Los Angeles Police Department

[Limewater]

I got my information from the police. They do have the 404 area code number. I got it off the website just like you did and had to call it like six times in a row to get anyone to answer it. I don't think they even had voice mail set up, it'll just ring forever. When I finally reached someone on that line they told me that they don't usually answer it and that in the future I should just call 911.

Heh.

Maybe they were just screwing with me. Just like they joked with me that they were going to take my police report when I was the victim on a crime.

[MrPopo]

I'm a lot more likely to be victimized by the police than anyone else. Who do I call then?

I can't imagine why the police would be victimizing you. Is it because you're a lawbreaker?

[Ivo]

The important distinction is the nice guys may have chosen to be what they are, but they did not choose to enforce the specific nasty laws (some of them which indeed exist). That is just an unpleasant part of their job (hopefully a small part of it).

This part doesn't make any sense. You can't just be like "well, I only became a cop for the good laws". It all goes hand in hand.

I disagree, I think it makes perfect sense. I can easily imagine someone becoming a cop because he wants to help people. Certainly there is the likelihood that they will have -as part of the job - to do some other ethically grey things. That does not invalidate their motivation from becoming a cop from being "to help people".

Yes, if you knowingly take a job where you're going to have to hurt people, that's your responsibility. "I was just doing my job" is not an excuse. That has been abundantly clear for at least 66 years now.

I disagree. If the person's motivation for becoming a cop was genuinely good, then "I was just doing my job" when some nastier parts show up is a perfectly valid "excuse" in my opinion. I'm not criticising the ones that will put others interests ahead of their own interests and do stuff like disobeying superior orders - those are often genuine heroes on top of being nice people. Does not necessarily mean that those that do not disobey said orders are bad people, it will depend on what the orders are and the context and stuff.

A couple of important distinctions is whether the cop enjoys or minds doing the ethically grey stuff. Some of the nasty ones actually enjoy it (I think most if not all riot control cops are of that type, for example - I think they like beating people up). The good ones that don't like that kind of stuff, when it happens that they have to do it will go home thinking "Sometimes I hate my job", but hopefully that is not every single day.

Ivo.

[weaponepsilon]

I live in the Rural part of MN, where I've been pulled over for not noticing my brake light was out (how was I supposed to see that). I lived in the Burbs for a long time and I had cops pull me over for no good reason whatsoever. I've even heard of a story from an inner city officer:

His precinct was having an after hours party at a local pub when a group approached them and started to cause trouble. They flashed their badges and warded them off. The party was dulled so the opted to leave and head far away (like a couple cities over). The group had followed the officers and started in again under the assumption that since they were in another city, their jurisdiction was null. During the commotion, someone called the local police when a fight started to break out. The local cops showed up and arrested the officers instead of the gang. They had to get their Sargent to come and bail them out.

This has been pretty common out here. Police mistaking fellow officers for suspects and shooting their own even though their descriptions totally didnt match.

yeah.

[gtmtnbiker]

I'm a lot more likely to be victimized by the police than anyone else. Who do I call then?

I can't imagine why the police would be victimizing you. Is it because you're a lawbreaker?

The other possibility is that he's a minority in a town with a racist police department. I initially had the same reaction as you before I thought of this scenario.

[gtmtnbiker]

It shows 911 is for emergency and a 404 area code number for non-emergencies. Where did you get your information from?

I got my information from the police. They do have the 404 area code number. I got it off the website just like you did and had to call it like six times in a row to get anyone to answer it.

I just sent an email to the Atlanta Chief of Police asking him what is the correct number to call. I'm skeptical that someone would tell you to call 911 for non-emergency issues. I mean you have articles like this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26040857/ns ... ncy-calls/

There are some cities/towns that have implemented 311 as a way to contact police/fire for non-emergency issues.

In my town, I haven't had any issues contacting the fire/police department. A number of times, I used emails to report some issues and have always had curteous & prompt responses. One time, I complained about drivers not stopping for pedestrians in the crosswalk on Main St. The officer responded how they would setup enforcement actions where at different days/times, they would send someone to the crosswalks and nail violators. He reported that they wrote 6 tickets on one day, some number of tickets another day the following week, etc. He sent several followup emails over a couple of months to let me know that they continue to monitor the issue and do periodic enforcement. I definitely appreciated it.

[Limewater]

I just sent an email to the Atlanta Chief of Police asking him what is the correct number to call. I'm skeptical that someone would tell you to call 911 for non-emergency issues.

Congratulations!

I guess it's possible the police were just screwing with me. If so, it wouldn't be the only lie they told me on each of those two separate phone calls with two separate officers.

[mluitjens1031]

I don't know about the police in cities any of you live in, but over here it's very common to see a cop breaking the law. Very often, I will see a cop use his sirens just to pass a red light, and then immediately turn them off, or parking their patrol car illegaly when going to a 7/11 or some restaurant.

[BRIK]

A cop cut me off yesterday because the idiot was driving up the wrong way to a shop. Considering this one way lane was a steep hill it could of been dangerous if someone was closer than me actually going the right way.