DUI in a Tulsa Patrol Car

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by JessnT

Not long when there never was an "investigation" to begin with.

Do ya really think there will be a follow up story?? []

You would never have known if the Tulsa Whirled hadnt sued TPD under the Freedom of Information Act.  
Most crime reporting (especially broadcast) is just spoon-fed from police reports and PIO's.  If there's no police report, it didnt happen.

[patric]

Yesterday was quite a day for DUI's...
A former judge, an on-duty OKC cop and two cops from Okay (their whole police force) were busted.

Im assuming they were separate incidents, or there was a hell of a party I wasnt invited to.

[TeeDub]

Bump to remind people of the problems we like to sweep under the rug.

[patric]

Drinking during a barbecue at the Tulsa Police Department's training center last year led to the totaling of a police car and the suspensions of three officers, Police Chief Ron Palmer told the Tulsa World.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090425_11_A11_Drinki368092

Nearly 20 Tulsa police officers, including one who crashed the patrol car, drank alcohol during the cookout, an investigation has revealed.

Officer Danny Bean told investigators that he drank two beers before heading home in his department- issued squad car, Palmer said. He reportedly knocked over a power pole and crashed into a security gate as he left the facility at 6066 E. 66th St. North.

Bean was suspended for 80 hours without pay and will not be allowed to take his new patrol car home for 120 days, Palmer said.

The department's Internal Affairs Unit found that Bean was not given a field sobriety test and that his blood-alcohol level was never measured. Palmer said it also wasn't clear who brought the beer or how many officers were drinking at the event.

The police union appealed the decision shortly after the officers were suspended, said Ron Bartmier, chairman of the union's board.

[custosnox]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TURobY</i>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by carltonplace</i>

One thing they don't learn at the training acadamy is "How not to tailgate". I can't tell how many times one of the trainees has ridden my @$$ on HWY 75 in the construction zone until I could find a place to get over and out of their way. As soon as I get over they zoom past at warp speed.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I've got a ticket because of this B.S. A few years ago, I was on 129th between 31st and 41st and a patrol car was riding my tail. I sped up to get to the part of the road where it widens, thinking that they were in a rush and needed to get around me. As soon as I hit the speed limit, they flashed their lights and pulled me over for speeding.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

that is a known tactic that cops will use.
they will tail like that you for a while, looking for any reason to pull you over.  it happened to me once from a OHP officer.  I had cruise set, just driving and look up in my rear view to see a cop inches from my bumper.  He rode my butt for a few miles before finally going around.  

You could also try throwing your car into low gear next time.  they will see no brake lights then...

not that i would suggest that at highway speeds.

hehe, I've actually done this.  Had a catoosa cop riding my tail going from 44 to 66.  I threw it down a gear and slowed down to the minimum speed.  By the time I got to where there were it was a four lane, the cop was so pissed (and I still hadn't broken a law) that he sped around me gunning the engine.  I just laughed and kept going on down the road.  And for the record, I've never put up with bs from cops, and I'm rrreeeaaalllyy surprised that I haven't been hauled off to jail for it.

[Wilbur]

*sweep sweep*

How long does an "investigation" take?

Here's your so-called sweep:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090425_11_A11_Drinki368092

[Wilbur]

Not long when there never was an "investigation" to begin with.

Do ya really think there will be a follow up story?? []

Here's your followup story.  Oh, wait, this never happened.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090425_11_A11_Drinki368092

[Conan71]

Drinking during a barbecue at the Tulsa Police Department's training center last year led to the totaling of a police car and the suspensions of three officers, Police Chief Ron Palmer told the Tulsa World.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090425_11_A11_Drinki368092

Officer Danny Bean told investigators that he drank two beers before heading home in his department- issued squad car, Palmer said. He reportedly knocked over a power pole and crashed into a security gate as he left the facility at 6066 E. 66th St. North.

It's always: "Just a couple of beers, officer." 

[swake]

It's always: "Just a couple of beers, officer." 

A cop friend told me once that when he pulls someone over and they say they've only had a couple that he always knows that means "a lot", but if the driver said "one" or "three" he usually figured that was an honest answer.

[custosnox]

A cop friend told me once that when he pulls someone over and they say they've only had a couple that he always knows that means "a lot", but if the driver said "one" or "three" he usually figured that was an honest answer.

I've heard this as well, the only problem I've got with it is that there have been many times that I have stopped at two.  I've been waiting to get pulled over on this and see what happens when I tell the cop two.  I always figured I would just say 1 and a half lol

[TeeDub]

"The police union appealed the decision shortly after the officers were suspended, said Ron Bartmier, chairman of the union's board. "



A two week suspension for drinking on the job?!?!?     Fair?

[cannon_fodder]

A two week suspension for drinking on the job?!?!?     Fair?

That's what I was thinking.  A DUI generally leads to a loss of a CDL or at very least a person that it is very expensive to insure.   I know many truck drivers, equipment operators and cabbies that have been out of work because of drinking.  And that was OFF THE JOB.

If they think being suspended for crashing a public vehicle while drinking is too tough they're crazy.

[custosnox]

I made the stupid mistake of getting behind the wheel after drinking too much once, and, of course, got stopped.  That brilliant moment of stupidity cost me thousands of dollars in fines, classes, and fees.  It also meant six months of a suspended drivers license, and I didn't even have a wreck.  So yeah, two weeks suspention is not enough.

[patric]

I understand the cautionary practice of paying police while suspended, but it should be pointed out that not all states or departments do this:

DENVER (AP) — An on-duty Colorado state trooper was pulled over Monday and accused of driving drunk after several people called 911 to report a State Patrol vehicle driving erratically, authorities said.

After about a half hour deputies brought what appeared to be a trooper in uniform out of the driver's seat of the patrol car. The suspect had his hands behind his back while walking over to the deputy's cruiser and once he got there he was handcuffed and placed in the back seat.
Dolan was placed on unpaid leave, and an internal investigation is under way.
http://cbs4denver.com/crime/state.trooper.dolan.2.1580332.html