Cops above the law?

[browny]

The Police Officer might have acted like a ****, but from your story I cannot see a legitimate reason why the said truck driver needed to respond in a violent physical manner (IMO bad attitude, a quick temper and lack of the ability to appropriately respond doesn't equate to legitimate).

If the reverse occured then everyone here would be calling blue murder and asking for the Police Officer's balls.

[wishaw]

so if it was a terrorist acting like a police officer and they blew up parliment house with that ammonium nitrate what would you be saying then? "At least the truck driver bent over and took it like he was expected to"

If you were transporting a truck full of explosives and a cop refused to show id what would you do?

[Ruffels]

just wait til browny cops a couple of unreasonable defects on his car... then he'll swing the other way

lol

[wishaw]

Hey if they want to pick on anyone who drives a nice car it is only fair we fight back

[Roy]

True. But its the principle of the matter at hand. Even if he didnt sideswipe my car or run over a pedestrian, using a phone whilest driving increased those chances of it. Just because it turned out ok is not a grounds for justification.

Yeh and i agree. Ppl say you are breaking the law when you speed etc. That is a pet hate of mine. You happen to be braking a law, a minor one at that.

The fact that govt piggy back these laws and extort monies out of the public is the reason they receive so much publicity. I can do a break and enter, get caught with stolen goods and from a monetary perspective come out better off then is if i had of been caught doing 125km/h 250km out of Melbourne:( And what are the chances i will do any sort of real time for the offence:(

The law is the law, but sighting other ppl breaking it wont get me off so i try not to worry about it too much as its something thats well out of my control.

Roy, I think you must be a Police Officer as well!

Me, hell no. Even if you paid me all the money in the world i couldnt do the job. I happen to know a few NSW officers, which means i still dont know near enough to pass comment/judgement on how they go about their jobs.

The fact is most of the officers i know would never have given out any traffic tickets. I suppose im a little sensitive on the issue when ppl seem to think the Police force is all about traffic infringements.

Given the media coverage and fines ppl receive it is understandable that ppl form this view, simple fact is there are many officers more concerned about crimes such as dealing guns/drugs, assaults, armed robbery, organised crime etc etc.

Perhaps im lucky in that ive never received out of line attention from the police, combined with havoing met a few im not so willing to demonise them, more i accept they are ppl exactly like you and I. LOL...i sometimes wonder how much more effective policing would be if the Police Service enjoyed a better relationship with Joe Avergae in the community?

[Roy]

Abusing power is not just relegated to the streets regarding traffic infringements. It is - 

Lying in court

fabricating evidence in court

conspiring with other officers

Smiling at you as you leave the court room.

This has happened to a few people I know. 

.

Can i ask what the charge was?

[timmeblackr32]

funny talking about this.

i work at a car wash and we wash their cars (at taxpayers expense!) and just about every time they leave the joint they feel the need to kick it out sideways on a main road! Their excuse is sillicone on the tyres but when i leave (to avoid being done) somehow i manage not to go sideways?

Also.

They seem to think (i have seen this on many occasions) when stopped at a light they can put there lights on to avoid being held up but then turn them off immediately after, without speeding off-somehow i don't believe they are going to a job?

[jezzerrr]

so if it was a terrorist acting like a police officer and they blew up parliment house with that ammonium nitrate what would you be saying then? "At least the truck driver bent over and took it like he was expected to"

If you were transporting a truck full of explosives and a cop refused to show id what would you do?

It has actually happened, in the past, that a truck driver was pulled over, he asked the cop for ID, and the "officer" got back in his car and drove off. So yeah, I dont think the driver was in the wrong at all.

But in reality, if you get pulled up by an officer, and he and his accomplice in the undercover car end up flogging your car, wouldn't you wish you had asked him for ID? would it be completely out of the question that this could occur? In which case, couldn't you be perfectly able, in a court of law, to defend yourself on the grounds that you feared for your safety/posessions due to the so called officer acting in an unprofessional/aggressive manner thereby raising suspicion inyour mind that he may infact, not be an officer at all? Is it not a valid expectation for them to act in a professional manner at all times?

The way i see it, if they're going to abuse their powers, then it's open game. get them for every pissy little infringement. there is a case where someone got off a fine because the officer was not wearing his hat! I should clarify, that if you ARE wilfully breaking the law, that I believe you should cop it sweet. What really gets up my nose, is victimisation, ie my mate on a bike, following a car and not gaining, and the cop pulls HIM up, even though the car passed first. Geeeee....

Hell, If the Prime Minister can get done for speeding/no seatbelt/ etc, who the hell do officers think they are to think they can break the law whenever they feel like it?

[wishaw]

basicly it like just about every other problem in this world comes down to double standards and abuse of powers. If everyone was on the same playing field then there wouldn't be the same problems.

timmeblackr32: Silcone was added to tires to help then grip better so i am sure you knen this but it's a load of crap.

[browny]

I'm not saying that it wasn't reasonable for the truck driver to ask for proof that the supposed Officer (who now turns out to be undercover?) was actually a member of the Police force. IMO this is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask, especially if you are carrying some sort of sensitive freight.

What I am saying is that (based on your story) I think his response of using physical violence to control the situation was inappropriate. Ok, i'm a realist and I can live with the fact that some people will act like this because they don't know any other way.

If someone refused to show a Police Officer their license and gave them some lip, would you consider it appropriate for the Officer to beat the living shite out of them?

[jezzerrr]

No. but truckies aren't in a place of authority, where their actions are eligible to be scrutinised by the greater public. By and large, truckies are renowned for not taking shit. It was a power play on the behalf of the officer, and he lost. Why did the officer not produce ID? It's his job! So the truckie asks again and the "cop" then pulls a gun? what then? It would hold up in a court of law, good enough for me.

On the other hand, if some idiot was being, well, an idiot, and the officer pulled him up, greeted by a volley of abuse, I'd give the officer a pat on the back for flogging some sense into him!

Bottom line, respect your position, and respect others, otherwise sooner or later it'll come back to bite you in the arse.

[jezzerrr]

(who now turns out to be undercover?)

That was a completely different event. he (the "officer") drove off, remember?