Tickets to our own

How about the new policy about writing tickets to our own? I thought getting punished by the department and having our take home taken away was enough.

I suppose if we are going to cite firemen and other city workers, then this was the next logical step. Other agencies have been doing it for years.

There's case law that says getting a ticket and then getting punished administratively is double jeopardy. So, if you're gonna get slammed administratively, just pay the ticket, then they can't touch you.

Do you happen to know what that case law is?

This issue was brought to the attention of the FOP and is being looked at. This decision was made by the CM after it was raised by John Moore and Lisa Hendrikson. The Chief called the decision "distasteful" in the most recent staff meeting.

My advice to you all while all this is being hashed out is this:

1. Don't crash.

2. Don't go x18 to anything (maybe officer down, that's it), don't violate any traffic control devices, lights and sirens or not, go 10 miles under the speed limit at all times, close the MDC lid and do not operate while driving-go "voice only" if you have to.

3. Don't pull out into traffic or drive fast to catch up to traffic violators, call it out then shut it down if it requires you to go over the speed limit. You will still get credit for trying and the City will see a loss of revenue...but hey you tried.

4. Develop risk management for yourself. the City wants you to risk your safety for the greater good, which is what we all are happy to do, but they will not support or share in such a risk. In fact this policy may leave you open to lawsuits. So why drive fast to anything? If it takes 25 minutes to get to a bank robbery, not our problem, not our money, let the city deal with it. Policy says when you can go x18 it doesn't say you must. I would also be hesitent to foot chase as well. If the guy runs who cares right? Paperwork, Ot details, hundreds of petty rules that's what is important! Don't get hurt they will abandon you.

5. Since fairness and risk mitigation is so important I think every officer should point out workplace safety violations when ver they see them, for example, I see no Material Safety Data Sheets posted in the building for all the chemicals we have at the PD, No eyewash station either. The cleaning crew does not use a wet floor sign when they mop.....payday! The ICV camera is very large and could cause a loss of visibility, they make smaller cameras with better placement, why hasn't the City gotten the safest camera?


6. Find out if CM, JM and LH are practicing what they preach behind the wheel.

7. Finally if you get into a crash ask for your FOP rep. Fight the ticket in court and demand your FOP attorney represent you. You should also ask the City for an attorney if it occurred on duty. Take it to court every time. Policy and reality force us to multitask behind the wheel, I saw that argument prevail once before.

8. If you are ordered to write another officer, tell the traffic judge you don't agree and were forced to write the ticket.

9. Always maintain proper following distance as established in the Florida driver's handbook, you read a tag until both cars have stopped, and tag running will be reduced, but so will risk.

Florida is a no fault state, no law says anyone must be cited. Why is it okay to pull over an off duty officer going 80 in a 55 and let him go? This policy is hypocritical and is meant to appease big business. We were forced to write civilians citations in crashes because of insurance companies. No law says we have to, we did it on a recommendation by DHSMV after it's head was lobbied with insurance cash.

This policy is not what the majority of police agencies are doing contrary to propaganda. I checked with each and discovered it is only mandatory in one and optional in one other....all the rest don't.

Just another liberal indignity thrust upon those who are forbidden to fight back!

Very well said. I think this policy is unfair. We get disciplined and get a ticket to? How is that fair?

To the earlier poster who said its natural progression to write tickets to our own, I want to ask that if that is true, then we should be writing tickets to all law enforcement, fire department, city workers and yes, city commissions when we stop them for traffic violations. Hey, its only natural progression, right?

yeah right, Butler complained to everyone that would listen when 279 stopped him for being a suspected sig 1. Imagine how much complaining he would have done had 279 given him a ticket.

Butler is ally to our PD and one of the biggest supporters of our officers on City Council. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. If you want to find out what happened, talk to McNeil. I have little doubt that if McNeil had PC, Butler would have gone to jail.

As for the natural progression. We were talking car crash citations here not run of the mill traffic infractions. We have been citing off duty officers, family, employees....etc.. on crashes for years. We were the only ones left out of the progression....We weren't talking about your regular officer discretion citations.

That is a complete distortion of fact, most agencies in this county and neighboring counties do not cite officers even in crashes. One gives officer's descretion and one does write them, but will ask an outside unit to investigate them first.

I spoke with a representative in each agency personally, in fact in one of the agenies (a big one), it is written policy that an officer shall not be cited in addition to internal proceedings. This info is being passed to the union. Please stop spreading bad information and do the research yourself.

Again, I find it dubious that we allow officers, family, doctors, dispatchers, ASA's etc. to get away with reckless speeding without so much as a warning and yet we can't let an officer (or civilianfor that matter) go unpunished three times (traffic fine, discipline, insurance hike) for a fender bender.

Don't be angry with Admin this isn't their doing, it is just the latest debasement of the police by the CM, a man known for his resentment of the police department. Every one who hasn't bankrupted several businesses please step forward......not so fast cartoon tie.

Be safe everyone, don't risk yourself for anyone in this City, just your brothers and family.