smart51
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:14 AM |
|
|
Off duty plod
What powers do off duty police have?
I was driving to work this morning along a 40 MPH dual carriageway. The left hand lane divides into 2 and the LH branch is turning left only. A
silver car was in the middle lane waiting at the island as I pull up in the RH lane at about 10 MPH. He pulls onto the island as I roll on to it and
he cuts right up the the idlands curb. I flash and sound my horn but then stop and carry on as normal.
half a mile later I was ahead of him and pull into the RH lane to pass a parked van. He drives right up to my bumper. I flash my brake lights
briefly (didn't stamp on them) He backs off. He flashes his main beam 3 or 4 times over the next mile until we get to some traffic lights. He
storms out of his car and tries to open my door, which is locked. Says that he is a police officer, flashes his warrant card beiefly, tells me he has
my registration number and that, in other words that they're going to do me, then demands my name.
I imagine that plod will take the word of plod over the public but what can he really do if he was off duty and on his own?
|
|
|
|
|
chockymonster
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:16 AM |
|
|
Off duty police officers have no power to pull you over.
He can make your life a misery but can't do anything to prosecute.
|
|
|
Macbeast
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:17 AM |
|
|
Very unlikely to be a real police officer
|
|
|
Paul TigerB6
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:21 AM |
|
|
If anything does come of it then report it as a complaint. Sounds like an abuse of police powers and threatening behaviour to me anyway. Wonder how
the IPCC would view a case of road rage from "one of their own"
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:25 AM |
|
|
When the guy asked for my name, I asked him to show me his warrant card again. He did so, but with the 4 fingers of his right hand across the photo
and the text. The photo was him, probably and it did have a badge of some sort.
|
|
|
Paul TigerB6
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:30 AM |
|
|
did you get the 4-digit officer number?? If so it would be reporting him as if he's a genuine cop then they can deal with him, and if not they
can look out for the car you saw as someone is impersonating a police officer (which they take very seriously and so might just divert some time from
raising extra speed tax - sorry, i mean tickets for driving with excessive speed, which is very naughty and far more important than catching burglars
and murderers)
[Edited on 31/10/07 by Paul TigerB6]
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:34 AM |
|
|
Driving right up someone's bumper is illegal isn't it? It's not as if he's on official police matters if he's off
duty....
Did you get his registration number? A quick letter to the local police office saying there's someone purpoting to be a police officer but
driving dangerously and aggresively should do the trick either way....
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:38 AM |
|
|
I got the car's number but he was not in uniform so he didn't have a number on him. I'd thought about reporting him but I
don't want to be the only one to raise the matter officially.
|
|
|
graememk
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:39 AM |
|
|
just a nob head mate dont worry about it
|
|
|
saigonij
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:47 AM |
|
|
did you take his car number plate? if so, you need to report it as road rage. off duty or not, a police office has no right to do what he did to you.
nail him to the wall. that sort of behaviour is not acceptable.
|
|
|
r1_pete
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:51 AM |
|
|
If he didn't caution you, and serve paperwork detailling intention to prosecute, then forget it, there's nothing more he can do, complete
failure to follow process.
Probably kust a knob head who'd like to think he was a police officer, watches too much cop crap on TV....
Pete.
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:53 AM |
|
|
Of course one problem is that sometimes the plod tell big fibs.
A while back I was having a lift in a Mini Metro. Five of us (all over 13 stone)- poor suspension!! Going up a hill (obviously quite slowly!!) when
suddenly there's a Mondeo type repmobile right up the exhaust pipe flashing its headlights. 500M later, still happening and a little blue light
gets slapped onto the roof!! Driver pulls over straightaway. Unmarked police car (now with blue light on top) pulls over in front.
Plod: "why didn't you pull over when I signalled, that's a contravention of blah blah testicles paragraph 1"
Driver: "because all I saw was some tit in a car driving dangerously too close to me and flashing their headlights. That kind of driving is best
ignored"
Plod: "I had my blue lights on"
Driver: "No. You put them on after 500M and as soon as you did I pulled over".
Plod insisted for 5 minutes that he had had the blue light on for the entire time despite the fact that three of us on the backseat were all looking
backwards to try and see who the hell was so close and waving at the driver with our middle fingers (probably didn't help the situation in
retrospect).
Eventually just did the usual produce doodah and let us on our way, still insisting he had the blue lights on the entire time...... 
|
|
|
Paul TigerB6
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 08:58 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by saigonij
did you take his car number plate? if so, you need to report it as road rage. off duty or not, a police office has no right to do what he did to you.
nail him to the wall. that sort of behaviour is not acceptable.
I'd agree 100% on this. If he is a cop then i doubt much will happen anyway, but if not then no doubt they'll be chasing this bloke up and
looking for the fake warrant card.
I've had an on-duty cop attempt to abuse his powers this year which is currently going through the Independant Police Complaints Commision.
Seems to be happening more and more these days it seems (or maybe is just being reported more)
|
|
|
T1GER_SUPERCA7
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:10 AM |
|
|
If he's not a cop and he is impersonating an officer then I'd definately report it - not just for your own revenge which will be as sweet
as its probably anticipated but the guy is obviously mentally unstable and who knows what else he does pulling stunts like that - not to mention the
less cocks there are on the road the quieter it is for our engineering masterpieces!!!
Chris
[Edited on 31/10/07 by T1GER_SUPERCA7]
|
|
|
mistergrumpy
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:23 AM |
|
|
Nah, police do still have all their powers when off duty. If they are out of their area they will take all your details and pass them straight
to the area responsible who will then deal with it accordingly.
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:24 AM |
|
|
sounds like you did nothing wrong so you got the reg, description so report it. that is what you pay your council tax for.
whether it is a real cop or not msakes no difference and you will find out in due course.
|
|
|
ash_hammond
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:31 AM |
|
|
As i understand it - the only person who can legally stop you and pull you over is a Police Man/Woman in Full Uniform.
.: www.mac1motorsports.co.uk | www.m1moc.com :.
|
|
|
mistergrumpy
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:39 AM |
|
|
What about plain clothed uniform? Its still their uniform. No any officer can providing that they have a reason to.
|
|
|
Paul TigerB6
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:43 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
What about plain clothed uniform? Its still their uniform. No any officer can providing that they have a reason to.
What - off duty, through agressive and dangerous driving and then by approaching the car and attempting to open the car door that could be perceived
to be in a highly agressive manner?? (i'm sure you're generalising MrGrumpy)
Are there any police officers on the forum?? Would love to hear their opinion in this thread.
[Edited on 31/10/07 by Paul TigerB6]
|
|
|
mistergrumpy
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 09:46 AM |
|
|
No not by aggression and dangerous driving. I'll put my hand up here, although not an officer at the moment I do work for the police yes and
there are officers on here yes.
[Edited on 31/10/07 by mistergrumpy]
|
|
|
chris_harris_
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 10:38 AM |
|
|
My understanding is that police do still carry their official powers even when not in uniform, but this particular incident is totally unacceptable.
Road rage is a serious offence and one that the police take very seriously. My only question is, what would he have done if your door hadn't
been locked? Having had similar situations before, i would suggest going to your local police station and asking them for a form, can't remember
the code but is a specific form for reporting road rage incidents. They then look at this and decide what to do next!
Don't however let him get away with it, there are already too many bent coppers who abuse there powers!!
Just my 2p worth.
Regards Chris
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 11:24 AM |
|
|
Can a general police officer pull someone over for dangerous driving or is it just traffic police?
Oh well, could be worse! You could have been traveling on the tube 
such a scary president. Innocent person lying on the floor screaming their innocence gets shot in the head at point blank range 9 times.... And these
are the people who are supposed to be protecting innocent members of the public?? Devious people these terrorists- they even change their appearance
so they look nothing like their official photographs.... The thought that some person could decide that I'm a terrorist and that after that
point nothing could be done to stop my execution by any of the people further down the chain rather scares me.....
I understand the rationale behind the head-shot but was there anything to make the police believe that there was an acute risk. Or is it just a policy
of executing people who are suspected of being a terrorist as soon as they leave their flat and if it's mistaken identity then its just
someone's bad day??
Scary....
|
|
|
stuart_g
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 12:17 PM |
|
|
If he was genuine he would have let you view his warrant card I would have thought.
At the moment I would do nothing, but if you do get a visit from the plod I would then inform them you intend to raise a formal complaint about the
officer involved, I think you'll find the matter will then be dropped with you getting a warning which is nutsack anyway as you did nothing
wrong.
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 12:17 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
such a scary president. .
wrong, that would be Nelson Mandela creeping up behind you with an inflated paper bag and bursting it.
precedent.
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 31/10/07 at 01:23 PM |
|
|
I'm blaming the self-correcting spellcheck!!!!
Always gets me that one...
Almost as bad as if you stop you car outside a paper shop are you stationary outside a stationery shop or vice verse?
|
|
|
.JPG)
