LIBERTY, April 10, 2016 - A citizen sent in the following photo showing a Sheriff’s Department Tahoe parked in a handicapped space at our local Whataburger. The vehicle was parked there while the family ate dinner which was about 40 minutes with its’ engine running and Deputies enjoyed dinner inside.

It is not known how many handicapped Deputies are employed at the Sheriff’s Office by Sheriff Bobby Rader.

I keep seeing a Smith Co constable's car at a grocery store here in Dallas with a Smith Co constable working off duty inside.

Just a short two hour drive.

Relax, the county is picking up the tab for the gas.

Been seeing it every Monday for at least a year. After I read the post, I swung by and had my daughter take another pic. Anyone here live in Tyler know the deal?

Probably working a "side job" as security.

We have a sheriff's deputy here who lives 2 counties away and drives a county vehicle back and forth.

Not acceptable

Maybe being retarded is a handicap parking exemption?

Txl

The "EXEMPT" plates exempt them from having to comply with traffic laws, of any type. Including parking.

I had a deputy tell me that one time. Said it was straight from his sheriff's mouth.

My wife has a app on her I phone that she can take a picture and it goes to the local law enforcement.

I would have gotten his badge number and called the sheriff up himself, and ask him, recording the answer. Be nice to run that as the sheriff runs for re election.

I understand there are times LEO can not obey that laws, but a huge majority of the time LEO should SET AN EXAMPLE, not think he is above the law. Those that do are no better than the POS in The White House.

Delete double post

Ehhh.. no different than every other asshole that abuses them.

I disagree. Cops need to lead by example. I expect alot from cops. They're given a very important, very risky job. They need to be humble about it, theyre at risk every time they stop someone.

They are also on everyone's radar. Always in the limelight. They need to lead by example, be justified images of justice. Not dipshits abusing a lax system.

People parking in handicap spots never bothered me. 90% of the time, they can fucking walk and just got the tag solely to park closer to places so not to get so tired walking their fat asses inside.

But, it's a fucking cop. Souring there for everyone to see. No one is going to remember Joe Schmoe parking his hoopty there, but everyone will remember seeing X County cop chilling there.

Just shows you assholes are everywhere. Especially where they shouldn't be.

God, the stuff you guys come up with.

EXEMPT PLATES DEFINED>

Texas exempt license plate" refers to registration of a vehicle in Texas that does not require fee payment for registering. These plates are issued to a vehicle based on ownership of and use by government organizations.

Check it for exempt plates. In some counties, the constable pays for and owns his vehicle. He may get an allowance from the county but it is his personal vehicle.

U

Except he didn't come up with it ... He was reporting what the deputy said, and citing the source as the sheriff.

It's kind of a joke in LEO circles around here. Oh you think Ofc. Snuffy was speeding, "Read the plates, exempt"

Well yeah, but the Chophouse Sandwich is back!

I guess the photo does not show the context of what was going on.  Is the Deputy eating or responding to a call? We are unable to tell by the photo alone and speculation is all we have.  In typical ARFCOM form ya'll are quick to demonize law enforcement.  Looking for any dig against them, even if it is out of context.

Sec. 546.001.  PERMISSIBLE CONDUCT.  In operating an authorized emergency vehicle the operator may:
(1)  park or stand, irrespective of another provision of this subtitle;
(2)  proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, after slowing as necessary for safe operation;
(3)  exceed a maximum speed limit, except as provided by an ordinance adopted under Section 545.365, as long as the operator does not endanger life or property;  and
(4)  disregard a regulation governing the direction of movement or turning in specified directions.


Sec. 546.002.  WHEN CONDUCT PERMISSIBLE.  (a)  In this section, "police escort" means facilitating the movement of a funeral, oversized or hazardous load, or other traffic disruption for public safety purposes by a peace officer described by Articles 2.12(1)-(4), (8), (12), and (22), Code of Criminal Procedure.
(b)  Section 546.001 applies only when the operator is:
(1)  responding to an emergency call;
(2)  pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law;
(3)  responding to but not returning from a fire alarm;
(4)  directing or diverting traffic for public safety purposes;  or
(5)  conducting a police escort.

Are you actually saying that a cop would take the time to park during an emergency?  Ive seen plenty of emergency calls.  There have been 3 in the past month at my work.  Cops do not park in spaces if on an emergency call they get as close as they can to the door and park in emergency lanes which is why Texas has them!  This cop was being a dick and got caught.  As far as I am concerned he should get the $500 fine (I believe that is the amount) that I would be subject to.  He is not sbove the law, NOBODY is.  Thankfully most cops are not like this.

RIF.....

LIBERTY, April 10, 2016 - A citizen sent in the following photo showing a Sheriff’s Department Tahoe parked in a handicapped space at our local Whataburger. The vehicle was parked there while the family ate dinner which was about 40 minutes with its’ engine running and Deputies enjoyed dinner inside.

I think if you look closely, you can see there is another patrol car parked next to the Tahoe.

I highlighted the part that is important.  

One thing I forgot.  About 6 months ago, the local police dept. was trying to form a group of citizens to police handicap parking spaces.  These people were to notify the locals if they found someone without a handicap placard parked in a handicap spot.  Then a citation could be issued.  This seemed to me to be all about the money, and nothing about hanicap people.

The cops that park in handicapped spots are not sending a good message to the public. In my opinion they are saying -

"Fuck You, I will park here if I want to because I am a cop".

Not all cops think that way. Most cops are good people and do not act like an ass in public.

It's always the few that screw it up for everybody else.   I have no doubt that there are a bunch of good LEO's.  I have to work with them every day.  The few that are assholes make them all look like assholes.   The problem comes when other officers refuse to call them out on their bullshit.

If there was not a good reason for them to park in the handicap spot the officer needs to be issued a citation.   Now if the officer was responding to a call then people need to get over it.

What a dickhead.

Which family? The photographers family or the cops family?  The highlighted part does not clear anything up.

If it was the cop, and his family, and not responding to a call for service, then corrective internal action should be taken.  However even the high light part is too vague.  Has the sheriff's dept made a statement about the issue?

I guess since you've seen "plenty" of emergency calls, 3 being with in the last month, then you know all there is to know about responding to a scene, how to manage it and where to park.

Maybe the cop was being a dick or maybe he was responding to a call. Either way I won't loose any sleep over it.

If anybody is the expert on emergency calls and parking it is obviously you

If this was a call I would chew his ass off for pulling into a parking spot like that.

The LCSO hasn't made a statement about this, and I really doubt they will make one.  

_____________________________ is strong up here.

Patrol Officers have supervisors to deal with stuff like this. On the first offense I would verbally slap the life out of one of my guys for this. On the second offense it would be on paper.

Even if he was responding to a call, he shouldn't have parked there because it just looks bad. If I'm responding to a hold up alarm or robbery call through its usually pretty obvious because I'll park my vehicle anywhere / wherever convenient that puts me at a tactical advantage or closest to the door (but not neatly in a handicapped spot).

If on a routine call or non emergency everything else, I legally park somewhere that I can see my vehice, and all my personally purchased expensive shit inside of it, from a window of whatever buillding I'm going in.

The only bad example that I set is not wearing my seatbelt when prowling around at night in 1st and 2nd gear. But I don't write seatbelt tickets to grownups either and wish other cops would do the same.


Ironically, last week I got on to an Officer for parking in a space with a handicapped painting on the concrete but no sign in front of the space and the brass told me to leave the cop alone because it wasn't technically legally enforceable...

Quoting bad information from a moron (or a guy that was pulling his leg)  does not make it any better.

40 minutes to eat at Whataburger?

That kind of thing did not go over well with the departments I worked for.  Several officers got 1 day unpaid suspensions for doing it.   As to the unit parked in front of the grocery store every Monday, that may be allowed.  If we had a take home unit we could stop on the way home to run an errand as long as it was actually between your district and your home.  If you were going to your side job after your shift, and it was on your way home, you could park the unit at your side job but not use it while there.  And as someone pointed out it could be a POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) so the deputy owns the vehicle and receives a stipend for using it on duty.

Poor, but not something I give a shit about.  Most of the time handicap spots and tags are abused by freeloaders anyway.  If it really pisses you off and you want to SJW, take a picture and send it in with a complaint.  such can have a significant impact.  Stuff like that can go into an employee file real easy.   That said, do you really care?  How many crippled Vet's did you witness struggling to survive as a result of this travesty?  Its poor, to be sure, and the biggest concern is apparently there is an officer who is better than the little people.  That part could be a bad sign I suppose.  

Well my father is a disabled vet that can barely walk.  He has to use either a walker or two canes, one in each hand.  Several times we go somewhere and the only handicap space available is taken up by some fuck nut that thinks it's okay to park there because they will only be a few minutes.  I even had one try to give me the excuse there was no parking available when he parked there.  So yeah, it's out there and happens more often then you think.  On a side note the last time it happened I parked behind the guy without blocking anybody else and told him he would have to wait until my father and I were done (at a Starbucks).

Are you aware that there are people in this world that have a severe medical condition which causes them to be that way? My mother for instance is one of those people. She is a truck driver that has bad knees and a bad back from driving the truck but you probably do not care about that case either. Oh well I am not one of those people I am 6'4" 245lbs and I exercise every day. I would love to see you say something like to my mother in front of me. Probably never happen though you are probably just an internet tough guy. I doubt very seriously you would say that to someones face. Just my thought.What do you think. Oh I am sorry you probably do not have a brain. I on the other hand will be happy to buy you a plane ticket to come here and see if you have the nerve to say that to someone I know.

Good for you .  I have a few relatives that really need those spots too and get screwed over by d bags that think it's ok.

10 minutes to eat (it's called fast food for a reason), and 30 minutes to deal with the consequences.  

Yawn

He doesn't comprehend fundamentals...

Being a cop means you are neither angel nor asshole.  It's the person that determines that.  This is why the lib saying that only cops should have guns is a load of fertilizer.  Cops aren't special however they choose to do a job that is at times dangerous and more frequently thankless.  I know a few cops and most are great people that would cringe at what this says about them simply by association.  I also know a few cops that are assholes.  I was an auto mechanic and there plenty of those guys that are shady so I understand the dynamic.  Now to say that many people with HC plates don't deserve them and are mooching or faking, etc., it is still against the law to park there without the plate or placard.  I could discharge my AR in my backyard, I live in a populated area, and not have a bullet leave the property.  I'm sure I would still get a visit from the local PD.  The fact that no one was hurt by my actions would probably not keep me from getting in trouble.  Same goes for speeding.  Getting back to the cops, they are regular people but because of the badge and uniform they are held to a higher standard of behavior and should conduct themselves accordingly.  Parking in HC spots or blocking spots when there is no official PD business taking place is contrary to this.  They should act like their mother or grandmother is watching them.  This is even more important these days since EVERYONE has a camera all the time.  So glad I grew up in the '80s when there was no Facebook, social media or cameras everywhere.  

I can empathize with the OP as I spotted 3 or 4 officers having dinner at a restaurant I frequent.  One cruiser was parked in the 15 min 'to go' marked parking spot.  While not against the law it is generally discourteous.  The other was double parked in a parking garage.  Lots of people double park and I'm guessing that is not illegal either but again it is discourteous.  It wasn't a really bad double park like you typically see with a high sports or luxury car.  It was more like that of a soccer mom in a big SUV that would probably drive no better in a Miata.  This is equally infuriating to me to see someone just pull up in the loading area at HD/Lowe's then walk out later with a single bag of stuff.  Maybe I should throw a weedeater or ladder in my truck and do the same.




Jester

Very good post. The part in blue is spot on. (It's actually good advice for anyone). I'm one of those cops that hates to see this kind of stuff because we all get smeared by it....and it's stupid. It's just so much easier to park appropriately and not act like a jerk.

Normally I'm the thread killer but now it's more like this:



The thing that frustrates me the most about this sort of thing is the general sense of entitlement that I seem to be seeing more and more these days.  I drive a lot so I see a lot driving and parking idiocy.  I won't further derail as discussion of some of the driving out there could be a several page thread in and of itself.

Jester

We don't always agree about policing, and that's ok. But please start wearing your seatbelt.  Even on side streets and in the middle of the night.  Never know when that drunk will find you.  Seatbelt saved me last year from a drunk. Destroyed police car.  

I also don't write seatbelt tickets for adults not wearing.  I will write an adult for not making their children wear it.

I agree. The only time I take off my belt while the car is moving is when I'm 100 feet or so from a warrant location. As bad as it's gotten this year we still face greater danger from other driver's than murderers.

Fully agree.

Doesn't bother me at all because the ADA is bullshit.