www.UtahCop.com | Real Police Stories | Cop Blog

Get a Free 5.11 Tactical Knife!

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:40:00 +0000

It has been a long time!

This Blog was down and hidden for a long time because some officers I worked with did not like it. My Admin talked to me and "Told" me to remove it, without "telling" me.... WINK WINK...NUDGE NUDGE!

Well after a Regime Change, a much friendlier admin doesn't care what I write about off duty.

So what is the FIRST thing I am going to write about after being away for so long???

How about... A FREE KNIFE!

Yeah we all love free stuff, and Cop's Closet is having a sale this month where you buy a pair of 5.11 Tactical Boots and you get a Free 5.11 Side Kick Boot Knife!

This knife can be worn on your ankle or strapped into MOLLE webbing, on your duty belt or around your neck! It comes with a tough polymer sheath with a Velcro strap and break away chain necklace.

This knife is not a cheap promo knife, but 5.11's most popular knife which sells at $45!

You need to act fast though, because this deal ends July 1st and there is only a limited quantity...

Dead Body... Resurrection Scare!

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:27:00 +0000

The other day I got called to an 10-85 Echo (Dead Body) The lady was elderly and had died after getting up in the middle of the night.

I did my best to get a hold of her doctor and only succeeded to get a hold of another doctor from his office. The doctor was willing to sign the death certificate based purely on her age and knew nothing of her circumstance.

*POLICE TYPE EXPLANATION*

An "unattended death" is one where it occurred without being under the immediate care of a physician... a doctor can sign the death certificate and make it an "attended death" if he believes it was natural causes or inevitable because of some disease and not a homicide. This is very common when dealing with someone with a serious illness or a very elderly person.

This is important because if your grandma is 93 years old and died in her bed while sleeping you don't need the whole house treated like a crime scene and grandma cut open for an autopsy... which is exactly what happens in an "unattended death".

So as a courtesy, we as police officers (and I am sure not to waste money and man power) if the person is sickly or aged and the death does not appear to be suspicious we do our best to contact the person's regular doctor and ask if they will sign a death certificate.

Once the doctor agrees then the family can take possession of the body and take it to a funeral home.

** END OF POLICE TYPE EXPLANATION**

Ok well as soon as I get on scene an adult son of the woman who died is running around the house acting a bit nutty. This is not unusual considering the circumstances... but the fact that a middle aged person lives with his mommy and daddy... his general appearance..and several jail-house tattoos... He also spoke unusually loud (like a drunk or someone on cocaine) and I observed tremors in his hands...I immediately branded him as some sort of tweaker...

(Later I found out than the son is one of our "frequent fliers" from years ago. He has been involved in several foot pursuits with our officers and has been known to abuse cough syrup. One account even had him running naked through his neighborhood... boy did I call that one!

Another officer from a different department arrived to help and I asked him to help me keep the son away from the mom.

You see we must keep the "crime scene" secure until it is deemed to be an "attended death" and no longer a crime scene. The son kept ignoring my instruction and walked down the hall several times..much too close to the "crime scene" than I was comfortable.

The whole thing is very precarious. I must balance the importance of maintaining the integrity of the crime scene that I believe will probably not be a crime scene... and sensitivity to the family.

Long story short... I ended calling every one's favorite Medical Examiner... he gave me a very detailed and lengthy explanation on why the woman died.. which he summed up with "she fall down ... go boom!". Good enough for me and I was OK with the doctor signing the death certificate.

The EMS had come out earlier and before leaving covered the woman with a white sheet. I was standing in the hall getting ready to take some photos of the scene before leaving. The family was sitting in the living room at the end of the hall, maybe about 10 feet away.

I could see the sheet covered body from about the waist down and that's when it happened!!

I could not believe my eyes! I could see movement under the sheet! My mouth dropped open... I was about to call out to the family.. but I stopped... My heart was trying to jump out of my chest! I could see the legs move underneath the sheet... as if the woman was trying to sit up... I could not believe what I was seeing!! I gave my mind a second to process the situation... I was trying to come up with a reason for her moving other than her possibly being alive.. I mean, after all the paramedics just checked her out!

I inched closer for a better look... "Oh no" I thought. I could clearly see now what was happening and now quickly excused myself to the kitchen where I tried my best to muffle my laughing fit. Half laughing at myself...half laughing at how excited I had got over the whole situation.

I could not believe what had happened. It seemed that when the paramedics laid the sheet over the woman they had covered much of the small carpeted bathroom floor as well.

There was a small heater vent on the floor and the a/c must have kicked on... blowing air directly under the sheet. Silly me. I watched the sheet flapping irreverently. I walked into the bathroom and rearranged the sheet so it was not over the vent.

This was definitely going to make a good story to tell at break.

Retardid Policeman..so wrong.. so very wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:20:00 +0000

Ok... I am almost afraid to post this... but since it made it on BluTube.. well I guess I can come out of the closet..

This is a series of videos called "Retardid Policeman"... It is irreverant, politically incorrect, and offensive to say the least... I peed my pants when I saw it... but I guess it is an aquired taste because my wife is mad at me whenever I talk about it...

The real reason I bring it up is because she ran into some cops from another agency the other day and they kept quoting one of the episodes to her and each other.... "Let's go TAZY CRAZY!!"

HAHA it's not just me! So at the very real risk of offending a lot of the poeple here I am going to add a couple links of the more offensive/funny episodes...

Retaded and Racist ---> http://www.mediocrefilms.com/retarded4.html (sorry LAPD)

TAZY CRAZY!-----> http://www.mediocrefilms.com/retarded8.html (now more popular to say than DEE DEE DEE!!! I am waiting to get it as a ring tone!)

WARNING: PLEASE direct your hate mail to the people who made these films...NOT ME. I am only mentioning it because it seems to be a mini-phenomenon here in my area... that being said... LET"S GET TAZY CRAZY!!!

Chasing Horses in the Rain...

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Last night was pretty lame...

My shift started out with my Sgt telling me he thought I found dope/made arrests at the end of my shift because I am trying to pad my hours...

Um... If I had some magical ability to find a dope arrest 10 minutes before I go home I would do it at the beginning of my shift... beyond that I would do it about 10 times on the shift.. I would be some sort of HERO if I could do that...

I also pointed out to my Sergeant that although I have stayed late on several shifts I only put in the normal ten hours for my shift. To make it clear I shave off my hours instead of collecting overtime. I really was not happy being called a thief... after laying it out to my Sergeant he told me not to worry about it and did a 180... now complimenting me on my infallible integrity.

Enough about that... the rest of the shift was lame... at the end I helped the day shift officer chase some horses down in the rain... it a way it was kind of surreal... the police chasing four horses in the rain...trying to get them out of traffic... kind of weird That is a real cool thing about police work.. you never know what you are going to get..(oh no I sounded just like freaking Forrest Gump just then!!)

Oh yeah...while we were chasing the horses...some guy rode by on his bike.. you know not just a bike... but some high dollar 10 Speed racing bike along with the whole spandex/grape smuggling outfit... well the roads were pretty slick and he was busy watching the horses and took a header off his bike... he wasn't hurt and it was FREAKING HILARIOUS!!! HAHAHA that was worth coming into work...just to see that!!

Almost Incest... Dope Smoking Drunks

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:11:00 +0000

Ok... I am famous for this....finding some sort of cluster near the end of my shift. I don't do it on purpose... it just so happens I stay 10-8 right up until I HAVE to leave... this is especially true with Saturday nights.

Currently I am working 2pm-Midnight Saturdays... this means I have to go home right when things get fun! It is tough for me to do... sometimes my Sgt. even has to chase me out of there... if my wife would let me I would work for free.... Being a cop is a kick butt job... it can really be a lot of fun. I know if I won the lottery I would still come out and be a cop (well maybe just Saturday nights).

So there I was... about 10 minutes until my shift ends... I drive up onto the side of the mountain (did I ever mention the city I work in butts right up against the hills?) to a spot that intel has told us that a lot of kids will go to for alcohol and c/s parties. I have never found anyone there myself...but it worth checking on.

I black out my lights and put on a pair of PVS-7's Night Optic Device (night vision goggles) and drive up the rocky trail in my Crown Vic. The goggles are just like the kind I used to use in the Army. As I drove over a rise in the trail I could see an SUV ahead with it's tail lights on. I parked and watched for a bit by putting the goggles up to my binoculars (a trick I also learned in the Army).

The SUV drove a bit and stopped, a man got out of the driver's seat and a female got out of the passenger seat... I could see a light source being held in the females mouth since it was larger than a cigarette and had a constant output I figured it was a small flashlight..

The two got a stack of blankets out and rearranged the back seat and left two back doors open... I gave them some time to do whatever it was they were going to do... but not too long because I had already let dispatch know what I was doing...and plus it was getting to be "go home time".

I didn't see anymore movement and waled up to the SUV while still wearing my night vision. As I approached the female was in the back seat laying on top of the male. Both still had their clothing on... which in this case was a blessing.

I introduced myself and the woman and man jumped up and out of the car. I explained that the area they were in was completely legal and they were doing nothing wrong. I also told them how we have problems with people coming to this particular area to do illegal things. While I was talking to them I could smell the strong odor of alcohol.

The woman acted really strange... she was very thin but still did not strike me as a tweaker. She was very nervous. I asked both of them if they were over 21 (they looked it) and they said yes. The woman admitted that she had been drinking... I reminded her that it was not illegal to drink..only to drink and drive.. the man said he would submit to a PBT (portable breath test). The woman just seemed WAY to nervous for this type of encounter.

I asked the woman if there were any open containers in the vehicle... she said yes... I thanked her for her honesty and explained at the most it would be a ticket. She started babbling about just taking her to jail and getting it over with... I tried to explain to her that it was just a ticket... she did not calm down...

At this point I figured she knew something I did not and radioed for 10-78 (backup)... this made her even more upset. The man tries to calm her down and it is not working... Let me describe him.. he has a buzz cut with large patches of hair missing... later when I checked his driver's license I could see he used to sport some sort of paige style haircut...which to be honest makes him look like some sort of pedophile.

Anyway the woman then confesses she has two warrants for her arrest.. which I am guessing this and her alcohol accounts for her behavior. I ask her what the warrants were for... she said marijuana possession... Ok she has already admitted she has an open container hidden somewhere inside the car... what are the odds she admits to having drugs too?...

So I ask her.. do you have any marijuana in your car? "Why yes" she tells me... "in the center console"... I don't know why this surprised me...

Soon my Sgt. showed up and we searched the car. Th male had a marijuana pipe in his pocket and we found loose marijuana as well as a bag of it and rolling papers in the center console. Laying on top of the marijuana were several condoms.

While I was running the two and starting the citations the woman kept babbling on in her own drunk way. She was sure to notify us that the male was her brother-in-law and she was on her period so she was not going to have sex with him (ew! sharing violation!). She told us that her husband does not trust her so she is teaching him a lesson.... (Um because cheating on your spouse is a great way to help them learn trust?)

It turns out that this lady did not have any warrants... I confiscated the marijuana and paraphernalia, cited both of them and released them. I actually ended up citing them both for possession, paraphernalia and open container...

These people made me want to go wash my hands when I cleared the call... You know this is actually not the first in-law cheaters I discovered on the mountain. I walked up on a car before in a very similar situation in around the same area (only the had no clothes on) .... I wonder what it is about that area that draws cheating family members?

Millionaire freakout? Or just a freak?

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:17:00 +0000

Yesterday I had a traffic stop that really pissed me off.

I stopped a guy for making an illegal left turn. There are a couple places in my city where private business drives exit onto public roads and you cannot make a left turn. There are concrete curbs which force you to turn left and there are also "No Left Turn" signs. There is a no left turn sign next to the stop sign and another across the street. So all together there are three devices designed to keep you from making a left turn.

I was driving by and saw a pick up truck getting ready to make an illegal left turn. As I passed I pulled over to the side of the road and watched him in my rear view mirror. I was hoping the fact that he saw me and can now see me stopped waiting to pounce... well I hope he would just get the idea and turn right. No such luck.

As he headed towards me he suddenly pulled into a business parking lot. I flipped around and pulled in behind him, activating my forward emergency lights. He quickly started to unload his kids while I radioed into dispatch my stop. location and his license plate.

His kids ran inside the business and I explained why I had stopped him... he admitted he made the turn however he did not see any of the signs (yeah right) and told me he turns left there all the time. btw he points out several times his "Beverly Hills" address on his California driver's license...

Everything was fine until I told him to hang tight while I get his citation ready... This guy came UNGLUED!

This guy was pissed to say the least. He proceeds to tear into me... telling me that I am pathetic and that HE should NOT get a ticket because (A) His wife is a city council woman in the neighboring city! and (B) He is a multi-millionaire!

He points out how sorry I will be if I cite him... and I could not cite him anyway because he is now on private property (KING'S X!!)... He made several thinly veiled threats towards my career if I cite him...

After letting him rant a bit... I asked him for clarity... "So you are saying you do not deserve a citation because you wife is on the city council and you are a multi-millionaire?" I counted his lame reasons on my fingers to punctuate his stupidity...

Apparently this did not slow him down.. his eyes locked on the black microphone and wire clipped to the front of my shirt... He begins to tell me how stupid he is not... he is quick to point out he knows I am recording him... He tells me that he is a powerful person and demands my badge number.... I tell him that is fine and ask him to sit in his car and wait for me...

Now this is where I really start to worry... He tells me he is leaving and starts to walk towards the building... I tell him he is being detained and he cannot leave.. he of course counters with the eloquent argument of "OH NO I'M NOT"....

Now all I can think of is that poor Trooper in Vernal who tased the guy while he was walking away... although all of us understand why he did it...I just saw this getting ugly really fast... I think a combination of calling for help and telling him to stay put got him to comply... but he finally did it...he got me mad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH_qVJfaYZA click on this link to watch some stupid guy get the ugly end of Tazy Crazy!

I am almost shaking when back up arrived... I explained what happened as I start to work on my citation.. While I worked on the ticket the driver stood at his car and quickly took pictures of myself and my cover officer.... I guess this is the "evidence" to prove his case... I don't care... let him take pictures, because of course I am recording the whole thing on video.

There were other violations I could have cited him for but I am not that petty... plus I just wanted this stop to be done... I was just hoping he would sign it so I don't have anymore grief... He did and I got out of there...

I have met a lot of people in my day...even some who are powerful influential people with millions of dollars... not a one ever had to remind me how powerful and rich they were... this guy was full of crap I am sure... but today he really got under my skin...

I think I prefer my millionaires on late night cable t.v. instead of on a traffic stop.

Tommy Vu has many "boofoh girls..and so can you!"

Shameless Plug

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:08:00 +0000

In a fit of shameless self promotion I am going to blog about the BEST Police Uniform and Police Equipment store in Utah!

Of course we are talking about Cop's Closet. Cop's Closet is owned by a full time Utah police officer and is operated by his wife. Cop's Closet is located in Ogden, Utah and proudly serves law enforcement agencies Weber, Box Elder, and Davis counties. Cop's Closet is frequently visited by members of the law enforcement community from Idaho and Wyoming also! For instance, recently Cop's Closet travelled to the Fort Hall police department in Idaho and outfitted their whole department!

Here is what the owner of Cop's Closet has to say...

"When I was attending the Police Academy I was shocked to see how high some uniform stores marked up their items. I was also blown away by their poor customer service. I couldn't believe it! We work too hard (and for relatively little money) to be treated poorly. My wife and I wanted to do something about it."

"The idea behind Cop's Closet is to bring you some dignity and keep things affordable. We have heard again and again, horror stories about these stores who rip off police officers. Officers literally come in every day and thank us for opening the store. They tell us how they have been treated poorly at other stores. We treat you like you are family, because you are!"

It's true... Jaime who is the real brains of the operation, runs the day to day in the store. She knows almost all the officers by name. Go ahead TEST her... it's almost sick how well she knows everyone. Can other stores say that?

"Customers have started SWEARING when they see our prices! Not because our prices were high...not at all. Customers have become livid when they see what they have been paying all these years compared to what we sell them for. It feels good to help out other cops."

Cop's Closet is a full line dealer for 5.11 Tactical. They stock the biggest in store selection in Utah. Cop's Closet also offers police uniforms made by Blauer, Perfection and 5.11 Tactical. Check out their prices on police duty gear and holsters. Cop's Closet has great selections from Blackhawk, Safariland, Bianchi, Gould and Goodrich and DutyMan. Cop's Closet always has great deals on Rocky, 5.11 Tactical and Original Swat footwear.

In conclusion, if you want to be treated with respect and keep some of that uniform allowance in your bank account for a change, then go visit Cop's Closet.

If all of this doesn't convince you then mention this blog and get 10% off your entire purchase!

Cop's Closet

2734 S. 1900 W. Ste E

Ogden, UT 84401

(Next to Impact Guns)

(801) 866-0644 local

(877) COPS 10-8 toll free

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun CLOSED.

Facial Armor... HOLY CRAP!!

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:44:00 +0000

For those of you who do not know I am a vetran of the United States Army. I was an Infantryman and served 13 months in Iraq during OIF 2. I was with the 25th ID (L) in the 1-14th Infantry Regiment. BETTER RECOGNIZE!!

Anyway.... I saw this on the internet today and I flipped... I don't know... to be honest I would have worn it as a gunner on the Humvee (I wore EVERYTHING they gave me expecially the nut protector /cod piece that hangs at the bottom)... I kinda wanted to know if SWAT teams would use it for entries?

I watched the video and these two guys actually shoot themselves in the FACE!! I mean it is awesome they stand behind their product... but this is only a step away from a Darwin award. Any thoughts? Is this even for real? http://www.mtekweaponsystems.com/

Of the video is not working click on the below link....

http://www.mtekweaponsystems.com/Images/12hit.mpg

Be Safe.

Funny Stuff on BluTube

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:52:00 +0000

Nothing exciting happened this week... no matter how hard I tried.

I stopped a woman and cited her for driving on suspension for the third time... I promised her last time that I would take her to jail next time I stop her.... well the only thing that changed is her route home...

The last two cites were for the week before... each time I stop her is VERY late at night... The first time I stopped her she had a spoon used for IV drug use in the car... the second time I stopped her the passenger had a bunch of warrants....

I don't know... I just didn't feel good about taking her to jail... she is just too nice... I guess when I stop her it's like seeing an old friend now.

I also stopped a car coming from a home known for C/S (controlled substance) and burglaries... she sure had quite a collection of mini torches, gloves, bolt cutters and misc items...

However although I am sure the driver was a crack head and a burglar... I cannot prove it. The best I can do is take really good notes and pass on info to the dicks.. (detectives).

For your enjoyment here is a fun video I found on BluTube. For those of you who don't know what BluTube is you should go check it out... great stuff.. both for humor and training.

Funny OC Training Video.

For whatever reason Blogger doesn't want to play these videos... if there are any problems just click on this link to watch it on BluTube

http://blutube.policeone.com/Clip.aspx?key=B66442FDD37B7313

Be Safe.

5.11 Tactical Product Development Meeting Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:43:00 +0000

"A major award.... I won a MAJOR AWARD!!!"

Although being true to modern form my notice came via e-mail and not in a large wooden crate marked "Frag-eee-laay...hmmm must be Italian"

Several months ago I drew a design for a police related product and submitted it to the "5.11 Tactical Product Development Meeting Contest 2008" (whew! that's a mouthful!)... I have had this idea for a product I wanted for myself for a long time.

After doing patent research I realized that since the product uses existing technologies I could never patent my idea.... I contacted a few over-seas manufacturers for prices on prototypes and manufacturing... then I thought about how much money I would spend on packaging and money and time needed for marketing (including sitting at trade shows like the Shot Show)....

It just didn't make economical sense to invest all that time and money in an idea (that although I REALLY wanted and believed in) that could be easily (and legally) snatched up by another manufacturer. I decided to submit my idea in 5.11 Tactical's contest because I had a chance to get paid something... and eventually get my idea turned into a real product.

I decided that even if I did not win... I would still pay someone to produce one for me.

My idea?... well I can't reveal that now... but I can tell you what I won! Here are the contest details...

"Enter to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the 5.11 Tactical® Product Development Team and attend a Product Development Meeting (PDM) at the 5.11 Lodge in Montana, plus a day of world-class trout fishing on the famous Big Horn River."

"WHAT YOU WIN:A three-day all expense paid trip to the 5.11 Lodge, located near the Bighorn Battlefield in Montana. Your trip consists of air travel to and from the PDM, a day of product development sessions and a day of guided fishing on the Bighorn River, home of North America’s premiere trout-fishing. Great food and luxury lodging is also included. "

"The goal of this PDM is to develop a commercially viable product that would become part of the 5.11 Tactical Series product assortment. Based on the outcome of this meeting 5.11 Tactical will develop product prototypes.* Individuals will receive a $511 prize for each product concept that makes it into our catalog. Attendees will also receive an assortment of current 5.11 Tactical series gear in addition to samples of products created during this PDM."

So I put in for leave for next month.... I am off to Montana to catch a fish (this is exciting because I am a fishing virgin... yes I know please don't think of me as less of a man) and give 5.11 Tactical my feedback on their products... and HOPEFULLY get my idea made into a cool new products of it's own!

If anyone wants me to pass on anything to the guys at 5.11, just post a comment here or email me at Contact@UtahCop.com .

Off Duty Indcident AKA - Keep those blinders on...

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:35:00 +0000

I am currently working a graveyard shift, which means I am supposed to get off work a bit after 6am. This never really happens because often I end up shooting the breeze when I am giving pass-on info to the next officer. I bet I normally get home an hour later than I could (of course I am off the clock).

This particular night was SLOOOOOWWW.... nothing happened... not a single report... not even a citation. Pretty boring.

On my way home the section of freeway I drive is currently under construction.... there are cones lining the side of the freeway (it's NOT safe to do a traffic stop in this area... um let's say I know from first-hand experience... don't ask). The area is also well marked as 55mph zone instead of the regular 65.

There I was minding my own business...when some BMW comes flying up behind me. (btw here is your stupid joke of the day! --- What's the difference between a Porcupine and a BMW?? Give up? The Porcupine has the pricks on the OUTSIDE!!! HAHAHA)

Anyway...He looks like he was doing 90mph but I am not sure because I did not have my radar on. He gets alongside me and slams on his brakes to match my speed. He had no front plate and I wanted to run him.

I started to slow and move over so I could get behind him... he slowed too..to about 45mph on the freeway. Finally he gave up and let me behind him...a temp tag... (great) You see my idea was to let him go (especially since I didn't have him locked on radar)... I would just run him and as long as the R.O. (registered owner) didn't have any warrants or anything I would just ignore him.... The temp tag put a kink in that plan... but hey! police work is not about issuing tickets... it's about correcting behavior... right? As long an green Beamer stays put I won't have to sto... Ah man...

The BMW took off at about 80mph... *SIGH* I followed behind the car.. pacing it... It took an exit and I had a safe place to stop it. When I approached the driver I introduced myself and asked him if he had some sort of emergency he was going to.

The driver spoke in very rapid speech... almost to fast to understand... He said he had to hurry his passenger home so she could relieve the babysitter. The driver was twitching and bouncing all over the place... As he rambled on I told dispatch to send me another officer and get a tow on stand by for when I go 10-82 (arrest) for a state tax impound.

I interrupted the tweaking, babbling driver and asked him when he last used Meth. He denied it and his passenger put her head in her hands and began to shake it back and forth... I told the driver that even his passenger knows he is lying... I asked him if he smoked, snorted or injected the meth... The driver admitted that he "tasted" it last night... and had been up all night.

While waiting for back up I radioed dispatch and requested a Drug Recognition Expert. The tweaking driver continued to ramble on about how he has a suspended license and a warrant. A trooper arrived and I pulled out the driver and placed him under arrest. An interesting thing was that he had an ankle monitor on... he said he was on paper (on parole)... he siad it is to keep him from leaving the State.... I thought that was strange... anyone ever encounter this before?

While transporting him back to my office for a DRE evaluation... the driver made SEVERAL spontaneous statements... More exact he would not shut up..... In his meth induced rambling and rapid speech (he sounded a lot like that guy from the Micro Machine commercials) he continued to admit guilt over and over.

Of course the DRE agreed he was under the influence of meth... I charged him with only a metabolite... mostly for his cooperation.... After booking him in jail I headed home... in desperate need of sleep... A little bit happy that I got a DUI off the road... a lotta bit tired..

I learned a lesson today... When going home at the end of a shift drive with your blinders on... or at least learn to pawn it off on the Troopers.

YOU'RE FIRED

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Recently the Utah POST Council met and broke previous records by decertifying the most police officers ever. I have had the opportunity to meet and even work with a few officers who lost their jobs.

I think most are justified... but I have the impression that here in Utah you would lose your POST certification over things that other states would not take action on.

The biggest career killers are still:

-Alcohol

-Sex

Can I get some opinions? To be honest I can see the need to terminate someone for having an intra-office affair... but do they really need to be decertified and lose their entire career?

It's been a while

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:51:00 +0000

"What is a juggalo?... i don't know... but I'm down with the clown and I'm down for life Yo!"

I admit it... I used to listen to ICP... aka Insane Clown Posse.. back in the day. I mean it was never like a superfan stuff where I would put on face paint and everything... but I did consider myself a fan. This was like maybe 10+ years ago... So yes I do know what a Juggalo is (an ICP superfan). For whatever reason while on patrol I have been coming into contact more and more with "Juggalo" kids... and never with a positive result.

Just this last week I stopped a car with about 3 kids in it... (at my age 19 years old is a kid). I asked the driver if he had anything illegal in the car (which is what I do with every 3am traffic stop). The driver thought about it for a sec and told me "um... yes... I have some weed in my pocket and a pipe in the glove box" I was floored!! Usually I ask the question as a prep for later after the stop is completed to get a consent search... I could not believe this guy just gave it up!

For the record... This last week I asked for Consent to Search 5 times... got consent 5 times... and found contraband 4 out of 5 times!! ...weed...paraphernalia and open containers...

Anyway back to the Juggalos... the next day I pulled over another car load... this time no weed... but there were warrants... I had one kid ask me why SLC PD considered them a gang.. um I told him I didn't know about all that (they are more of a joke or a group of "throw away" or runaway kids than anything else...) anyone else have contact with these kids in their area?

EARHUGGER VIDEO MIC!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:16:00 +0000

This is the GEAR that I am MOST EXCITED ABOUT TODAY! Mostly because my Lt. said we would be looking at it for Bike Patrol. Today Bike Patrol...tomorrow... um regular Patrol?

EarHugger is a Utah company and makes awesome mic and earpieces. The best part is it was started by a Police Officer!!! Read his story...

Earhugger® Officer Ryan King radioed in the description of a suspicious loiterer and exited his vehicle to approach the man. As he approached the suspect, the dispatcher's voice came crackling from his shoulder mic.

Hearing the dispatcher identify him as wanted, for $150,000 in outstanding warrants, the man rushed at King screaming, "I'm never going back to jail!" A fight ensued and King had to wrestle the man to the ground in order to cuff him. Officer King realized it was the dispatcher's voice which had alerted the suspect, putting him in jeopardy by taking away the element of surprise which had been on his side.

It was not the first time transmissions broadcasting from his shoulder mic had caused routine situations to become hazardous and already dangerous situations to become more so. That night Ryan King worked in his garage developing a headphone which would allow only the police officer wearing it to hear radio transmissions.

The device he developed could be worn in comfort for hours. He began wearing the headphone on the job. Soon, other officers were asking him to make one for them. Within a few months the officer in charge of the gang task force was requiring all members of his squad to wear the headphones.

5.3 Megapixle Picture
1 GB of memory for minimum 3 hours Record Time
Time and Date Stamp
Download straight to computer w/ small USB port
Priced about $600 (compare to in-car systems!)
Perfect for BIKE PATROL
Add Ear Piece or addition PTT button
RANGE IS NO PROBLEM!
Has a Screen Built in back!
VIDEO, SOUND, STILL PHOTO
Let the Jury SEE WHAT THE OFFICER SEES
FINALLY VIDEO WHEREVER YOU GO!!

This has to be the sweetest product I have seen in a long time!

I WEAR EARHUGGER!!! Just last night I replaced my $300 Motorola EarMic with a Earhugger Model (I am not sure of the price but I believe it's about a third of the price!) I was on my second Motorola setup in a month and a half and it was crapping out on my again.. a SERIOUS OFFICER SAFETY ISSUE... I didn't have the highest hopes for something to out perform my costly Motorola (after all the same people made the radio right?)... Man I have never been more wrong in my life! I love my new EARHUGGER set up!

WARNING!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!

OFFICAL UtahCop Prediction! ...I predict that:

Other manufacturers will start to make similar products (Motorola). Let's all support this Utah business!
This equipment will soon become STANDARD ISSUE, just like our in-car videos

EARHUGGER PRODUCTS can be purchased from most great Utah public safety stores... especially our sponsor COP'S CLOSET!

GO CHECK OUT THE EARHUGGER WEBISTE! http://www.ehsequipment.com/

They have a couple DEMO VIDEOS and all the specs (I would have put the videos here but their site seems to be down from earlier today.

DUI BOOK

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:17:00 +0000

This week has been pretty slow so far. Nothing like last week. I am currently on GRAVES and work 10 hour shifts from Saturday to Tuesday. Then I get 3 days off before I get to "go out and play" again.

Last week was fun. That Saturday I went to jail 3 times! My personal record. The arrests were a Disorderly Conduct and Intoxication arrest (I am screening through the county for agg assault), a warrant (after interviewed for prescription drug theft) and an alcohol DUI. I would have gone 4 times if I would have ran my theft "victim for 29's".... dumb me!

Since things are so slow I will let everyone in on a project I am starting. A BOOK! ... I will tell you about it because I was going to publish it through a non-profit and distribute it for low or no-cost and purely for the benefit of police officers.

The basic idea is a guide book with your best tips or experiences for finding and detecting a DUI (both drug and alcohol). I need the stuff that isn't in the NHTSA manual, you know the PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE.

I need tips like:

Watch for Drivers staring straight ahead and talk out the corner of mouth
Ways drivers can cheat on the SFST (sorry civilians I will not be posting any here!)

Please email me at Contact@UtahCop.com with your suggestions. DO NOT POST!

This will be a published book so be sure to leave your real name and Department so I can give you appropriate credit. (If you want to be anonymous just make up a cool name and give an approximate location like.... Officer Richard Stryker from Central Wasatch Front) or something like that.

Don't forget to send in your submissions... you could be FAMOUS!!! or not... either way it would be pretty cool...

DUI, Prescription Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:37:00 +0000

The other night I got another DUI. I seem to be on a run lately as this is my second in a week. This one is different than other DUI's, and I really feel bad for arresting the guy. Another officer told me later I should have just cited him into court instead of booking him in to jail.... to be honest the thought never crossed my mind.

Usually I am THRILLED to take a DUI to jail... Even if I lose the DLD hearing...even if I lose the court case... I WIN!! How is that? because I took someone dangerous off the road (and it costs them a bunch of money)... so either way ...I WIN.

This gentleman though wasn't a drunk or a doper (as are most of my DUI's). This guy could be your dad. He was under the influence of a couple of pills that he was prescribed and taking legally... and I am certain he had NO IDEA he was IMPAIRED!.

I stopped him for drifting over the center line a couple time... not the worst driving pattern but it was 3am and no one else was out so I stopped to make sure. The first thing I noticed were his eyes.

His pupils were constricted like in the pic above even though it was dark out and were almost nonreactive to light changes. This is a sure sign of pain killer use which the driver later admitted to.

I called for a backup officer and conducted SFST's (Standardized Field Sobriety Tests). This guy could barely walk and stumbled during my tests. He could not stand on one foot to save his life. If anyone wants to know more about SFST's and what cops look for just write me and I will post it here step by step.

I believed this driver was impaired but I bet he had NO CLUE. I ended up calling in a DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) who administered more tests and came to the same conclusion I did. We drew his blood and booked him in jail.

HERE IS MY POINT: This gentleman was almost 60 years old and on his way to work. I don't believe he abuses drugs and I would not label him as a criminal... HOWEVER... this guy should NOT BE ON THE ROAD. I feel bad because I don't think his intent was ever to break the law or do something dangerous. I bet he didn't even feel "high".

IN MY OPINION: I think there are more people impaired from legal, prescribed medications than alcohol (at least in Utah) out on the road. I bet they don't even know it.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE who is prescribed pain killers or anti-anxiety medication (or if it you) take those warnings seriously. Talk to them make sure they never get into a driver's seat after taking them.

Funny Story from FTO

noreply@blogger.com (Utah Cop Blog) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:55:00 +0000

Here is my FUNNIEST and also most EMBARASSING TRUE STORY that happened to while while on FTO. For those of you who do not know F.T.O. stands for Field Training Officer. While "On FTO" you are still a brand new recruit (although an academy graduate) and must be constantly monitored and mentored by your Field Training Officer.

Before going into detail I need to offer a little background on myself. I had just spent 4 years in the United States Army as an Infantryman. I came from a place where when your superiors tell you to jump... YOU JUMP! If they tell you to lay in a puddle of mud... you lay in a puddle of mud! If they tell you to march 25 miles in the rain without rain gear and then pull security at an LZ for hours only to march another 5 miles... you do it! ...and if they tell you not to use the toilet GUESS WHAT!?! ... so you might get an idea where I am going with this story...

So there I was... on patrol. I stopped a car going into a local Steel Factory (always a good place to find dope) and surprise surprise the driver has a warrant. After hooking him up I do a search of his vehicle (incident to arrest). I found some goodies like an electronic scale, some zig-zags and pieces of brillo pad (which are used as filters for a crack pipe). Now this has heightened my awareness and I am taking my time to search everything.

Well I had spent some time in the vehicle's interior and got consent to search the trunk. Of course the trunk was STUFFED with all sorts of stuff... boxes...clothes all sorts of good hiding spots. I had to remove most of it and set in on the ground next to the car.

Well about halfway through the trunk search, I got the bubble guts! No big deal... I could still hold it... I mean I wasn't at any emergency stage yet... but I appreciated the warning. So now I am tossing the trunk like mad so we can start to move out.... gurgle gurgle gurgle... I was panicking now. I quickly summed up the time we had left and things to do... (ok finish the search...transport the prisoner...do some paperwork and then book him in...) I realized that there was not going to be enough time!

I wisely notified my FTO... he always seemed like a pretty reasonable guy I am sure we can stop off somewhere. "No, I'm sorry we can't stop anywhere with a prisoner... you are just going to have to hold it". His tone of voice sounded like he was quoting official department policy and I was not going to question it.

I hurried as fast as I could to get everything back in the car, taking a few moments to stand erect and pinch my cheeks together until things settled back down. Needless to say I was pretty worried.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle... I thought maybe if I better explain the situation there must be an exception, and I would take that opportunity once we were under way. As we drove away I took the opportunity to plead my case. Gurgle gurgle gurgle... "Hey I REALLY need to go...you think we could stop at the 7-11" I asked. "No not with the prisoner, you are going to have to use the restroom at the jail intake". I knew this was not a workable solution. I bargained with him "How about I pull into the station sally port and you wait with him while I run inside?" No I am sorry he has been in those handcuffs for sometime and we really need to get him out. ....(I could not believe it) "OK" was my response.

The county jail is less than a 10 minute drive from where we were... unfortunately this was rush hour. We took the two lane road running alongside the freeway hoping to avoid traffic...NO SUCH LUCK! Of course because a cop car is behind them.. everyone is driving SLOOOOWWW.

This was not good for me... I was really worried! Things were starting to happen more and more ... gurgle gurgle gurgle.... Its even harder to hold it in while sitting down... plus I was driving so now I have to work the pedals and steer... all this movement is not going to help.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle... I used every ounce of willpower available. I squeezed my cheeks together as hard as I could... Nothing was working... I kept looking over at my FTO who seemed to be oblivious to my plight. Gurgle gurgle gurgle... He just sat comfortably looking smugly out the front windshield. OH HOW I HATED HIM. I am sure I let out some soft whimper subconsciously wanting to alert him to my predicament. Gurgle gurgle gurgle...

When he looked over at me his face said it all. I must have looked pathetic. I now have my legs straight out lifting my butt about a foot off the seat. Sweat is running down my face as my muscles quiver trying to hold back the enemy at the gates. gurgle gurgle gurgle "I don't think I am going to make it" I say to my FTO. Gurgle... I thought for a moment about the prisoner sitting behind me... but at this point I don't care... I wish the car in front would move out of the way... I wish GURGLE!

Oh no. I couldn't hold it any longer.... the stomach pains are now replaced with the sensation of something warm, wet and soft pushing its way into my pants. "Too Late" I announced to my FTO. It wasn't as explosive as I had imagined it would be. Rather, it sort of escaped in spasms... giving me the false hope I might be able to stop at least some of it,

"Oh" was all he could say to my FTO. He looked surprised... I am not sure why.. I mean I think the whole situation was pretty well clear up until now.

My FTO now went into damage control mode. "Um, ...tell you what. You just drive into the Sally Port at Intake and I will do the booking." All I could do was nod. I looked back at the guy in handcuffs behind me... he looked as if he didn't know what to say.... maybe he was afraid I would Taser him or something...

As we drove on in silence, I could feel the back of my pants soaking through... I made a half hearted attempt to lift myself off the sear... however this only caused the odor to begin to waft around the tiny enclosure of a caged Crown Vic.

I have given up... A few blocks from the jail my FTO told me to pull over to a construction site... A slender green port-a-potty sat next to the road. My FTO must assume I must have something left in me (no such luck). I instead look at it as an opportunity to clean up.

I let my duty belt fall into a puddle of questionable fluid as I undressed in the cramped plastic green outhouse and surveyed the damage.... There is no room to take off my boots. I tried in vain to rip off my underwear and clean up the mess... I was periodically interrupted by my FTO asking if I am ok... I have a sneaking suspicion he is calling someone on his cell phone.

It's about that time I looked down at the tiny microphone clipped to my shirt and I remembered... this has all been recorded... every sound...e3very whimper...every wipe in the outhouse... All documented forever onto our in car video system..... GREAT.

Long Story Short.... I borrowed my FTO's knife to cut away the offended underwear and then stashed them in some construction garbage near the port-a-potty. We dropped off the grinning prisoner (with a great story to tell the other inmates for sure) and slowly headed back to the city. I was wondering if I was ever going to live this down. I shifted uncomfortably on my brown stained seat and wet pants lined with a few thin layers of one-ply outhouse paper.

"I am so sorry....I had no idea... I didn't think you meant it when you said you weren't going to make it".... I accepted my FTO's apology. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this" My FTO told me to go home early and clean up...

We both learned something about each other that day. My FTO will believe me when I tell him something... and I learned to ignore him when I need to and just go back to the office.

...I wish this were the end of the story...but it's not

You see as soon as we pull into town I get dispatched to a domestic disturbance involving a gun. Now I work in a small town...and this was still before all the administration go home... As we roll code (lights and sirens) I hear everyone including my Chief, Lt. and a Sgt. sign on the radio as going to the call. When we pulled up I drew my shotgun and covered a vehicle my FTO thought was leaving the house.

I am finding it uncomfortable at best to move around... I just feel gross and don't even want to be in my own skin. After clearing the vehicle we approach the house. With half of the department there I cover the suspects with my shot-gun... I realize now that the toilet paper in my pants, with no underwear to secure it has now snaked its way down my pant leg and was hanging out the end.

"You handcuff him EZ" my Sgt ordered... I wasn't sure how to handle this... I didn't want nasty toilet paper falling out in front of everyone and I just knew they would smell me. Well my hesitation was noticed and another officer stepped in. After the whole thing was done I sheepishly limped back to my smelly cruiser. My FTO wisely chose to catch a ride with someone else.

Well the next day my desk was adorned with "Hershey" bars of all sizes (I am still finding them hidden in file folders). I was also blessed with a note from one Sgt saying my video will be great to watch at the Christmas party...and a "kit" from another complete with adult diapers and my own pocket knife. My new name is "Hershey"

... so much for my FTO not saying anything.