I don't think cops should be held to a "higher level" Just the SAME level as the rest of us. He should get the same I would, no more or less.
I understand he may loose credibility as a traffic enforcement officer and may need a NEW position in the dept. but, personally I don't think he should loose his job, UNLESS he was RUNNING, but it doesn't sound like it IMO.
He should, however be smacked upside the head for doing it with his 16yo on the back, ESP since this was not a highway. I have done 90 w/ my wife on the highway and we were still being passed. Traffic conditions and all that...
I agree with this completely. I have been an LEO for quite some time. I am tired of hearing the "higher level" or "higher standard" being applied to LEOs. We are regular people enforcing the law, no more no less. If sombody does something stupid, no matter his or her profession, then he or she should get spanked. I beleive in equal protection under the law, as per the Constitution. I don't remember reading about an "higher standards" anywhere in the Constitution.
Rick
Speaking as an 18 year cop, I COMPLETELY disagree with you. Because we are the enforcers of the law, we have a DUTY to abide by the law. As I mentioned before, a violation is just that, a violation so cop or no cop doesn't really matter. However, if you have a cop who regularly, repeatedly, and continuously gets stopped for speeding, I'm sorry, he doesn't deserve to be a cop anymore.
A cop that commits a crime doesn't deserve to be a cop anymore.
I fully believe that there are some professions that NEED to be held to a higher standard. Teachers, police, etc are among them. I don't want a former prostitute teaching my children in school but couldn't care less if they are selling dish towels at the department store. I don't want a former drug dealer working as a cop but don't care if they work as a juvenile counselor trying to keep kids off drugs. There are certain public trusts that need to be maintained, and having integrity in and among the ranks of police work is one of those public trusts. Without integrity, in my opinion, a department is worthless.
And, contrary to the "thin blue line" theory, cops should be the ones holding other cops to that high standard. YOU shouldn't accept mediocrity in and amongst your ranks, and you certainly shouldn't allow criminal behavior, on or off duty.
As for your "constitutional" response, I'm not talking about a higher standard in the eyes of the court. There, I agree with you with a few exceptions. I'm talking about the ability to keep and maintain certification as a cop. Being a cop is NOT a constitutional right, it is a PRIVILEGE! Where I believe cops should be held to a higher standard in the eyes of the court are in times of malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance. If a cop breaks the law under color of authority, he should be held to an incredibly higher standard than the average citizen. For example, a cop that uses his authority to commit a sex crime is far worse an offender than the guy on his first date committing the same crime. An off duty cop that gets in a bar fight and proceeds to pummel a guy should be treated the same as any other bar fight unless he produces his badge to people trying to stop the fight and says, "Police business" or some other ******** statement. Then he needs to be held to a considerably higher standard.
.....when are you going to pilot that FJR out here so we can do a brothel loop??
