserve more respect. IMHO
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: FallenHero
Originally posted by: Loggerman
you'll know where all the Donut shops are !!!!!

Still wouldn't want the job myself.

Damn stereotype. :|

I REALLY hope you didnt get mad at that statement...if so, perhaps you should look into another line of work. You need some thicker skin.[/quote]

I didn't really get mad, it's just not a funny stereotype. If you want a funny stereotype talk about black people liking fried chicken.


I've seen too much Chappelle's Show. ;)
 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
And after all that, you still WANT to be a cop? ;)

Very cool that you get to experience a bit of the reality during your studies. Good thread.
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: yllus
And after all that, you still WANT to be a cop? ;)

Very cool that you get to experience a bit of the reality during your studies. Good thread.

Hah, I was actually thinking that when we were driving back with all that puke sitting in the car. I must be nuts!

Thanks, yllus. :)
 

Loggerman

Senior member
Apr 28, 2000
822
0
0
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: FallenHero
Originally posted by: Loggerman
you'll know where all the Donut shops are !!!!!

Still wouldn't want the job myself.

Damn stereotype. :|

I REALLY hope you didnt get mad at that statement...if so, perhaps you should look into another line of work. You need some thicker skin.

I didn't really get mad, it's just not a funny stereotype. If you want a funny stereotype talk about black people liking fried chicken.

Lots of things aren't funny (sterotype)

get over it.


I've seen too much Chappelle's Show. ;)[/quote]

 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: Loggerman
Lots of things aren't funny (sterotype)

get over it.

So I should get over something that I wasn't upset about? Easy enough.
 

THELAIR

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,493
0
0
Badruth, where are you from?

Ive been on 3 ride alongs, all were pretty good. All of them were during different times of the year, one during the summer, and two during hte winter. I also got to split my time with the officers and the duty sgt, so if the officers i rode with got bogged down in paper work, I would transfer over to the Sgt's supervisor vehicle and ride with him. Was pretty cool, I always went with the downtown district, thats where most of the action was.

did full 10 hour shifts on all of em.
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
This happened in Grand Forks?

Originally posted by: THELAIR
Bradruth, where are you from?

Ive been on 3 ride alongs, all were pretty good. All of them were during different times of the year, one during the summer, and two during hte winter. I also got to split my time with the officers and the duty sgt, so if the officers i rode with got bogged down in paper work, I would transfer over to the Sgt's supervisor vehicle and ride with him. Was pretty cool, I always went with the downtown district, thats where most of the action was.

did full 10 hour shifts on all of em.

Yep, this was in Grand Forks. The GFPD only allows 5-hour (half-shift) rides and you stick with one officer the whole time. On one level it's nice to see everything an officer has to do, but on another level it can be a little boring watching him do paperwork for an hour. :)