police driving way too fast

I am not trying to bash our local police force however I find the way they drive with their lights blazing just another accident waiting to happen. I know they have to get to their emergency in a hurry but safety should be their primary concern. I hear the sirens then wait to hear a crash as they go through red lights at intersections, these intersections are also used by pedestrians who sometimes are elderly or disabled and don't move very quickly,I can't imagine they would be able to get out of they way of this on coming police car in time. I feel that sometimes it is more testosterone then and actual life and death event. I have seen these police cars drive so fast down main street in Port Dover that if someone walked out they would never be able to stop and even down by the beach area where there are always small children and families getting in and out of cars. I say slow down and avoid a tragedy that is sure to happen soon.

I agree! I saw it yesterday again. On the #403. All of a sudden, there are sirens and lights flashing...and an ambulance and two police cars doing about 130! And everyone is getting pushed over...and cars are in a big traffic jam.

And guess what? A guy and a gal are standing by their car at a merge where the road splits and goes off toward Ancaster...and I guess he had sideswiped a signpost...probably missed the merge and was going too fast and tried to catch it at the last minute. No emergency. They both looked a bit ticked off. And the side of his fancy black sportscar was scraped. And all this hoopla?

A well-experienced. ready-to-retire police officer was mentioning this the other day, in fact. The new recruits put those sirens on and push the pedal down way too often and way too aggressively. Save it for an emergency.

And here's another within the last week. I was driving about 50 km/hr along Oak St. and that big OPP /SUV van flashed right across in front of me going across Chapel St. Did not even appear to stop or slow down at the stopsign! Scared the beep out of me because suddenly there's the side of a huge white van right in front of me! Don't know if they were chasing someone or what? But I saw no flashing lights and heard no siren. Just jumped out of the trees and there it was! I had to brake really hard to avoid hitting him!

Not sticking up 4 the police, however, in my experience, even when operating lights and siren, they still stop briefly at red lights, before continuing on their way . that said, the driving they do on regular patrol could use some improvement. It seems that few of them realise that these vehicles come equipped with turn signals. further to my first point, The officers themselves have no idea whatexactly they are heading to, since all they have is an unverified report. what you may regard as a minor accident while driving by, for instance, could have an injured party out of your sight. Police have no way of knowing what is waiting for them until they can verify it themselves. This is why they may rush to a seemingly minor accident. I don't know about you, but if I were involved and injured, I'd be glad that they made every effort to get to the scene quickly. As for getting in the way of other drivers, well, by law it is a drivers RESPONSIBILTY to get the hell out of the way of an emergency vehicle, and if your radio wasn't so damned loud, you would hear them coming.

That Sounds like the Simcoe Police I see them time and time again at 6.30 oe 7.00am doing 80-90km in a 50km zone just to get coffee or just gas anyone else would be charged for racing these cops seem to be above the law when wearing the uniform they certainly are not setting a good example to others and I think any time the lights and sirens are activated the public should be able to read somewhere what the emergency is about just like the SIU does when guns are drawn

As in every profession, there are those who are super dedicated, those who just do the job and some bad apples. I can think of many officers who are more than cautious about doing the right thing, public perception and go out of their way to be the best they can be for Mr. Joe Public. The son of a friend is an officer. I asked him how fast he has driven. Without hesitation he replied 240. My mouth dropped I'm sure. I inquired as to why he was going so fast. His reply: "Because I can." What a jerk! I certainly won't forget that conversation. Another time, I was in an accident. Fortunately, not injured, but I had to crawl UP my car to get out. The officer was wonderful! I was shaking too badly to call my husband so she did. (Another motorist called the police for me.) She stayed with me, quietly checking for shock, consciousness etc. We chatted about life while we waited for the tow truck. She assessed the damage on my car, reassuring me it looked worse than it really was. (Not the I cared at that point.) When the tow truck driver arrived, she knew him to be a jerk, told him to behave himself and get me home. The next day she called to see how I was and inquired about my drive home. (She was right, he was a total jerk and told her about his behaviour.) Then she called that tow truck company!
So, you can't paint all officers with the same brush.
In my city, I've seen the cruisers approach intersections with flashing lights, slow right down at the intersection and then proceed. If YOU were in the accident and waiting for help, I'm sure you'd appreciate a timely arrival. No one's perfect and you don't know what's at the other end.
LOL that being said, I agree...I wish they would use their turn signals! We expect them to set the perfect example, don't we.

Because they have such power over us...then we expect them to follow the rules and laws they are promoting and which they represent. And follow them flawlessly.

I've seen police speeding in areas where there would appear to be no necessity for excessive speed. I see the problem more as a supervision and oversight problem. Superiors and supervisors are in charge of monitoring cop conduct and activity on duty. If supervisory personnel are aware of the problem they should be taking measures to curtail the behaviour. I just get the hell out of their way and hope they're not after me.

Yes Dakota60 it is our RESPONSIBILITY to get out of the way of an oncoming cruiser or ambulance but you tell me where I am supposed to go when I am sitting at the Highway 3 and 24 intersection when they are coming. I have been sitting at a red light with cars both behind me, beside me and some on the bend when an ambulance came down the highway with lights and sirens going. Trust me there was no way for him to get around any of us. Traffic in the other direction had the green light and were going both ways through the intersection. That flow of traffic would have no idea there was an ambulance trying to get through as you couldn't see it. The ambulance was laying on its horn, etc. but there was no way any of us could go anywhere. So what do we do?

I think that the young cops really do take advantage of being able to drive at whatever speed they want and I find it to be totally unneeded at times. But they can do it and no one is going to stop them. Why call and complain as the Chief would probably have an excuse for why they were speeding. Maybe the police board could do something.

Just on Saturday my daughter was coming up King St. from Cedar when she turned onto Tyrell. Lo and behold there was a police car parked right at the edge of Tyrell on her side of the street in a no parking zone. He walked right out in front of her as if she didn't exist. Good thing she is a careful driver but what right does he have to park in a "NO PARKING" zone? If he had just moved up 10 feet he would have been legally parked. What if she had hit that ILLEGALLY PARKED cruiser or him when he walked out in front of her? She said he didn't seem to be going anywhere special and there were no other cruisers around. I guess there are no rules for the men in uniform as I have also seen them park in handicapped zones which is a BIG NO NO for anyone that doesn't have a handicapped license.

I think that some of the younger officers show less respect then the older more seasoned officers. I find that some of them are arrogant and cocky, a few bad apples so to speak. I understand that they do have emergencies where things are life threatening but I feel they drive way way too fast on less urgent calls, even going from town to town. I always wait to hear a crash when I see them going way too fast for road conditions or traffic conditions, and one day I will hear it and I really hope that no innocent child or adult is killed by a police officer who is driving carelessly to a non-urgent call. The local areas are very busy with tourists and families heading to the beach, bicycling, skateboarding or just trying to cross a busy street and I think that all drivers including Police should drive with this in mind after all it could be your family member who is hurt or killed by one of these speed demons who are driving way too fast simply because they can or the adrenaline rush.

beatrice wrote:

I find that some of them are arrogant and cocky...

It's because of the intimidation courses they take at cop school - which includes sarcasm 101

Seriously though ... From my experience, this attitude only appeared when the OPP came into the area - and when the once-"regional" cops started taking "refresher" courses. Prior to that, you could count on wise-ass attitudes from OPP in other districts, but not here.

And they can't seem to turn it off. Even while out socially, you see some of these people still displaying this otherwise uncharacteristic attitude.

And why is it that you often see cops talking on their cells while driving?

Police are allowed to exceed the speed limit while in the exercise of their lawful duty. they can park in no parking areas, they can drive through red lights (once stopping and determining this can be done in safety). A police officer is determined to be in the lawful exercise of their duty when they are working. They do not have to be actively in pursuit of a suspect. However that being said, if someone is injured by them, the SIU will investigate. and if they were found to be negligent, and not follow proper police procedures they can and will often be charged.

If there is no emergency then I don't think they should be parking illegally. As far as I am concerned they should be following all the basic rules of the road and parking when there is no emergency, just like everyone else.

Max you sound like a cop just because the are in uniform they should not be breaking the LAW they should just enforce

I think he is a cop also!!

Turkey-Vegas wrote:

Max you sound like a cop just because the are in uniform they should not be breaking the LAW they should just enforce

I was a cop, that's why I was explaining the facts, not my opinion as you are.

thanks, max, for A Voice of Reason

What the general public fails to consider is that Police Officers prevent many serious crimes and even deaths by arriving in the nick of time to apprehend bad guys and in turn protect not only those of you who appreciate what they do, but those of you who piss and moan every time you see one going fast, or having a much deserved coffee.

I know that accidents also happen and invariably someone who doesn't deserve it also becomes a victim, due to high speed chases etc. If studies showed that innocent persons were being killed at a rate greater than the bad guys were apprehended, I am sure that changes would be made to the officers exemption from the speeding section of the Highway Traffic Act and they would no longer be allowed to speed.

It also never ceases to amaze me, the number of people that begrudge a cop's right to take a coffee break. I came from a department that did not allow us to sit in a coffee shop. If we bought coffee, we had to get two to go and meet someone else on the road to avoid two cruisers at the doughnut shop. This backfired and soon the public that we used to be able to sit and chat with for the good conversations, became the ones we only saw during a traffic stop, and as you can well imagine this was a less pleasant conversation.

I often went weeks without a lunch break. Sometimes the coffee shop is the only way to get food quick enough that it can be done between calls. I often handled 9 to 14 calls per shift, which meant that if you stopped to eat, you had to stay late to get the paperwork in before you went home. Court is scheduled anytime they want. It can fall on your days off, it can fall on the day you work midnight shift, prior to your next midnight shift. It can also fall on your holidays requiring you to adjust your schedule and be there. I wonder how many of the public would complain if they didn't get lunch or coffee breaks. Most of them would put in a grievance to their union, or start looking for another job I bet.

The general public should see what it is like to strap on a gun and wear a bullet proof vest in the summer and go out and deal with mainly the bad side of society, and then deal with the "Why aren't you out catching rapists instead of sitting here in the coffee shop" comments. Or see the death and destruction cops have to deal with on a regular basis. If the weather is terrible you can bet you will be outside soaking wet and freezing cold for most of the shift, either directing traffic or investigating an accident. The cops cannot refuse to do anything in their job description even if they feel they could be injured or killed. Almost every other worker in Ontario has that right. To clarify they have a limited right - They can refuse to drive a cruiser with bad brakes, but they cannot refuse to respond to a bank robbery where they could be shot.

Some of you say that cops should only enforce the laws and not break them. Okay, lets examine that shall we. If you don't want to be touched, and someone touches you, you have been assaulted. So then I guess if the rapist doesn't want to be touched, we should let him walk away, because we would be assaulting him in order to effect the arrest. This is why there are exemptions for Police Officers, and Peace Officers under the Federal and Provincial legislation, that allows for exemptions to the law in order to enforce it. Without the exemptions people would thumb there noses and run away, and the Police would be powerless - this would evolve into total anarchy. What good would a cop be if he cannot chase, arrest, or go fast, or proceed through red lights? No use whatsoever.

On a side note, we were taught at Police College that where possible it is safer to speed past a vehicle you are overtaking in certain circumstances without even activating the siren or the roof lights. The reason given is that John Q. Public often does unpredictable and stupid things when he sees the lights and hears the siren, and without them we are gone by before he has a chance to do something stupid.

I do not pretend to have all the answers, I am no longer a cop and haven't been for a few years. In seven plus years on the job, I lost my whole sense of humour and half my hair, and decided it was time to do something different. It is not easy to deal with the dregs of society everyday and have the general public piss on you every time you drive fast or stop for a coffee. I am still a Provincial Investigator/Inspector with a Government Ministry so I do not feel that I am too far off in my understanding of Policing, it can't have changed that much. I do feel that I am entitled to these opinions, I have earned them, and I have seen both sides.

If you need further convincing and want to earn the right to your opinion - join the police auxiliary and volunteer some time and ride with the "naughty officers" and see if it doesn't change your beliefs - I think you would be suprised when you see both sides of the issue.

Just so there is no confusion, or feelings that I am hiding behind my forum handle ( my wife started it ). I am Brian Forsyth prior 7 1/2 year member of the Waterloo Regional Police ending as a first class Constable, and current Industrial Occupational Health and Safety Inspector / Provincial Offences Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. And yes I left due to the stress and politics, and eventually moved up a level of government and am still dealing with the stress and politics, but at least now I do it during the day shift, and am making much better money.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights,max. I found them forthright , honest and informative. We should all be better informed and more appreciative of what policemen do for us on a daily basis.

The police do good job that most of us dont want. Lets support them

The other side ...

I thought the topic here of cops speeding and parking in no parking was a little petty. Many cops are good and handle the job appropriately. However, there are many who abuse their position (and other cops no full well which ones those are). BUT ... out of all the good cops I have met socially, all but one of them still manage to openly abuse their power at least a little. Examples ...

- Keeping their badge in their wallet beside their license when off duty so that they can flash it if they get pulled over for speeding.

- Letting fellow cops get away with illegal activities (such as driving drunk) because of the unwritten law that you never snitch on a fellow cop. On a related note ... One of the "better cops" I know drinks alcohol while driving. He has his "special" coffee sitting right there on the dash.

- And, as I touched on before ... That sick, demeaning, sarcastic attitude that so many cops think is hilarious just makes you want to smack 'em one.

Ontario cops earn ... what ... 3 times as much as US cops? Something like that anyway. And then they get immense overtime for when they have to appear in court or other overtime, which boosts their annual salary significantly. Yes, it's a tough job at times and the paperwork is a major pain. If I were a cop, I certainly wouldn't do it for less.

But having a bad rap comes for a reason. For example, some cops used to hang out in the donut shops a little too long and a little too often. And some cops are bullies. A few bad apples begins to spoil the whole bunch ... at least in the public eye. And some cops work very hard at repairing that tarnished image.

I think that old "donut shop" stereotype is old and a thing of the past.

Like Max said, and by the way, thanks Max, well spoken, the local coppers don't have the time anymore to be sitting on their rears in a coffee shop. Nor do they appreciate the stupid insulting comments that are always guaranteed to come their way from some wise-guy who doesn't like anyone in a position of authority.

I know two guys who go out first thing on their dayshifts and have breakfast before it gets busy, because they know they won't have time to eat during the rest of the shift.

Policing is the most analyzed, criticized, over-scrutinized profession in the world. No matter what they do, it's either not good enough or why weren't they there sooner.

I always find it amusing that the people who second guess and complain about police the most seem to be the ones who are first to call when something happens involving them.

Just my 2 cents...

I get tired of Arm Chair Critics putting down any sort of professionals. The police have had a bad rap of late since the Caledonia fiasco. I have the utmost respect for the police. They have a tough job and with that job they have policies and protocols to follow. No matter what action they take, the Arm Chair Critics jump down their throats. Unless you actually experience the job you CANNOT have insight into it. I have recently moved from front line to management and there are many things I have recently learned about management that I never understood as a front line employee. How easy it used to be to sit back and critique a job I knew little about. My perspective has changed.

Congratulations, rudievalentine, on your promotion!