I figure we need some fairplay regarding LEO's.  So...here's my thread about some positive experiences with LEO's.

A couple months ago I saw a highway patrol officer changing the tire for a lady who was stuck on the side of the freeway on I15 in Utah County.

A few years ago I was speeding (about 10 miles over the speed limit) on Utah Highway 6 on my way home after picking up some groceries.  The officer approached me and politely asked where I was headed in such a hurry.  When I indicated that I was about three blocks from home he simply asked that I drive more carefully next time and went on his way.  He would have been justified in giving me a ticket, but decided that a warning would do.  Truth is, I've made an extra effort to avoid speeding in Spanish Fork ever since out of respect and gratitude.

An off duty US Marshal saved my dad's life once.  Dad was helping move a family into an apartment in San Francisco.  A man literally came out of a nearby alley and rushed at my dad with a metal pipe in his hands while demanding money.  A few feet from my dad the man stopped, sputtered some barely coherent, "didn't mean nothin," and took off at full sprint.

Totally surprised, dad turned around to see the off duty Marshal standing behind him with his pistol drawn and aimed at the mugger.  That Marshal is now my Great Uncle Trev.

So the guy used a friend to act as a mugger to impress your great aunt?

Good thinking!

I had a motorcycle on I-95 in GA right before you get into florida, it overheated, I was giving her a break on the side of the road. A state trooper pulled along side, asked if I needed anything, like some A/C or some bottled water, etc.

I was young, like 21 on I-95 in S. Carolina...A mustang was crusing in the right lane and I noticed a woman with blonde hair waving out the window...I dropped the hammer on my Z28 to get along side, smiled..and noticed the Highway Patrol badge on her sleve...I waived, smiled, but my glasses back on my face, and got behind her doing 55.....She laughed droped it and was gone.

I mean come on, they are not ALL bad...

I've had some LEOs let me off with a warning for speeding, when I truely deserve a speeding ticket in my life. Most of those folks are just trying to do there job.

Shiiit, just the other day I ran a yellow/red light right in FRONT of a cop.

He pulled me over, ask me if I knew why...I replied" Probably that red light I ran"

Needless to say he chuckled and let me go.

Sgatr15

All mine have been positive.

Either positive, or I was positively guilty.

More than once my CCW has gotten me out of a jam with traffic cops.

I don't drink or get drunk, so I'm not an ass when cops are around.

GOes a long way to keepin' relationships good.

I'm a medic for the city of Va. Beach, Every shift I work I have no fear because they have our backs. Work alot of night shifts at the ocean front and see some crazy things. I have nothing but respect for these guys. They will jump in and help in a heart beat if we have a bad call. ie start cpr, keep the crazies off our backs, show up to calls that they were not punched out for just to make sure we are safe. Greatest bunch of LEO ever!!!

seen too many random acts of kindness from these guys too mention.

Quoted: So the guy used a friend to act as a mugger to impress your great aunt? Good thinking!

LOL.  Not quite.  Dad ended up marrying the Marshal's niece.

In fact.  Dad himself became a deputy Marshal for a few years.  Transported a lot of criminals around the USA.

Edited to add:  Uncle Trev is a big believer in, "an armed society is a polite society."  He served in the Korean War and is one of the most good-hearted people I know (probably the influence of his wife who is an absolute angel).  He'll also call a spade a spade without watering it down.  I wish I lived closer to him.

i got a warning for doing 61 in a 45

they've arrived quickly when i needed em

My neighbor got a simple warning after running a full red light because he got tired of waiting for it to change!    It was early morning (he was heading to the park to run) and there were no cars.  After sitting for a minute on an empty street, he said "fuck this" and pulled out - and then got lit up by a cruiser 30 seconds later.

When the LEO asked him "was that light taking too long for you, sir"  He said "YES!!"  LEO laughed and told him not to do it again and let him go.  




I got pulled over for not having a front plate (which is mandatory in MO).  The LEO was nice about it, and just told me to make sure it put it on later that day.  No fine, no condescending attitude - just telling me to obey the law.

The Kansas State Highway Patrol has the highest level of respect from me and from many others in this state.  When you see a KHP officer stopped on the side of the road, they are as likely to be helping a motorist change a tire as they are to be writing a ticket.  When they do have more pressing legal problems to deal with, they do so in a very professional and respectable manner.  

They may have primarily traffic duties, but they are as a group the most honorable set of people I have ever met, and if I were ever in desperate need of the services of a law enforcement officer I would be greatly relieved to be able to call on the KHP.

That being said, we also have a very good local police department where I live, and they are well respected professionals as well.  They rank high on my list too.

I'm sure both agencies have their issues, as does every group of people, but all in all I'd say we have it pretty good around here, so long as you stay on the right side of the law!

Jim

Quoted: I got pulled over for not having a front plate (which is mandatory in MO).  The LEO was nice about it, and just told me to make sure it put it on later that day.  No fine, no condescending attitude - just telling me to obey the law.

[typical sniveliing Arfcom teenage brat]The nerve, the gall, the arrogance!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cops actually DOING their job - we just can't have that.[/typical sniveliing Arfcom teenage brat]

Just about all my encounters have been positive, with the exception of one time a long time ago in Maryland. I've gotten to know a couple of Pa. State Police because they sometimes shoot at the range I shoot at. GREAT guys!  I know there are some bad apples out there, but for the most part I haven't met but one, and he isn't a LEO anymore (he now works at a 7-11 in fact!).

Most recently (about a year ago), I had a knock at my front door at around 10:00PM. I live way out in the country, so I looked out the window first (saw headlights in the driveway) and then cracked the door open to its limiter, all the while I had my G30 in my right hand. As soon as I realized it was a cop, I said "hang on a sec" and closed the door enough to release the limiter while simultaniously placing my pistol on the table behind the door, and then walked out to talk with him. Turns out a neighbor had called reporting a stranger poking around their barn and he was checking to see if I had seen anyone, and if everything was OK at my house. We talked for a few minutes, and before he left he asked me to keep an eye out, and asked whether I owned a gun. I asked him why he wanted to know that and he said because I should keep it available for the night in case I needed it until they found the prowler.

LEO are needed to preserve society. There are alot of good ones. The few bad apples always get the media attention. Too bad all these stories posted here do not make it to the media for the young folks to see. it is a shame really.

The Chief of Police in my hometown called me up one time and invited me to go and participate in their threat simulator training.

He knew I'd give him a bunch of positive PR.

It was a good experience and I indeed gave him a lot of positive PR.

When I was 16, I got pulled over for going 15 over in a residential area, and I knew I was in for a nasty, exspensive  ticket.  The cop strolls up to my door, asks for my license, registration and proof of insurance, I hand it over, blah blah blah.

Cop: Did you see the speed limit sign when you entered the residential district?
Me: Yeah.
Cop: What did it say?
Me: 30.
Cop: What were you doing?
Me: 45.
Cop: K, I'll be right back.

He did have to give me a ticket, but he said since I didn't try to lie to him or cry to get out of it, that he'd reduce the fine to $56.  That could've been a lot more.

He was just doing his job, and he was nice about it.

I got pulled over for going the wrong way on a freeway one time in the PRK. Dang CHP couldn't stop laughing the whole time he was writting the ticket. Claimed that I sure woke his ass up. (it was 0500) It was the last ticket I ever got and even thtough it was expensive I still smile when I think of that CHP laughing his ass off at me.

Funny thing I've noticed is............... the older I get, the more likely the experiences are to be positive.

I think the reasons for that are a double-whammy:

1) As I age, I mature, and
2) As I age, I am given more credibility

I've always been respectful of/towards LEOs, and it usually serves us both well.

When I was packing up to head off to college years ago (at approx. 0300), I had my truck backed up to the front porch and was loading shit into it (in hindsight, *not* the smartest way to pack!).  A cruiser pulled up to the house and hit me with the spotlight.  I walked over, hands empty AND clearly visible, and we cleared it up.  He mentioned that he would be following me up to Lubbock in a few months, as he had been offered a PO job with the city.  I'm still here, but have no idea if he is or not.

About a year or so ago, some local LEOs showed up at the front door, looking fairly angry.  They asked if this was my home, I said "Well, I lease, but for most intents and purposes, yes."  That wasn't the answer they were looking for, and they got a bit more agitated.  After some discussion, I realized they had the wrong house (, but that's the address dispatch had given them, so ).  They still didn't think so, though.  They asked again if they could come in and check it out, so I (against my better judgement) now told them that they could come in, BUT ONLY so I could prove to them that they had the wrong house (dunno if that conditional shit holds any weight/water, but figured it was better than nothing. I had inferred that they were responding to a call about some old lady getting beaten up by her grandson, about my age, and knew that every second they were in the wrong house was bad news for grandma).  I first showed them my lease agreement and then took them into the back of the house to my computer room, where I pulled up the County Appraisal District's website.  I asked for the name of the caller, typed it in, and found out that she lived four houses down to the west.  Gave them a printout with the correct name/address and sent them on their way.  They were as nice/polite as could be expected in their rush to stop the real BG.