Question for LEOs

[starshooter231]

Originally Posted by Mike TRT

.......if it were me, it would be "move along", talk is cheap, go get that shotgun, then we'll play and have ourselves an actual crime......

Great response . Glad to know that in your area you want the guy to shoot someone first and then do something about it.

[starshooter231]

1) He did threaten to come back and use the shotgun.
2) Cops had been about this.
3) He and his buddy were questioned and released.
4) 1.5 hours later arrested for destruction of property, public intoxication, and domestic violence (was fighting with brother).
5) The LEO that responded got that call also entered it into his "log" for the Chief in reverse order.
6) If he had arrested them during the first call they would not have had a second call.
7) FYI IMHO if it matters the responding LEO is a worthless piece Sgt. I do respect LEOs but this guy is a joke.

[Mike TRT]

Originally Posted by starshooter231

Great response . Glad to know that in your area you want the guy to shoot someone first and then do something about it.

a drunk talking crap does not a crime commit......its a bit too busy at the bars here to deal with every drunk that gets tossed from a tavern. 2 guys can come flying out the doors, bleeding and fighting, if an officer doesnt get hit, hurt, kicked etc, no arrest is made, they move along on their own, friends etc, if they continue with the BS, they get locked up.....

see what happens when a copper tries to prosecute a verbal threat in Cook County, IL. ......... doesnt happen very often, sorry if that is not how you think things should work in your fantasy world, but here its a bit to busy for the little p*ssy BS

[spartanws6]

In defense of Mike, there is a whole lot of truth to what he is saying. I too work in a very busy area, with an extremely busy night life. Bar fights happen. They happen a lot. Usually we respond and question the folks and find out that one guy beat the crap out of the other guy... both are drunk... both just want to go home.

As accurate as our standard issue magic crystal ball is, sometimes it is a little off.

With the information you have given us, there is not a whole lot we could do. You have to remember that I need probable cause to even charge someone with a crime. No officer in the world with half a nugget in thier brain is going to take the liberties of someone away because of a "he said, she said" situation. Remember, officers can get jacked up for making an unlawful arrest.

Does it sound right if someone had road rage against you, saw me at a light, pulled up next to me and said "hey that guy was speeding 5 miles back" and then I pulled you over and gave you a ticket? Of course not.

No offense sir, but you are fitting into the majority of american citizens to happen to see something exciting and think it is a major event. What you are describing is nothing. Same thing with what they did later on that night. It was nothing too. In fact they will probably sit in jail for a day or two, go see the judge who will give them a small fine and credit for time served.
We need to spend our valuable time going after the dangerous folks who have guns, knives, dope, gang ties etc.

Ask yourself, would you want me to spend the time writing out a report and transporting to jail a guy who said "I am going to go get my shotgun" or find the gorilla pimp who is making money off the prostitution efforts of a juvenile.

If you think the above example is rare, don't....... I used the example because that is exactly what I did last night.

[MGD 45]

To Starshooter231

I understand your frustration by thinking that the cops were lazy & didn't do the right thing. Most citizens will think that because this kind of thing doesn't happen to them often, so it's a big deal when it does. The cops aren't lazy and here's why:


I work in a small town compared to MikeTRT & some of the other guys in here, so what I might arrest on, they don't have time to fiddle with. It's not that they wouldn't like to "hook up" a drunk knucklehead every now & then....they are just too dang busy and overloaded with other more serious calls than what you described. That kind of behavior is probably a dime a dozen on weekend nights where they work.

This is what you get when your Police Dept. is understaffed and the amount of 911 calls that come in are more than can be answered. The LEO's have to allocate their time on the more serious calls in nature. So I guess to answer your initial question....in some jurisdictions there might have been an arrest made..in other jurisdictions....probably not.

[starshooter231]

all for your posts in reply to my question. And I do understand that it is more important to deal with the "big" crimes and not the "little" ones.

The reason that I posted this question was to get your prof. opinions. My biggest problem with no arrest being made that night was that 3 nights later a female got arrested for drunk and disorderly for calling a different LEO fat.

[MGD 45]

Originally Posted by starshooter231

My biggest problem with no arrest being made that night was that 3 nights later a female got arrested for drunk and disorderly for calling a different LEO fat.

ROFL!! In Law Enforcement that's called a P.O.P arrest......

"Pissing of the Police!!"

[Mike TRT]

Originally Posted by starshooter231

all for your posts in reply to my question. And I do understand that it is more important to deal with the "big" crimes and not the "little" ones.
.

it isnt really a matter of big crime vs little crime, crime still is crime, but in the original example, the bar shotgun thing, a crime has yet to have been committed......

[x_out86]

Responded to these kinds of calls about 100 times. First question an LEO has to ask himself is if there has even been a crime comitted. If not, you are just going to waste your time investigating an event that is not criminal. In this case, you could probly go for DC, and if they are refusing to leave, go with trespassing.

First thing I always do (if the BG even comes back after their wise words), is to try and reason with them. Most of the time, telling the person that they should just cut their losses, take the easy route, and leave works just fine (most drunks are still somewhat reasonable, I stress somewhat).

If they cant come to a logical conclusion on their own, I give a warning to them. "Leave the business because if you dont, you are going to be arrested for trespassing" (obviously since they have already been removed from the bar)....

Most of the time this works. But if they still cant make a smart decision, then it is time for "control talk". I.E. "Staying here is not an option for you, leave now of I will arrest you for trespassing".

Pretty much so self explanitory what the two outcomes from that point on will be. Talk to people, its your best wepon. Try and reason with them cause it makes less paperwork in the end.

Oh also, give them a healty a** chewing before they go about saying anything about a gun in a public place.