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This Morning I was driving my Son to School. We live 4 blocks away. I know he should walk, but this way I can say that he is in the school. Driving back home, I saw a cop driving behind me. I could tell that he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. At the stoplight I asked him why he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. He started swearing at me yelling " I only enforce the law, I don't have to follow it" With that he pulls me over giving me a ticket for not having one. I always use my seatbelt. After he gave me my ticket, he says to me "next time don't p*** me off" When I go to court the Cop will tell the judge that I was the one who had broken the law. I guess that he could have beat me up like that other Chgo Cop did to that Bartender. When I go to Court the Judge will belive him and not me just because he is a Cop. I just wanted to vent. I don't feel any calmer tho.

On what level is this OK?????

I am confused...he gave you a ticket for what if you were waring your seatbelt.... no ignoring the story...just wanted to be clear.

I think your sig saz it all Moeron

He gave me a ticket because I have the nerve to point out that he was NOT wearing his. He's the boss. He makes his own law. He dosen't have to follow the law just enforce it.

Next time try p*ssing on him, see if that gets you better results.

Most cops are decent guys, but then you get idiots like this who demean the whole professsion.

Call in a fire at a donut shop right before you have to go to court, I'd be willing to bet he doesn't show up for the court hearing.

moeron wrote:He gave me a ticket because I have the nerve to point out that he was NOT wearing his. He's the boss. He makes his own law. He dosen't have to follow the law just enforce it.

What does the citation say on it?

I'd report him - the police should have a division to investigate officer misconduct. It's possible he has other complaints against him.

Go to court, request a formal trial, and obtain an attorney.
This officer should be relieved of duty, no second chances.
If he had any prior history of false arrest, this may be the testimony that finaly gets him off the force.
You are entitled to damages, and possibly a civil suit could follow your vindication in traffic court.
Contact an attorney that deals with police mis-behavior and brutality.
They will give you an idea of the type of damages you could expect to recover.
Many lawyers that specialize in police matters representing the abused take their cases on contingency.
Knowing that a win in traffic court may lead to a succesful lawsuit against the department and maybe even the individual officer, they might take your entire case without you paying anything up-front.
Just don't use your BN screen name.
When Larry gets back I'm sure he could give you some better advice, but mine is to contact a police brutality specialist NOW!

See below. Let Chris Rock explain it,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... rock&hl=en

Most law enforcement agencies do not require their officers to wear seat belts-the reason being if they had to draw their weapon while IN their vehicle, it would be easier.
You may not like it, but that's how it is.

Wino you know wrote:Most law enforcement agencies do not require their officers to wear seat belts-the reason being if they had to draw their weapon while IN their vehicle, it would be easier.
You may not like it, but that's how it is.

Hadn't considered it from that perspective. Good to know.

Now, seriously. Why are my local police allowed to change lanes without using a turn signal and not apparently in "hot pursuit"? (Just my pet peeve; I think that law enforcement has an obligation to set the example). [prudish rant is now over]

phjrsaunt wrote:Now, seriously. Why are my local police allowed to change lanes without using a turn signal and not apparently in "hot pursuit"? (Just my pet peeve; I think that law enforcement has an obligation to set the example). [prudish rant is now over]

I don't know what the laws in your state are, but some states do have idiotic laws-again, we may not like them, and most I DON'T, but it's what they are. Some states do not require turn signals when making a lane change (or even a left or right turn) PROVIDED it's a legal lane change-i.e., not marked by a solid white or yellow line.
One silly-a$$ law in MY state that's been a law since cars even existed is that a motor vehicle in operation is required to have ONE working headlight and ONE working taillight.
And don't think the residents here don't know that.

File a complaint with the Police Dept. NOW. Then go to court like longboard said, and take your copy of the complaint. Your filing a timely complaint will help show that you arent just trying to beat a ticket. Judges dont like their time being wasted be it by the citizenry OR the cops.

ph4ever wrote:I'd report him - the police should have a division to investigate officer misconduct. It's possible he has other complaints against him.

Or an Omudsman (SP) ?

IMO, The cop was wrong.

Wino has a point. Here in NJ, the police are only required to wear a seat belt if they are traveling on a major highway (295, NJTP, ACX) and will exceed the speed limit. But if they are just patroling in a neighborhood, it's not required so that it is easier to exit the car in an emergency situation.

I agree that you need to fight the ticket. Go to court either with an attorney or not and CALMLY explain to the Judge what happened this morning.

Chances are the cop won't even show or he will offer you an plea once he sees that you were in the right and all he had to do was offer an explaination as to why he wasn't wearing his belt.

Good Luck!!

Many law enforcement officers do not wear seatbelts for the reason the Wino stated.

moeron wrote:He gave me a ticket because I have the nerve to point out that he was NOT wearing his.

Apply some of that nerve to your child if you can't trust him to walk four blocks to school. You're responsible for raising him, not correcting the local police department.

You weren't paying attention to the road if you were inspecting the driver of a vehicle behind you for seatbelt usage. Thankfully you didn't hit one of those children that are trustworthy enough to walk to school on their own. The officer should have cited you for inattentive driving.

moeron wrote:At the stoplight I asked him why he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.

So, you actually got out of your car and walked back to his or had he pulled up next to you? Please tell me it's not the latter...

moeron wrote:With that he pulls me over giving me a ticket for not having one. <b>I always use my seatbelt.</b> After he gave me my ticket, he says to me "next time don't p*** me off"

For not having what? A seatbelt??? Please tell me that you were not driving a in a car that doesn't have seatbelts and that you asked the cop why he wasn't wearing his.

Elrod wrote:
You weren't paying attention to the road if you were inspecting the driver of a vehicle behind you for seatbelt usage. Thankfully you didn't hit one of those children that are trustworthy enough to walk to school on their own. The officer should have cited you for inattentive driving.

Part of attentive driving is checking your rear view mirror.
A driver that notices an unbuckled driver behind him is not neccesarily inattentive.
A driver fiddling with the radio or cell phone is another story.
Moeron was being a moron for bringing it to the officers attention.
A good officer would have either ignored him, given him the truthfull answer, or told him to mind his own business.
The officer giving him a ticket for a violation he was not guilty of is a dangerous criminal, and must be removed from the force.
He is abusing his power, through lies and false arrest.
I love the police. I support their organizations through donations. I count on them to protect us. I have several friends that are officers of the peace, and a few more that are volunteer reserves.
NONE of them would condone this sort of behavior from one of their own.
The officer in question is unfit to serve, and should be eliminated from a position that allows him to abuse his authority.

I always wore my seatbelt when I was working patrol....and we trained on removing the seatbelt and unholstering....we had cars set up on the range and would drill on exiting with seatbelts on.
My department had a 'seatbelt policy' that reinforced the seatbelt law.
More LEOs are killed in traffic accidents than gun violence.....
Sounds to me like the cop you dealt with has a bad attitude.....I would call and speak with a supervisor....no one should address a citizen in that manner.