Have you ever engaged in a pleasant conversation with a police officer who stopped you on the
road?
If you have, then you’ve probably given them a lot of useful info without even realizing
it.
The police have much more up their sleeves than you might think, and a superhero arsenal
is just one of many of those things!
But first things first…
You’re guilty until proven otherwise Ever heard of presumption of innocence?
Well, it might work in some countries, but in many places around the globe it’s the
other way around.
When you’re stopped by a police officer who’s accusing you of something, you’d
better recall your alibi, and fast.
The thing is, even if you are presumed innocent by the laws of the country you’re in, when
dealing with the police, you have to be extra cautious not to get yourself in trouble.
This especially concerns road traffic regulations: in most countries, they’re really tricky,
and without knowing them to a T, you might get fined when you actually haven’t done
anything wrong.
Patting your trunk isn’t just a random gesture While we’re on the topic of the road police,
if you’re a driver, you must’ve noticed how police officers touch the trunk or tail
light of your car when they pull you over.
If you thought it was something of a signature move, you’re in for a surprise: this way,
the officer is leaving their fingerprints on your car.
They would serve as evidence if something happened to the officer during your conversation.
There’s another reason for tapping your tail light too: if the driver’s pulled over
and trying to hide something, the sound of the tap will startle them, giving the police
officer additional moments to approach the front of the car and see what they’re not
supposed to see, in driver’s opinion.
So, two birds with one stone.
Sirens have different modes for different situations
You’ve heard all of them if you live in a city or at least watched a movie involving
police chase.
But have you ever asked yourself why a police car would need four different blares?
In fact, there’s a good reason for that.
Some modes are better for certain circumstances than others.
For example, on a long stretch of the road, the “wail” mode (that long woo sound)
is best because it can be heard from a distance.
Before an intersection or among tall buildings, the “yelp” mode, which has a faster beat,
is used because it bounces off the surrounding walls better.
The “hi-lo” mode can be used in different situations, but it’s generally reserved
for dense traffic.
And finally, the air horn is a short, low blare used to scare off inattentive drivers.
See?
Simple and useful!
Cops and donuts aren’t like PB&J The “cops love donuts” stereotype has
become so omnipresent that many police officers even stay away from donut shops at all costs
not to feed the myth.
In fact, the reason why this common belief even appeared has nothing to do with pastry.
It’s all about coffee.
Police officers often work night shifts, and there’s basically no other place they could
take a coffee break at this time but a donut shop.
More often than not, they don’t even take donuts, just a cup of hot black stuff to keep
them up.
They can and will lie to you to get your confession You probably know the “good cop, bad cop”
strategy from the movies, but what you perhaps don’t realize is that the police officers’
job when they have you brought to the office is to get as much information from you as
possible.
And they have a legal right to do it by lying in your face.
The only thing they’re not allowed to do is making your confession involuntary.
That means they can’t threaten you or do anything to make you confess not of your own
free will, but they absolutely can trick you into confessing.
If you’re indeed guilty, that is.
Act first, talk later In the US, if 911 receives a call that potentially
requires immediate action, they will send out a SWAT team that will first break down
the door and put everyone on the floor, and only then ask questions.
The good thing here is that a real danger to other people would be promptly eliminated
by the police.
The downside?
Well, if you’ve been pranked and someone called 911 and gave your address, you’d
be the one kissing your own floor for no good reason.
This practice is called “swatting,” and it’s been gaining alarming popularity among
the stupid people in the recent years.
To expose people to high risk (both the police and the innocent occupants) merely for a prank,
is a sure sign that there is no intelligent life behind it.
The thin blue line You may have seen this symbol on the streets
but never paid much attention to it.
In fact, it’s a sign to all the members of the police out there that here’s a supporter.
The police actually have a sort of a brotherhood, and you can’t blame them for that: their
job is dangerous, and they really risk their lives every day.
They need any help they can get, and the thin blue line is a universal symbol that says,
“I’m here, I’m with you.”
For example, police officers off duty can wear this symbol somewhere on their clothes,
and if something happens when they’re around, they’ll know each other from afar and help
other members of their “brotherhood” when necessary.
They care for each other Don’t get me wrong: I’m not talking favoritism
or something.
It’s just that, once again, the job the police do is a dangerous one.
And who else would stand up for them if not their colleagues and friends?
As soon as one of them gets into trouble, others will try to get them out of there.
But they always remember that reputation of the whole police force is at stake, and it
sometimes is a rather difficult choice: whether to help your fellow officer who made a misstep
and risk the public opinion, or to save the law enforcement’s reputation but leave your
colleague in need.
We’re all human, after all.
What would you do in such a situation?
Let me know down in the comments!
A friendly chat is not what it seems When a police officer stops you on the road
for no obvious reason, what’s your first reaction?
Me, I usually get kinda rigid inside, thinking I’ve made some major mistake and they’re
gonna put me face down on the hood of my car.
See, I’ve watched too much TV.
In most cases, it’s all much friendlier than that.
The officer approaches you and asks you a couple of pretty innocent questions, like
where you’re going from and where you’re headed.
You might relax at this point and answer truthfully, but be aware that your information may be
used by the police to their own ends.
For instance, if it’s a party you’re going from, they’ll know that someone just might
be drinking and driving out there.
That’s how you help the law without even knowing it!
They wear superhero belts This is no joke, guys: a police officer on
duty is equipped more or less like Batman.
They’ll have everything from handcuffs and a radio to a whole arsenal needed to take
down criminals on the run.
The only thing that’s not on their super-belt are the keys from the Batmobile.
It’s probably just too expensive to give every beat cop one.
But hey, I bet we’d all be much safer if they did drive those things!
Most of what they do is paperwork Having seen lots of detective shows and movies,
I’ve always thought the police had a life full of thrill and excitement, chasing criminals
and stuff.
But in fact, like almost everyone else, they have to do lots of boring things.
Filing documents, filling in some blanks, compiling reports, and so on.
I can’t help yawning even saying this stuff out loud!
So, if you’ve ever considered a job in the police force because of all the romantic atmosphere,
well, think again.
They know everything and more about you If you have a friend in the police, you’d
be surprised at how much they already know about you — even if you didn’t tell them
anything.
Whenever you leave your fingerprints — say, to obtain a passport, — you become part
of the police database in that same instant.
Also, police cars are equipped with cameras that automatically read your license plates,
take your picture, and put your geolocation on the map.
After that, the file the camera snapped is stored in the archive, well, pretty much forever.
So yeah, the police do know what you did last summer.
They’re cynical for a reason It’s a common belief that most police officers
are quite cynical.
Well, in truth, the same can be said about any professional working with people on the
daily basis.
Doctors, firefighters, lawyers, insurance agents — you name it.
Anyone who’s constantly dealing with other people’s problems inevitably builds an emotional
wall between themselves and the rest of the world.
Think of it as a protective mechanism.
Like I said, it’s a tough but highly important job, and I’m glad for the good people who
are doing it.
Me, hey I crashed my SUV on a high mountain road one time during extremely bad weather.
Luckily I wasn’t hurt, and I was so happy to see the officer arrive, help me out of
the wrecked vehicle and make sure I was alright.
Only then, did he write me a ticket.
True story.
So what’s been your experience with law enforcement?
Let me know down in the comments!
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