BEAVERTON, Ore. — A homeless man who called 911 from the hot tub of a suburban Portland home and asked for towels, hot chocolate and a hug got arrested for trespassing instead.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Two Washington County Sheriff’s deputies caught drinking and having sex at a U.S. Forest campground are now off the county’s payroll.

El Salvador Police find barrell Stuffed with 9 million Bucks

Arizona Shooting Ruled Legit

Cleaning up Blood Types

Tip of the week: Become Parents to your kids…. Be Involved!

Story of the Week: See the website

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Budget cuts are forcing police around the country to stop responding to fraud, burglary and theft calls as officers focus limited resources on violent crime.

BERLIN – Ever thought twice about posting a party picture on Facebook, fearing it could someday hurt your chance at a dream job? A draft German law is supposed to solve the problem by making it illegal for prospective employers to spy on applicants’ private postings.

OAKLAND — Robberies and assaults rose 8.5 percent in a one-month period from July 13 to Aug. 13, a time when 80 police officers left the streets because of layoffs, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Oakland Police Officers Association.

Tip of the week: Citizens Arrests

Story of the Week: Curfew

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Curfew Laws…….Next week…

Tip of the week:

• Identity Theft – Some more tips…Equifax, Trans Union, Experian.com, Free Report Site – www.AnnualCreditReport.com, Phone: 1-877-322-8228

Story of the Week:

• Crimes Defined

Next Week: Citizens Arrests, Curfews

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I have access to the MySpace page of one of my co-worker’s teenagers. He is 16 years old and they’ve had multiple problems with him over the last 4 years. He’s been expelled from numerous schools in town. They continue to be in denial that he’s more than "just being a boy". He’s been offering "thizzle" via MySpace. From what I understand, this is a street name for Ecstasy. Is there any way to pass this info along to law enforcement anonymously and get this kid off the streets since obviously his parents are not wanting to acknowledge a problem? I have copies of many of his posts and pictures he’s posted.

I have no problem with you publishing my question but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t print my name. Thanks in advance. Love the podcast. Keeps me entertained and informed!

Subject: Soliciting Drugs via MySpace

Great question! Some police departments have large narcotics units and even have a "hot-line" to report drug activity and anonymous tips. They weed out tips with no proof who often turn out to be an estranged spouse, angry ex-girlfriend, people involved in custody disputes etc. If someone complains that there is a lot of vehicle or foot traffic to a particular address at all hours of the night, and the complaint appears legitimate (the person doesn’t mind a call back from the police to discuss the activity or there are multiple complaints concerning the same address), narcotics units will usually set up a surveillance on the address to monitor the activity for themselves. If they find there appears to be drug activity at the location, they may set up a "undercover buy" where undercover officers or trusted "informants" purchase drugs from the location. When there is absolute proof that there is drug activity from the location, and the drugs test positive, the police will obtain a search warrant and raid the house.

Departments with a small narcotics unit or ones with no narcotics unit do not have the manpower for surveillance. In that case, the beat unit or cop who patrols that area will be given the information and they can monitor the area themselves. In my city there is a particular house being rented by druggies and it is a magnet for crime. We’ve had a huge increase in stolen vehicles taken and found in this area, pursuits of vehicles fleeing when officers try to stop vehicles leaving the residence, stolen property being taken to the residence, parolees coming to and leaving the residence, etc. I’d hate to be a neighbor on the street with all the criminal activity on the block. The beat officers regularly give extra attention to this residence and special enforcement teams also regularly watch the area. Everything is being documented, a lot of arrest are being made, and eventually the owner of the property will be notified it is a "nuisance property" and be given a deadline to correct the situation or face fines, penalties, and even have the property seized. 

In your situation you have a lot of evidence already. Proving if it’s true or not is the question. Call your police or Sheriffs department and ask to speak to the narcotics unit. Explain what you’ve told us and they will probably ask for the information to access the MySpace account. If the kid is putting it out there on the internet it’s open for all to see. They may try to set up a "buy" if the kid is actually selling.

If they department is small, they may do a background check on the kid (I’m sure he’s already in their system) and pass the info along to the beat officers. I’m sure if an officer stopped the kid on foot or in a car for some reason and got consent for a search they’d find drugs if he’s selling. As we’ve mentioned before, parents are usually in denial about their kids activity. Maybe that would wake the parents up.

For anyone wishing to report illegal drug activity, call your local police department and ask to speak to the narcotics unit. If they don’t have one, ask to speak to the on-duty supervisor. Some departments let you report suspicious activity on-line via their web-sites.

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If a family member is growing marijuana in an elderly woman’s home and you turn him in what will happen to the woman? She knows about it but due to her relationship with the man she is pretending to act as though it’s not a big deal. I worry about her health and the effect the stress could have on her but I feel she is being taken advantage of. What does the law say in a case like this?

Thanks for the question – we answered this on the podcast this week…

It will be up shortly..

In a nutshell – this depends on so many factors it is hard to answer without some or a lot more information… sadly there are also reasons why people harbor this kind of activity – usually its all the wrong reasons but those reasons are there and sometimes you cannot convince them any differently..

If she is knowingly allowing the activity in her home there is a very good chance she will be held partially responsible. If she is old enough or "out of it" enough to not know what is going on that is a totally different story.

In the end its her home and her responsibility – but depending on the extenuating circumstances many different outcomes could apply.

For the most growing marijuana is not even looked at as a major crime anymore with so many medicinal excuses out there and the possibility of it becoming legal in the near future.

I would talk with her if you know her well enough and explain the possible outcomes and let her make the decision if she is capable… interfering in her life might bring her more stress than what you believe she is under from him growing it there – she might want him there enough to put up with that…

It is really hard to know without many many more details.

Hopefully that helps.

Brent

My boyfriend was arrested on a $700 warrant (Tickets). He didn’t receive a court notice & therefore didn’t go to court. How long will he probably have to be in jail if he’s not bailed out?

But to sum up the answer we would say he would not be in jail for more than 72 hours if arrested on a Friday.

It would be for his next court date available till he is cite released but this can change from city to city.

Him not receiving the court notice is in question as we have seen this claimed many times only to find out the person gave a false address at the time of the citation, thus the mail would not get to them…

We would hope he is already out of jail and hopefully he will work out the issues with his address and make his court appearances as the consequences for getting a failure to appear can really ruin his day.

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• In the News:
  • Court Room Fashion Disasters – Making an impact!
  • Mark’s Corner
    • Arrested Teens
    • Bitter Jim
    • Kid walks off cliff on cell phone
  • Court – What the heck is with those pants?
  • Pile of books for questions and thanks to all that have submitted.
  • Private property stop signs? What’s the deal? What’s considered?
  • Cell phones and driving

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Brent,

- Mike – Michigan

While people think that used police cars are usually beaten to death, they are actually very well maintained. Probably better maintained than most personally owned cars. Cities and counties cant afford the liability of having vehicles driving around that are dangerous or faulty. If an accident occurred where it was found that the city or county knew the vehicle was dangerous or not maintained to be safe, the county or city might be sued by an injured party or even by the employee themselves. If I was to crash in my police car and later find out that the city knew there was a safety concern but ignored it to save money, I’d have a huge lawsuit.

For this reason, cities and county have a regular maintenance schedule for all their cars. The vehicles are all bought brand new. They are covered by the manufacture warranties until it expires and any major repairs are done by the dealerships under warranty. Minor repairs are done by trained mechanics at the city or county corporation mechanic yards and after the warranty expires, most repairs are done there. The cars have regularly scheduled routine inspections, oil changes and maintenance. Like I said, the cities and counties want their cars to be safe and more importantly, to last. Any employee that finds a problem with a city or county owned vehicle simply fills out a quick memo to the corp yard and if it’s serious, the car is taken out of service and repaired quickly. The cities don’t need or want a $300 repair to turn into a 5 million dollar lawsuit.

So to sum it up, if you buy a used police car, you are probably getting a vehicle that was better maintained than most people maintain their cars. Most people don’t take their car in until something goes out. Police cars are inspected and maintained to make sure things don’t go out. Are some cars beat more than others? Sure, people drive differently. A new rookie feels the need to go to each call 100 mph and loves to find pursuits. An older veteran officer still loves a good pursuit but the cars are probably more mildly driven the rest of the time. Some might have interior blemishes, coffee stains, dings and small dents, but they are usually maintained well. There are some that might have been in accidents or got more trashed than others, just look it over real good before buying. Better yet, take a mechanic friend with you to the auction to look a few over before bidding. 

And used police cars are fun to drive. More power, special suspension packages. Since they come with spotlights on both sides, you’ll look like a cop no matter what. Get on the freeway and watch all the cars in front of you slow down or pull over a lane as you come up behind them. Not sure what cop opinions are on seeing retired police vehicles back on the street, we’ll save that discussion for the show. Security companies usually snatch up retired police cars just for that purpose, they still look like a police car even without the light bar on top.   

And yes, you can put a taxi sign on top or better yet, put a Dominos Pizza Delivery sign on the top, then there’s no confusion if it’s the police or not… 

We will hit this on this weeks show also….

In Michigan, we have much more relaxed gun laws then California does.  We have Open Carry of loaded handguns as long as they are in plain site and there are a lot of people that do that.  I have a Concealed Pistol License and carry that way most of the time.  This also allows me to carry the loaded pistol in my car in any way I want to. (I normally have it in the glove box or console of the car in a holster)

I know in California, some county sheriffs do issue Carry Permits.

I agree with you guys about the open carry people.  I agree they have that right but, it seems a lot of them just do it to get in people’s faces and it’s going to backfire on them.  The only time I open carry is if I’m in the woods where there might be bears or snakes. I believe that if you have the CCW permit, you should keep it hidden.. It keeps the people from calling the cops with a “Man with a gun” call.  It also makes more sense not to be target #1 if a bad guy comes into a store you are in to rob it. 

As a second question, do they allow you guys to Carry off duty in California ?  (not asking if you do, just if they let you)   Here, our county sheriff REQUIRES his deputies to carry off duty unless they are drinking. 

Sorry for the long email.

Keep up the great show!

-Mike – Michigan

Thanks for the questions Mike.

Concealed carry is fine with me as long as the person has a concealed weapon permit. Here in CA, Police Chiefs and Sheriffs can issue concealed weapon permits to citizens who apply for them with a legitimate reason and only after passing a background and criminal history check. People with concealed weapon permits have been checked out and are legally cleared to carry a concealed firearm. If we contact a person with a licensed concealed weapon they usually tell us they have a weapon on them and that they are licensed to do so, that way there are no surprises if we see a weapon or discover one during a search.

And yes, although it is legal in CA, open carry can present issues. People with no gun training whatsoever can strap a gun on one side and loaded magazines on the other side and walk into a store. And you are right, if a suspect goes into a store to rob it and sees a gun on the guys belt, the robber will shoot him without hesitating believing he is a cop or that the person might draw down on him first. And the last thing law enforcement wants to see is a gun battle between two untrained people in a crowded store. Hopefully most open carry advocates are experienced shooters but anyone who passes a background check can open carry even though they have never fired a gun in their life. That’s dangerous. And as a law enforcement officer, I don’t like the idea that I cant run a check on someone carrying an unloaded  gun and ammo in public to make sure it’s not a convicted felon or someone barred from owning firearms. I would much prefer to see people who want to carry guns obtain a concealed weapon permit and carry them that way.

In CA, law enforcement officers may carry firearms off duty. Not sure if any agencies require it but all allow it. With my agency, we must pass the same range qualification course with an off duty firearm if it is a different firearm than our duty weapon. Officers may carry their duty weapons or other firearms they have qualified with while off duty as long as they are not drinking. And officers who retire from law enforcement are usually issued a concealed weapons permit to carry a firearm.

It’s funny to see newly hired officers, they carry weapons all the time. Probably have it strapped on while mowing their lawn……..

Allot of new officers carry all the time because "they can". Always strapped to their sides no matter where they go. As cops get more time on, you see that less. If you ask veteran cops if they carry off duty, some will say they carry all the time and some will say only sometimes. I carry a compact .380 at times depending on where I am going but I carry a lot less than I used to. I don’t like the thought of being a victim of a robbery while unarmed but if it happened, I’d be a good witness. The last thing I want to do is get into a gunfight with my wife or young grandson nearby.

Gun rights and open carry laws always stir debates. Maybe we can get some comments for pro and con we can post on our website or discuss them on another show.

Thanks again for writing in,

Mark

• In the News:
  • These issues really happen – Calls you do not want to go to…..
  • Shatner Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0D78JtxmqI – Racial – You let us know?
  • Arkansas Police Slayings - Link to Video
  • iPhones make a great Snitch for cops: Link to article
  • Seized Drug Submarine First for Drug Dealers – Well the first we found: Link to article
    • A 100-foot, twin-screw diesel submarine seized at a jungle shipyard in Ecuador marks a quantum, if anticipated, leap in drug-smuggling evasion technology, the top U.S. counter-drug official for the region said Sunday.
  • OPD Loses the 80 Officers – Breaking News – Turn in their badges and guns….Not responding to non priority calls.
  • Mesherle Trial – Update
  • Reader Question: What do the police think of “normal people” driving old cop cars?
  • Reader Question: How do you guys feel about Concealed carry (the legal kind with permit)
  • Open Carry – What is the deal in AZ?

NEXT WEEK

• Court Room Fashion Disasters – Making an impact!

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• New Stories and a few stories from the book.

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• Shout Outs:
  • @coptalk Hello!! From Thurmont, MD. Love the show, especially Jim’s rants. From one LEO to another. What are your favorite TV cop shows?
  • Traverse City, Michigan & MGDELL from the Bluburry Network for supporting the show…. No Worries we will keep going at each other each week till people get bored of it..
• Question: Loaded Gun in a locked box in the trunk of my car! – Can I do it?

NEXT WEEK:

• Digital Copy Machines and your Identity
• CA Fire Department start charging for Crashes: http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/calif-depts-are-charging-crashes
  • Is a pumper truck called to the scene? That’ll be $400. Traffic cones and flares needed? Another $20. An incident commander to oversee? That’s $75 an hour.

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”I got a default judgment on my case. I am trying to collect my money. How can I do this if he changed his number and I cant reach him?”

A few things you can do:

Check public records at the County building to see if they have updated info on him.

If it’s a substantial judgment and worth the expense, you can hire a private investigator to find him.

You can pretty much find information on anyone on the internet nowadays. There are many web-sites where you can simply type in his name and get info back, some sites are free while others charge a fee. Just Google people search and get a bunch of sites that might help. You can also try sites such as Facebook, MySpace, on-line white pages etc to locate him. With the internet technology nowadays, he should be relatively easy to find.    

• Oakland PD facing Massive Layoffs
  http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/2085797-Calif-PD-facing-layoffs-of-150-officers/
• Digital Adverts on License Plates
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10368899.stm

• Listener Question: I got a default judgment on my case. I am trying to collect my money. How can I do this if he changed his number and I cant reach him?
• Getting into the middle of what you are not supposed too…..
• Mark’s side on the people we meet in the field…..
• Mark’s side on the excuses we get for why people do things wrong….
• Alert Citizen / Home Burglary Story of the week….

NEXT WEEK

• More topics from the book……

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• Brent and Jim talk about the topics…..
• What should you expect when being pulled over?
• What are the cops looking for?
• Why?

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• Stories from our last week of duty….
• Drownings…
• Water Safety….
  
• Shaved Keys + Vehicles = See ya car….

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• More topics from the book……

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• road rage
• panhandling
• medical topic – strokes

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• What happens if i give a false name to an officer?
• Response Times – Help us to help you faster….
• Security Lighting
• Universal Garage Door Openers
• Leaving the keys in your car in your garage
• Mail Theft

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• More topics from the book……
• What do crooks see when then look at you….

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• I just got a ticket for our party being to loud
• I just got a ticket for running a red light
• Red Light Cameras
• Criminal Threats – Phone Harass

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• Cops Mostly Stop White Drivers Study Says
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• Oakland PD Kills Bambi – Vs. Other Options
• Arrested: Teenager allegedly involved in 28 armed robberies in Hayward, CA
  • http://www.ktvu.com/news/23337768/detail.html
• 25 Arrested in Marijuana Sting – Contra Costa County, CA
  • http://www.ktvu.com/news/23305524/detail.html
• Officer Dragged 50ft during traffic stop
  • http://www.ktvu.com/news/23313919/detail.html

• Pursuits
• Termination – Why, when, how

NEXT WEEK:

• Whats the difference between city, county and state police?
• What happens if I have to miss my court date?
• If I decide to go to court to fight my ticket what should I expect?
• Arizona Immigration Law Sparks National Uproar - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/20/arizona-immigration-law-s_n_544864.html
• What really ticks us off……..

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DISCLAIMER - The website page has been updated with new Disclaimers

• Clarify – Retaliation – For being helpful to police
• News – Baby left in car overnight – dies – http://www.ktvu.com/news/23206493/detail.html
• Police Depts fining popularity online – http://www.policeone.com/police-products/communications/articles/2049621-Police-departments-finding-popularity-online/
• Twitter used to distribute severe storm information – http://www.fdnntv.com/Tampa-Emergency-Managers-Twitter
• Ipad owner loses finger in theft – http://www.ktvu.com/news/23219220/detail.html
• Use of Twitter and Facebook steadily rising among gang members
  • http://www.policeone.com/police-products/communications/articles/1998904-Use-of-Twitter-Facebook-steadily-rising-among-gang-members/
• Calling 911 for a ride home: http://www.ktvu.com/news/23260100/detail.html

Reader / Listener Questions

• Question #1 – What happens if I am the designated driver and my car is loaded with drunks and i get pulled over?
• Question #2 – What happens if I throw a cigarette or a lit cigarette out of my car window?
• Question #3 – How fast over the speed limit can I drive and not get a ticket?
• Question #4 – Phone Scams – What to do about them
  • http://www.ktvu.com/news/23256200/detail.html

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Local Police Department cannot move without many issues from local citizens

I was pulled over for speeding. The cop commented that I am setting a bad example as a Christian because my license plate read "Christians aren’t perfect just forgiven by a God who is" -he proceeded in questioning my faith and Christianity. Is that ok to Judge, belittle, or put me down.

_______________________________________________________

If he was just trying to be humorous in the beginning, that’s one thing. People are often nervous or angry about being pulled over and some officers (including myself) make jokes or comments at times to ease the tension or fear. Usually people appreciate a cop with a sense of humor. But if he was clearly questioning your faith and taking it too far in your opinion, then no, it is not right. If you feel strongly that the officer went too far, you can call the department and ask to speak to a supervisor to discuss the incident or you can file a formal complaint at the police department.   

© Coptalk.info

I have been charged with a Class B misdemeanor. Is it legal for me to carry a unloaded, open action, rifle in my truck while on probation?

_____________________________________________________

Sadly this is a hard one to give you a proper answer for:

Terms of probation are all different and a lot depends on the original charge. While normally carrying a non-concealed unloaded firearm is legal in some states, it may violate the terms of your probation. You’ll have to check with your probation officer to get the answer to that one.

Sadly you will need to ask locally as it is so different from state to state..and even county and county.

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I would like to become a police officer.I live in sioux falls sd.I really want to help people and society and the older and more mature I become the more I desire the position.I am a recovered alcoholic and had DUIs when I was younger,It was and is a difficult disease to overcome but I’ve been doing it for yrs.Is this something that might hold me back from my goal?Will they give me a chance or not being I was in trouble because of my problem.Last but not least,what is the best or correct process to apply and learn the position?Any info would be greatly appreciated.I believe the job you guys do is important and essential to the well being of our country and its citizens and would love nothing more then to be able to keep good honest people safe and help whomever may need it.I realize I broke the law when I was younger and struggling with my addiction but that is half the reason I want to do this.The instances when I was not caught scare me to death,I could have hurt or even ki

lled innocent people as well as myself.Again,thank you and not just for help with my question but also for what you do every day.

————————————————————————————-

Ryan,

Usually a persons past of minor offenses or DUI’s shouldn’t affect their chances at becoming a police officer as long as some time has passed. If there were recent incidents, that would probably make your chances pretty slim. Police work is a stressful job and you’d have to make sure the stress didn’t cause you to fall off the wagon. Most departments understand that people make mistakes when they are younger and that’s actually part of life’s experience. Minor misdemeanors shouldn’t hurt your chance but a felony conviction would keep you out of law enforcement. A pattern of abuse with recent incident could also keep you out. If you’ve been clean for years, have nothing serious on your record, then you have a chance of achieving your goal.

As for applying or learning the position, there are several ways. You could put yourself through a police academy at your own expense. Many departments go in and hire students from the academy classes when graduation is near. But the academy is full time, 5 days a week, so it’s difficult to do if you are older and have a full time job.

You can apply at departments for an "entry level" position. If you are hired, the department will put you through the academy, pay your way, and pay you a salary while you are in the academy. Usually the best way to get in if you can.

Or you can do like I did. While working a full time job, I took a few law enforcement classes at night at a local community college. I became a reserve officer with a local department riding shifts with sworn officers after I got off work and or weekends. Most departments do not pay reserve officers (some do) but the training you get is invaluable. I learned everything about the department and got to do a lot of hands on police work. The department also saw how motivated I was to be hired by them. I worked as a part time reserve officer for 2 years until I locked in a pension with my regular job and then the department hired me full time and put me through the police academy. If you become a reserve officer with a department, and they like you, it’s almost a guaranteed job for you when they hire as long as you pass all the test and graduate the academy.

Going through the process isn’t easy and very few applicants make it all the way through but if that is your goal, it is a very rewarding job. Hope some of this helps and good luck.

(c) Coptalk.info

I would like to know as a civilian, what are my rights as a witness to a bar fight? Do I have to give the police my statement? Do I have to give them my social security #? What if I am harassed by them?

**

If you were part of the fight and considered a suspect then yes, they have a right to obtain your information and statement. If you were just present during a common bar fight and not involved, you don’t have to give any information. But if there was a serious injury or death and they know you were there and probably saw something, they’d probably press you a bit more for information and might even take you to the station for a statement. Where I work, we ask for drivers license numbers of the people we talk to. Some departments may ask for Social Security numbers but the only time we ask for one is when we book someone into jail or try to figure out if someone is lying to us.

If you don’t want to give a statement you can be like a lot of people we contact at crime scenes; "Nope, didn’t see a thing".

**

Here is my question. If you have a couple that split up and there are 2 vehicles between them. one takes one and the other takes the other vehicle. both vehicles are registered to only one of the two. can the one that has their name on the title report the car stolen if the other individual refuses to give it back? also would that both names are on the registration only make a difference.

Our Reply:

If the cars belonged to a couple that split up and each take a vehicle you really cant make a stolen vehicle report under most conditions. If the title is in your name only then you have a right to get the car back. If the title is in your name then you can ask for a civil standby for the police to meet you where the car is and assist you in getting the car back.  If both of your names are on the title then the car belongs to both of you and you have no right to take it if the other person already has possession and refuses to give it back. In that case then it’s a civil matter that you’ll have to take to court to decide who gets to keep the car.

One thing to think about if both names are on the title; When two names are on a vehicle title it either says "AND" between the names or it says "OR" between the names. If it says "AND" it means the car belongs to both parties and both parties would need to sign the title if the car were to be sold or for the ownership information to change. Basically it takes both signatures for anything to be changed on the title.

If the title says "OR" then you are out of luck. That means the vehicle belongs to both names on the title but EITHER ONE of the parties can sign off on the title to sell the car or change ownership information. Then it’s a matter of who gets to the DMV first……

© CopTalk  

What guidelines would you suggest for calling the police? I once got a "smart" response from a dispatcher because I waited 20 minutes to report something I thought "looked" suspicious. I gave a completely thorough description of the man and his bike, but not timely evidently… but it made me think, "How does Jo (Anne) Public know when and when not to call the police?"

Our Reply:

Thanks for the question…

I am sure my partners will also submit replies it’s just been a really busy week…

Personally I would never fault someone for calling on anything that strikes a person as suspicious or illegal as long as the caller has rationalized the situation. I can cite you many examples of what I mean by this but as a general rule more citizens help to stop crime than cops ever could based on the fact there are more eyes in the general public than on your local police force.

I remember a call where we were asked to give additional patrol to an affluent community in my area because a citizen there thought a man was casing her house. There is a good potential this could be a crime solving tip so we responded and after a few days and some additional tips from this person, mainly one that he runs by the house daily, we finally were able to find out who this person was and why in the end the call was one to be remember yet for all the wrong reasons. The person running by her home was a very respected Dr. in the neighborhood, he was not casing the home of the citizen that called, he was simply taking his morning jog and from what we could figure the only reason the person called was because his skin color (in this case black) made her feel uncomfortable. We handled the call as we do all of the calls myself and my partners go to in a very professional manner and even the Dr. got a laugh out of it.

That said I have seen many calls end tragically because the person was afraid to call.

It’s all about common sense. Also in the situation is a non emergency situation please feel free to use the standard business line that goes to your local police department – commonly referred to as the non- emergency number. You can usually have someone call you back like a detective etc that might be able to answer if what you have seen etc might be more than just what it appears.

Additional Replies:

Basically use common sense. If something raises your suspicions or just doesn’t look right, call the police. If it’s an emergency dial 911. If it’s suspicious but not an emergency, call the non-emergency number for your local police department. It’s great you called in a suspicious circumstance but time is very important. A suspicious person will usually be gone in 20 minutes, burglars will be done ransacking a home and gone in 20 minutes, people selling or using drugs in a car will be high and gone in 20 minutes, etc etc. Police would rather get a call and find out it’s nothing rather than get dispatched to a burglary or other crime and find out someone saw something suspicious 20 or 30 minutes earlier but didn’t call. You know your neighborhood, if it looks suspicious then follow your instincts and call right away. If you realize it was a mistake, you can call back to cancel the response.

Thanks for being a concerned citizen!

i just got a ticket the other day and the police officer wrote me a ticket for 5 over but he wrote on the ticket i was driving a 86 ford. but i was really driving a 99 Cadillac escalade will this help me beat the ticket in court?

Our Replies:

5 over, hmmm. Must have been a slow day for the cops wherever you live. Most cops don’t bother giving tickets for 5 over unless it’s a zero tolerance special enforcement detail or if the driver really pissed off the cop.

It’s a crap shoot, could go either way in court. The error could cause doubt on the officers credibility (if he made a mistake on the car, maybe he made a mistake on the speed, etc). If you go to court you can argue the above point of maybe he was in error on the speed just like he was in error on the vehicle description, or maybe he pulled over the wrong vehicle after clocking a Ford with the radar (if it was a radar ticket) etc. You’d have to establish enough doubt for the judge to dismiss the ticket. The officer will have to explain why he wrote the wrong vehicle information down. If you admit being pulled over by the officer and you signed the citation, the judge may not care too much about the error in the vehicle information. You have a 50-50 chance.

If the officer paced you in his patrol car, you can ask when the patrol car’s speedometer was last calibrated. If it hadn’t been calibrated lately you might win your case in a 5 mph over case. It’s not uncommon for speedometers to be off by a few miles an hour so if the officer cannot show that the speedometer was recently checked and was accurate, the citation might be dismissed. If it was a radar or laser ticket, you’ll have to hope the officer doesn’t show up or the errors on the citation cause enough doubt. Let us know what happens.

Hope that helps..

Mark
© Coptalk

Is the license plate correctly listed on the cite?

If you "RESPECTFULLY" explain to the judge that the citation has inaccurate vehicle information listed – he may decide to dismiss the citation in the "interest of justice".  The few cites I’ve written where I listed wrong dates, locations, speed limits, or vehicle information were always dismissed in court so I learned quickly to ALWAYS be accurate when filling out cites – but mistakes happen, and when they do, they usually end up being in the driver’s favor. There are not too many similarities between an 86 Ford and a 99 Escalade. Sounds like the officer maybe entered the wrong plate into the computer and didn’t give it a 2nd thought.

Good luck!

Jim Lambert
Coptalk

Hello This is C**** I live in BA and most every night on the news I see a story about Meth shake and bake meth or labs or what ever my question is what is shake and bake meth is it shake and bake for chicken or pork and if so then why do they still make shake and bake for chicken and pork? I am clueless for the most part when it comes to drugs except Pot and I do not nor have I smoked that for 15 years however I just want to be educated on this my 17 year old keeps asking me about it and I have no idea what to say to him except that I will put him in military school if he comes close to anyone that does drugs can you please help me on what to tell him thanks sincerely C****

Our Reply:

Shake and Bake meth is a term used for cooking methamphetamine quickly. Dope users are always finding new ways to make drugs easily. We are not going to go into detail here on what the method is because we don’t want to tell people how to do it even though it’s already all over the Internet. If you do a search on Google or YouTube you’ll find many explanations on what it is. Here’s a YouTube link showing a news article on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXPuF6-taEk

We hope that helps you out.

© Coptalk.info

I had a vehicle stolen from me and the title was in the vehicle signed and notarized as i was in the process of selling the vehicle, the mvd records state that the vehicle is still in my name but under the circumstances i don’t know what my options are as far as recovering the vehicle because it does in fact have an open title that can easily be put into someone else’s name, please advise and thank you very much.

Our Reply:

As long as you made a stolen vehicle report with the police you should be fine. If someone tries to register a car in their name that has been reported stolen, the car will show up in DMV records as stolen and the police will be called. If you told the police the signed title was in the car, hopefully they listed it in the police report. If not, and if the car has not been recovered yet, you should call the police back and see if they can supplement that information to the stolen vehicle report. That way if an officer recovers the vehicle and the driver says it’s his car because he has a signed title, the officer can read the original report and see that the title was in the car when it was stolen.

As long as you made a stolen vehicle report with the police, no one will be able to register the car until the police are notified and they remove the car from the stolen vehicle system. When the car is found you shouldn’t have any problem getting it back since you will still be listed as the owner.  

More importantly; Never leave anything of value in a car including the title to the car, especially a signed one. If someone was able to go to the DMV to register it in their name before you reported it as stolen, it would create a real mess for the police to sort out.

© Coptalk.info

Hello, today I got pulled over for going 79 in a 65. He came up to me and asked for my license, went back to his car and then came back with a ticket. Therefore, my question is are the police allowed to give you a ticket without asking for your registration or insurance; and is that considered improper or illegal police procedure?

Our Reply:

Normally a police officer will ask for registration and insurance because it is an additional violation if the driver does not have them in the car. If the car was registered to you, the police officer probably saw that on his computer and saw that the registration was current so he probably wasn’t worried about it. Yes, an officer can give you a speeding ticket without asking for registration or insurance and it is not illegal police procedure. Not having registration or insurance proof in the car is just a mechanical violation that can be signed off so he was probably more concerned with citing you for what causes many injuries and deaths on the roadways, speed. I always ask for proof of insurance and cite the driver if they are uninsured, too many people are driving around uninsured nowadays. But cops have discretion on their traffic stops as to what they may or may not cite drivers for.

Hope that helps..

© Coptalk.info

I’m a small business owner,I do in home sales.We give away free gifts for places to show our product.There are a very specific set of guidelines that have to be followed.In essence I hired two employees who did in home shows promising there friends free stuff.Problem is they did not follow any of the guidelines giving away hundreds of dollars.I can prove they didn’t follow any of the guidelines simply by verifying that they were never there.My question is can I prosecute this as theft being they didn’t steal it right of the shelf?They simply ran a big elaborate lie or scam.This second part might fall under legal advice category but I got to try.I later refused to give gifts to the customers involved in this scam,these people lied claiming they were there but couldn’t answer simple questions like what the product does or the color.Did these people break a law being involved in the scam.Best part is they are trying to turn me in to the business bureau for unraveling there scam,is there a law in place to help prevent this type of extortion.Any help would be appreciated.Remember I can prove they never followed these guidelines giving away my inventory falsely then threatened me if I did not give them more.I cant see how it is any different then embezzlement and bribery but what law would it fall under.

Here you go – hope it helps.

If the employees obtained your merchandise under false pretenses and you are out money, you could have a theft case but from the limited info you’ve given here I don’t see enough proof for a theft charge. You say you give away free gifts in exchange for places to show your product and you hired two people who did just that. If the people didn’t follow your guidelines while giving away the free gifts then it’s more of a civil issue than a criminal issue. You might have a better chance in small claims court. If the issue went to court, a verbal contract would be tough to enforce if the other party denies any part of it. You’d have a better chance of reclaiming some losses if you had a written contract and can prove in court that the other party broke the contract or violated terms of the contract. If you feel that the employees obtained the merchandise under false pretenses and can prove it, contact the police department where the incident occurred to see if there’s enough proof for a report.

As for refusing to give customers promised gifts because they couldn’t answer questions that you asked them, it’s hard to give an answer here because we don’t know the terms or conditions you have in place regarding the free gifts. If someone legitimately won a gift and now you are withholding it because of the two people you hired, they could have a claim.

If you don’t already have one, the most important thing in the future is to have a detailed and signed contract spelling out all the terms and conditions. That way if a hired employee doesn’t follow the guidelines you’ve set then you’ll have sufficient proof for small claims court. If you have seen television court shows such as Judge Judy, it’s usually a slam dunk case when one party has a detailed and signed contract that the other party broke.

Hi i have a friend who is 15 yrs old and she was raped when she was 11 yrs old, her dads in jail and her mom doesn’t treat her well,, she has been abused mostly all her life and she has no way out. I want to help her by letting her stay at my moms house but since I’m 18 I’m scared of getting in trouble and going to jail just for helping her. I really want to help her but i just don’t want any problems with the police, i would like an honest answer and any additional help that i can get.

Our reply – hopefully it will help:

Tough one to answer. If you let her stay at your house against her moms wishes then her mom could report her as a runaway and the police could come to your house if they suspect she is there. If she is your girlfriend and you are intimate with her then her mom could press charges against you for unlawful sexual intercourse (basically someone over 18 having sexual relations with someone under 18, even if it is consensual between boyfriend and girlfriend). I know it happens a lot between teens but that’s what the law is.

If she gets permission from her mom to stay at your home and it’s OK with your mother, there shouldn’t be a problem. But remember, if you are being intimate with a 15-yr-old and it’s reported, you could end up facing charges. It’s nice you want to help her out but don’t get yourself in trouble if she is also your girlfriend.

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I was pulled over for no reason and then after the stop I was issued citations for having the wrong plates. But I was not issued a speeding ticket or anything else.

Our Reply – Thou probably not what you wanted to hear:

Pulled over for no reason? Having wrong plates on a vehicle is a pretty good reason. Cops have computers in their cars and run license plates all day long. If they suspect something or see a type of car that is regularly stolen they randomly run plates to make sure it’s not a stolen vehicle. If they ran your plate and the plate wasn’t issued for that vehicle, they start thinking stolen vehicle.

If by chance they pulled you over for something else and then discovered the plates were not issued for that car, it’s still a ticket. It’s illegal to operate a motor vehicle with plates issued to a different vehicle. A ticket for plates is only a mechanical violation, it doesn’t count as a point against your driving record. Maybe he gave you a break on speeding or something else you did to get pulled over. Maybe you should be thanking the officer for not writing you a moving violation citation that affects your driving record and insurance rather than blaming him for giving you a ticket for the wrong plates.

Hi all. I would like to know more about a current situation I am helping a friend through. He was "flagged" at the pharmacy and told that the prescription he was trying to fill for Ultram was filled 8 days previous at a Walgreens in the area. They did call his doc, and he just told his doc that he would try to clear his name, but there was no indication of any charges being brought against him. IF he were to be arrested, would it have happened already, or no?
Please help us! We’ve been trying to find out info on this all afternoon. He is petrified and I am scared for him.

Our Reply:

Well, not really enough info to give a detailed answer so we will give a vague answer. First, you didn’t say if he filled the prescription himself and then tried to fill another one 8 days later. If so, and he was trying to fill a fraudulent prescription, then he could get into trouble. If he had no knowledge of the prescription being filled earlier and he was simply a victim of identity theft or fraud, then he has nothing to worry about (other than someone using his name). 

Pharmacies have pretty strict identification policies and they also have cameras so it shouldn’t be that difficult for the police to identify who filled the previous prescription. If police had contacted your friend at the pharmacy and suspected a forged prescription he would have been arrested on the spot. If the doctor or pharmacist called the police and a police investigation was initiated, they will find out who filled the first prescription. That will either implicate or clear your friend. If the police determine that a crime has been committed and they identify a suspect(s), the police will forward their investigation to the district attorney who will then decide whether to file charges or not. If the DA decides to file charges then a warrant will be issued for the suspect(s) arrest. The suspect(s) may not know they are wanted until they are stopped by the police and the warrant is discovered.

If there is any concern on your friends part that he may be implicated in a police investigation, he should check with his doctor or the pharmacy to see if a police report was filed. If so, he can then contact the investigator to see if he was listed as a suspect and give a statement if he chooses to. You didn’t mention if your friend called the police when he found out that the prescription was already filled. If not, that is the first thing he should have done. If not, it makes it appear that he was aware that it had already been filled.

There is one last issue that is the fact your friend might just be hiding the real truth from you, either trying to protect your friendship or simply because he does not want to admit to a much larger issue, that of addiction (Ultram is a pain medication and this is very common) or street sales of his prescribed medications.

I was recently pulled over for suspected DWI, I requested a breath test knowing i had two drinks and would pass which i did. The cop angrily issued me a DWI ticket anyway among others. On my way out of the station I stupidly muttered a comment (nothing horrible, I am a Christian). Two days later he mailed me an additional 5 tickets . Is this legal??

Our Reply:

It would be interesting to hear where you live. A ticket is a summons to go to court. If you were issued a DWI citation then you have to go to court for it. An officer has to have proof that you were too intoxicated to operate a motor vehicle or else it would get dismissed in court. Keep in mind though that even though someone is below the legal limit, they can still be arrested for driving under the influence based on their driving. It will be up to the officer to prove in court that you were too impaired to be operating a motor vehicle even though you tested under the limit. Or if the breath test was done some time after the stop, he may try to prove that you were over the limit at the time of the stop but your B.A.C. (blood alcohol content) dropped by the time the test was done. 

As for mailing you 5 additional tickets after muttering a comment, what were they for? Normally you have to sign a citation when it’s issued unless it’s a parking or registration citation that an officer can leave on your car. Again, it would be interesting to hear where you live and what the additional citations were for. If you have questions, call the police department and ask to speak to a supervisor to discuss the citations and see if they were legal.

Thanks for the question….

© Coptalk

I like every kid have grown up wanting to be a cop. I currently am looking into going into the USAF reserve as an mp. I picked up a misdemeanor Drug Paraphernalia charge and want to know if it will be impossible for me to get a job in law enforcement after i graduate?

Our Reply:

While some misdemeanor charges could affect trying to gain employment as a police officer, a paraphernalia charge shouldn’t. As long as you disclose it during the testing process and with the polygraph examiner you should be fine. Some departments could look negatively on it but the majority of departments are looking for no recent incidents and honesty. So as long as it’s in the past and you are honest about it, it shouldn’t get in your way of becoming a police officer.    

© COPTALK

If I were to buy a television from somebody and they had stolen it before selling it to me and I didn’t know that is was stolen, what would happen? Would I get in trouble? What if I gave up the person who sold it to me, would that get me out of trouble?

Our Reply:

It all depends. For instance, if you paid $100 for a 46" wide screen Plasma television and got caught with it then the law would tend to believe that you knew something wasn’t right, that you had to know that it was stolen. You just don’t get that kind of TV for that cheap of price unless it was stolen. On the other hand, if you bought the television for a fair price, something that wouldn’t raise suspicions, and you DIDNT know it was stolen and didn’t know the thief, you might not get in trouble. You’d still be in possession of stolen property and you’d lose the TV and the money you paid for it but you probably wouldn’t be arrested unless the police believed you knew the property was stolen. But your name still goes in a police report as having been found with stolen property. In some jurisdictions you just might be arrested anyway and have a judge decide whether you are guilty of possession of stolen property which is usually a felony charge.

Some detectives like to go after bigger fish and giving up the thief’s name might help you if you get caught in that situation but it just might mean a lesser charge, not a "get out of jail free" card. If you already bought the television and are now worried after finding out it’s stolen, I’d turn it in to the police and explain what happened. That way you stand less of a chance of getting into trouble unless you assisted in stealing it.

If you have any doubts follow the golden rule, "if it seems too good to be true, then it usually isn’t true"……

i was legally waiting, in the center of blvd for cross traffic to clear, to make a left turn into a business-medical center, with my blinker on, when a cop car pulled up behind me flashed his lights and siren . i pulled in to the center and parked. cop told me he pulled me over for a "traffic stop". asked for my license registration insurance everything was in order he ran my license and it was clean asked where i was going so forth than asked me and the passenger to get out of the car and asked to search in car for weapons i consented. i had not broken any laws or made any moving violation. passenger got irritated and wanted to know what the reason was that we got pulled over for the officer got in his face and said "do you want me to write it down on a piece of paper for you?" yes he replied . later was told that i had been co-operative and he was just going to let me go but since the passenger had an attitude he was going to give me a ticket, then he inspected the vehicle up and down and underside looking for something found a small crack in windshield and gave me a fix it ticket , Is that legal>? to randomly pull someone over without just cause?

Our Reply:

It’s hard to answer these types of questions having only one side of the story. If an officer pulls over a vehicle, they must have a reason; a violation or some type of probable cause to make the stop. The bad news is that almost every car on the road usually has something wrong with it giving an officer a legal reason to stop it. No front plate, expired registration, cracked windshield, worn tires, vehicle too high, too low, aftermarket lighting, brake light or signal light out, loud exhaust, tinted windows (some states), no license plate lamp, driver not using a blinker, throwing a cigarette out, no seat belt etc etc. There are literally hundreds of things an officer can pull over a vehicle for.

When an officer pulls over a vehicle they have discretion on what they do. If they pull over an elderly woman for a mechanical violation such as a light out she probably wouldn’t be asked to get out of the car for a search unless the officer suspected something. From your post it sounds like the officer sensed or suspected something and it is not unusual for an officer to ask for consent to search a vehicle if they have suspicions. You do not mention who the passenger was, did they or you have a history with the police? Did you come from an area known for high crime? Drugs? These are all things that make the difference between an officer overlooking a small crack in a windshield vs. using that probable cause to pull a vehicle over. Cracks in a windshield are highly visible from behind the car and that’s all the officer would need as a reason for a traffic stop.

As for your passenger, have you ever seen the comedy clip from Chris Rock titled "How not to get your a** kicked by the police"?  If not, google "chris rock what not to say to the police" and watch the clip. Pay special attention to the clip of giving a passenger a ride. It’s exaggerated and funny but partially true, many a person has gotten a ticket rather than a warning because of their passengers bad attitude. If you don’t agree with a traffic stop you can take it up in court or call the police department afterward and ask a supervisor. DON’T argue it on the street with the officer, you’ll always end up with a ticket, towed vehicle or worse, an arrest.

Without all the facts, we can’t comment on why the officer pulled you over but there had to be a violation, reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Officers can not just randomly stop a vehicle for no reason but like I said, almost every vehicle on the roadway has something an officer can legally pull it over for if they really wanted to make a stop……

Subject: writing a ticket
Is it solely the officer’s discretion who gets a ticket and who gets a warning?  If you pull over a soccer mom with 3 kids in minivan for going 10 over, or a car load of teenagers blasting rap music, do they both get tickets?

Our Reply:

Yes, it is the officer’s discretion on who gets a ticket or not. While there are some officers who are ticket machines and give no breaks, most officers give occasional warnings, even traffic cops whose sole responsibility is to write tickets. But if an officer is assigned to work a special detail or a specific area due to complaints, warnings are rarely given since the police are working that area due to complaints from residents and need to "make an impact". The biggest deciding factor on who gets a ticket or not is attitude. A bad attitude will always guarantee a ticket. People who argue with the officer, make up some wild excuse or make belligerent remarks to an officer will usually end up with a ticket. Cops aren’t going to argue with you or sit there and take verbal abuse, they will just write the ticket and you can do your arguing in traffic court. 

While it doesn’t always work, honesty is the best chance of getting a break. Most officers will appreciate a driver that admits they made a mistake and believe it or not, a lot of officers will give a warning as long as the violation is not serious. 10 mph over the speed limit might get a warning on the freeway or on a roadway with a 50 mph limit while 10 over in a school zone or residential street might get you a ticket. Serious violations such as running a red light, excessive speeding or other violations that can seriously injure someone will usually result in a ticket.

As for your question of a soccer mom in a mini van with 3 kids going 10 over the speed limit vs. a carload of teens blaring rap music, they could both get tickets OR they could both get warnings. It all depends on the officer, the seriousness of the violation and most importantly, attitude.

Subject: breaking and entering

If I am a co owner of a house and do not physically live in the house but the co owner does and changes the locks. If I return to the house and break in physically can I be charged with a crime?

Our Replies:

Let me preface this with we are not lawyers and would never pretend to be, so check this with one before you do anything. Civil matters like this are usually handled by lawyers then the street cops get to be there as a standby when the warring parties clash.

Yes, even if you co-own the home, you cant break in if you do not live there but someone else does. We run into that a lot with rental properties where the owner of a home feels they have a right to enter the home without the renters permission. If you DID live there and own the home, you can break in, break your own things, whatever you want to do. But NOT living there is where the problem is. Yes, you could be charged with a crime for breaking into a home where someone else lives, even if you co-own it. You do not live there and someone else does so you can not break in. If you did live there, had belongings there, and he changed the locks to keep you out, then you would have a right to break in (although it would be better to call the police to assist you). Again, the fact that you do not live in the house but he does is where the problem lies.   

You didn’t give many details about the arrangement of who was supposed to be living in the home; if the other co-owner just moved in without discussing it with you, if you were supposed to share the home, if it was supposed to be a rental etc…..This becomes more of a civil issue where you will have to go to court to settle any issues.

There are a lot of laws regarding landlord / tenant / property disputes so check with the civil department of your local courts or seek advice from an attorney that specializes in property disputes to see what your options are.

And Additional:

Its not against the law to damage your own property – but it is against the law to enter someone else’s residence even if you own it.

That’s why there are landlord / tenant laws in place. Even though you both own the house, the person who has established residency at the house will have more rights than the owner not living there. Although the other person changed the locks, you still should be given keys as a co-owner so that you can enter the house in case of emergency. If the other person isn’t agreeable to that – I’d contact a civil or real estate attorney and let them handle it for you.

Thanks for writing and good luck to you.

Jim Lambert

Is it legal for the police to run radar on a 4 lane highway (2 lanes north & 2 lanes south) after dark without having any lights of any kind on? I have seen the local city police and sheriff doing this in northern West Virginia.

Our Reply:

George,

You asked a simple question (thank you) and it can be answered in 3 words… "yes it’s legal".

Just as with motorist who don’t slow down at night – neither does traffic enforcement and it’s probably safe to say those officers sitting in the dark working radar have probably gotten a lot of intoxicated drivers off the highway just from working traffic enforcement. Those officers you see are more than likely using laser devices which are much more accurate than traditional radar units. The number of lanes on a highway running in either direction is not a factor. The lasers are extremely accurate and have a very long range. Our advice? Stay within 10 mph of the posted speed limit and that will usually keep you out of traffic court!

Stay safe – and thanks for your question

Jim Lambert
Coptalk

Subject: the wall agility

Hello,
I was just wondering if there is a better technique to getting over the six foot wall? I got over all three , but missed my time by three seconds. How can I speed my time up so that i get over all three walls in under 15 seconds. i have been running, is there anything else. please help if possible.

Our Replies:

There is no "one" technique that works for everybody. One technique may work for some while another technique works for others. Some run at the wall and then plant a foot on the wall as they jump to help propel themselves up and over. I’ve seen others jump or hop up at the bottom of the wall and use arm strength to pull themselves up and over. With most of the techniques, once you get up high enough, hook a leg over the wall and use your leg and arm strength to help pull your body over the wall. Watch others and practice several different ways to see what works best for you. Good luck.  

3 words….

practice
practice
practice….
running is one thing –

the wall is another…
practice on the wall just as much as you run.
My bet is you’ll see improvement in a weeks time!

Best of luck to you

Jim Lambert
Coptalk

Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:19 PM
To: info@coptalk.info

Subject: In a place that is closed after dark

my and three of my friends were sitting on a boat dock when a police officer pulled up and asked us what we were doing and we were just sitting there they searched us and nothing was found but he said that he was not sure if he was going to site us. Then he drove away can we still be fined

Our Reply:

When a group of people  are sitting, standing or loitering in an area that is closed or otherwise not a common public area, it draws a cops attention and they usually will stop to see what you are doing. I don’t know the circumstances but something made the cop decide to contact you and search you. If nothing illegal was found, the only thing I can think of that you could be cited for would be curfew (if you are under 18 and were out late at night) or trespassing if it was private property. If he left without having you sign a citation, I don’t see how he can decide to cite you later. If someone receives a citation, they have to sign it and be given a copy showing the violation and the court date. Sounds like he was trying to scare you into leaving.      

”I have started up a business which drives intoxicated people home in their personal vehicles. After doing our research we found that a major reason people don’t call cabs and risk driving under the influence is they don’t or can’t leave their cars behind.  How can we work with local law enforcement to help keep people from drinking and driving?”

Our Response:

Sounds like a good idea but there could be liability problems. Hopefully you have those covered such as getting in an accident in the persons car, the person blaming you for damage that was already there, blaming you for a missing wallet or belongings the next morning etc. There are also risks involved such as a hostile drunk refusing to pay for your service, an aggressive drunk assaulting you or one of your drivers, or even someone using your service as a ploy to rob you or steal your car. There are a lot of risks involved but hopefully you have considered everything that can happen.

In my opinion, anything that can be done to keep intoxicated people off the roads and save lives would be well supported. Bars often call cabs for intoxicated patrons, I’m sure you have left your business card at local bars. And at times, law enforcement calls cabs, family or friends to pick up an intoxicated subject if an arrest is not going to be made. It wouldn’t hurt to meet with supervisors at local law enforcement departments in your area to explain your service and offer it as an option.

Thanks for trying to help reduce drunk driving.