What's up with cops turning their lights on to go through a red light...

[BoberFett]

Here's a fact: SacrosanctFiend is a knob gobbling pig lover whose only goal in life is to get on his knees for any cop within lips reach.

Oh wait, that's an opinion. Here's a real fact: SacrosanctFiend is so stupid he doesn't understand the difference between facts on opinion and his only recourse when arguing is logical fallacies, therefore his opinion means jack shit.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Cuhulainn
Lucky for you he wasn't stating it because you asked, it was because he has every right to voice his opinion, no matter how you feel about it. God bless America.

My point wasn't whether or not anyone has been convicted of anything, it was the statement that "your opinion means jack shit" is a fact, which it is clearly not. Disputing that will only make you look foolish.

Well, I don't believe that my opinion is fact (though I'm honored that some do ). Also, I never said he didn't have a right to voice his opinion, only commented on its worth (I'm allowed to do that, right...God Bless America and everything). If you want to weigh a hard-biased opinion as equal to a, relatively, non-biased one that's your business, but would only make you look foolish.

 

[gorcorps]

I see it all the time around my area. It's just an abuse of power is all, and they could (and may) be doing worse and getting away with it. The light timing around my area is terrible though, so at night when you're waiting at a red light for nothing it'd be great to have a way to go through it. If I was a cop I'd do it, it's the fault of whoever keeps these lights timed past 11pm.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Here's a fact: SacrosanctFiend is a knob gobbling pig lover whose only goal in life is to get on his knees for any cop within lips reach.

Oh wait, that's an opinion. Here's a real fact: SacrosanctFiend is so stupid he doesn't understand the difference between facts on opinion and his only recourse when arguing is logical fallacies, therefore his opinion means jack shit.

Where have I, once, called my opinions fact? I believe the only fact that I stated was that zane was a convicted druggie, which happens to be one. Reading comprehension escapes you.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do you people not understand that some calls require a silent response, meaning no lights or sirens?

Obviously they don't. It's more popular to think it's the police abusing their powers.

I'm not a cop...but wouldn't it be logical to hit your lights til you're close to the scene in those cases? You don't have to be "silently approaching" from 5 miles away...and if you do, turning on your lights through the intersection sorta blows that, no?

 

[Jeeebus]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do you people not understand that some calls require a silent response, meaning no lights or sirens?

Obviously they don't. It's more popular to think it's the police abusing their powers.

I'm not a cop...but wouldn't it be logical to hit your lights til you're close to the scene in those cases? You don't have to be "silently approaching" from 5 miles away...and if you do, turning on your lights through the intersection sorta blows that, no?

I don't doubt that there are some cops out there who will turn their lights on to go through a red light for the sole purpose of going through the red light. I'd like to believe that in most cases, it's for legitimate reasons, and that like with most professions, the assholes are a distinct minority. Anyone who is going to sit here and preach, however, that 100% of cops are assholes or 100% of cops are angels in an idiot and shouldn't be listened to.

However, as to your point, I've heard from somewhere that at night in quiet neighborhoods, lights/sirens can be seen/heard from several miles away. Ya, a quick flash of lights might clue someone in to the fact that the cop is approaching, but if the choice is between a quick flash of lights or getting t-boned by a car going 60mph through an intersection, well...

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do you people not understand that some calls require a silent response, meaning no lights or sirens?

That would defy against the passive-aggressive nature of the internet.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do you people not understand that some calls require a silent response, meaning no lights or sirens?

If they aren't supposed to use lights and sirens why are they turning on the lights to get through a traffic light?



What part of "no lights and sirens" is difficult to understand?

Because turning on the lights for a brief moment at a busy intersection is better than causing an accident and it's ineffective to wait for traffic lights to turn?


Honestly, I really don't give a crap WHY they are doing it because they are working on the taxpayer's dollar and paying them to sit in line at a traffic light seems really worthless. I don't condone abusing the lights, but I just don't give a crap. I have more important things to worry about, like picking my butt.

 

[ColdFusion718]

...because they're asshole pigs in a hurry to get to Krispy Kreme before they close.

 

[alkemyst]

Donuts don't stay hot for long once out of the oven.

 

[mattocs]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Maybe cops in Pittsburgh are all douchebags like the Steelers fans in general

Its true. Pittsburgh cops FTL.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do you people not understand that some calls require a silent response, meaning no lights or sirens?

Obviously they don't. It's more popular to think it's the police abusing their powers.

I'm not a cop...but wouldn't it be logical to hit your lights til you're close to the scene in those cases? You don't have to be "silently approaching" from 5 miles away...and if you do, turning on your lights through the intersection sorta blows that, no?

I seriously cannot believe this discussion has gone this far.

Code 2- Means urgent, no lights and sirens
Code 3- Means lights and sirens

Code 3 Silent- Means get there as quickly as you can without noise or being noticed. (Last time I checked you couldn't see the party lights from five miles away.)

Sometimes we would run 2 1/2 (Not a real code, sort of an unofficial thing) back to the hospital or trauma center. That means drive smoothly but use lights and/or sirens to get through traffic and lights. You never really want to use sirens for cardiac patients because it just stresses them out more, but you want them there quickly. Same with potential spinal injuries, drive smoothly but quickly.

 

[McCarthy]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I'm not a cop...but wouldn't it be logical to hit your lights til you're close to the scene in those cases? You don't have to be "silently approaching" from 5 miles away...and if you do, turning on your lights through the intersection sorta blows that, no?

Good question. I'll let a cop explain. Since I'm pulling this from another site, I won't name him, but let it be known he is a sworn LEO with a long career in addition to being a generous and good natured guy.

"On a serious note, I am one of those that gets complained on. I RARELY run lights and siren, I follow the "run silent, run safe" technique. It has been my experience that people do the most stupid shit imaginable when they see lights and siren behind them. If I just "sneak" through I am by them and on my way before they know what happened. If I come to an intersection I stop, Light em up, go through, and shut em down. I am sure the citizen thinks I am on a donut run, but know what? I don't care, as long as the log shows I was rolling on a call, so be it."

Put yourself in that Crown Vic and just imagine how the traffic ahead must look when you turn on the lights. Everyone reacts a little bit differently. Heck, I'll just quote another officer to let them describe it.

"After a few years I learned a very valuable lesson. Around this town you can actually move faster without lights and siren, seems like the minute you turn those on for some reason drivers in front loose all common sense and knowledge of the law. I have seen numerous people stop in the fast lane on the interstate, some pull to the left against a concrete wall with no emergency lane, and some just slow down and block your way. As any of you know that have driven through or around this city, the speed limits are ignored for the most part, triple digit speeds are common. If the public doesn't see you coming then they generally move on down the road at a high enough speed for you to get where you need to be. Lights and siren when you need to hit the emergency lane and get thru a traffic jam otherwise safer not to even let em see ya."

 

[Soundmanred]

This kind of situation went terribly wrong where I live not too long ago. The officer hit and killed a woman and kid early in the morning by "running silent". It was estimated he was doing 80-85 miles per hour through a red light with no lights or siren. He was placed in critical condition and everyone was crying more for him than the dead mother and child. Until they found out he had no reason whatsoever to be going that fast without lights and/or sirens. No calls made around that time in that area to respond to, no emergency, nothing. Sad. He's ok, but there's still 2 dead innocents. I haven't heard anything more about it, so I'm not sure what happened following the investigation.
People can be idiots, not just cops, but I'm not a fan of them either.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Soundmanred
This kind of situation went terribly wrong where I live not too long ago. The officer hit and killed a woman and kid early in the morning by "running silent". It was estimated he was doing 80-85 miles per hour through a red light with no lights or siren. He was placed in critical condition and everyone was crying more for him than the dead mother and child. Until they found out he had no reason whatsoever to be going that fast without lights and/or sirens. No calls made around that time in that area to respond to, no emergency, nothing. Sad. He's ok, but there's still 2 dead innocents. I haven't heard anything more about it, so I'm not sure what happened following the investigation.
People can be idiots, not just cops, but I'm not a fan of them either.

Regardless of the priority of the call, the liability (in NH and FL offhand..unsure of everywhere else) of going through a light rests with the officer operating the vehicle.

 

[fstime]

i've seen it too a couple times.

usually very late at night or in the morning when its still dark.

 

[Wuffsunie]

I remember an article a while back that was posted here about someone who laid on the horn at a cop doing just that. Cop decided to wait on the other side of the light and ticket the guy for noise pollution or some crap like that. It was thrown out by the judge in court, but the guy did get a scolding for thinking he knew better than the cop and that the cop could have been on his way to someplace important (which I think was the cop's excuse for running the light). Can anyone find this?

 

[Zee]

Originally posted by: elmer92413
I don't know. But something that I've seen recently (a few days ago) and that has happened to me. At night on the highway a cop, going over the speed limit with no lights, behind you, who's in the far left lane, and proceeds to ride your ass, then flash his brights a few times until you move over and let him through.
Like I said it happened to me and I saw it happen to someone else. In my situation I was passing 2 cars who were in the middle lane. I couldn't have gotten over if I'd wanted to, so I'm not sure where he wanted me to go. I was so pissed when I realized it was a cop doing that.

saw that too on the LIE in ny. Not that crowded and well moving, but a cop was literally clearing out the left lane for no reason. Didnt want to change lanes for any reason. would ride people's ass until they changed lanes

 

[wiredspider]

The lights and sirens scare me, so I rather they only use them when needed. Plus, if they use the lights and sirens when responding, it gives the bad guys a heads up.