Police Behavior and Traffic Tickets

Police Behavior and Traffic Tickets

Throughout recent years, the general public’s relationship with the police has been a rollercoaster. The divided line between supporting the police or against has been expanding due to issues in police behavior. Police brutality is a big issue in people’s rights and even on the road. In an article discussing police behavior and traffic stops, “over 62.9 million U.S. residents aged 16 or older had one or more contacts with police during the prior 12 months”(Langton 2013). Those involved in police contact at traffic stops, 10 percent thought the police did not behave properly. In the 10 percent, an officer was behaving inappropriately with their emotions towards a driver or giving out false traffic tickets. Most people who get pulled over are already aggravated; they have to deal with the police and think the officer is being extra or troublesome. Patrolling the roads and handing out tickets is just part of their daily job. People today may still deal with inappropriate police behavior but regulations and informing the public can be put in place to reduce these incidents. 



                                                                           This image is from www.Military.com showing an officer at a traffic stop.

Most U.S residents who have a driver’s license have been pulled over or have a fear of being stopped by a police officer. Even being involved in a car accident, people may face inappropriate police behavior. Over the summer, I drove over a deer and was pulled over on the side of the road. I was parked for about 5 minutes and a police car pulled up; parking behind me. The moment I saw the police lights turn on my stomach dropped. I got chills down my spine when he came to my window. “Is everything okay here?” he said sternly, examining my car. I explained what happened and showed him where the deer was. The poor thing was a few yards back on the white outer line of the road. He looked at me confused, “Are you sure you didn’t hit the telephone pole?”. The car had only a little dent, a couple dirt scrapes, and little bits of hair sprinkled near the headlights and under the car. I was parked in front of a telephone pole, but I had no major damage from being from a pole. I got out of my car to show him the front of my car for evidence I hit the deer. He still did not believe me even after I showed him the pieces of fur stuck to my car and gave me a ticket for hitting a telephone pole. I was fortunate enough to go to court and get out of a traffic ticket. The court decided the officer had filed a “False Police Report” and got a fine for not following regulations for a traffic stop. 

The use of regulations can prevent inappropriate police behavior and incidents like the one I was involved in. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has a report manual for dealing with traffic incidents called the Police Officer's Crash Report Manual. Inside the manual analyzes how to identify and deal with automobile crashes. The report manual also states police must investigate if there is injury or the vehicle cannot be driven after the incident, “Section 3751 of Title 75, Pennsylvania’s Consolidated Statutes (Vehicle Code) requires police agencies to investigate, upon notification, all crashes involving death, injury, and/or damage to any one vehicle to such an extent that it cannot be driven from the scene without further damage and therefore requires towing” (Pennsylvania Publication 153 Page 1). In my accident, my car was still drivable and the only one injured was the deer. If the police officer had understood the Crash Report Manual, we would not have to go to court and he would not have had a penalty for the false ticket. Having the Police system focus on their officers to understand regulations can prevent inappropriate police behavior and people will feel more comfortable around officers.

Image is from www.dmv.ny.gov, this a police accident report. 

An officer’s job is to know procedures and regulations for traffic stops and ticketing but there are always a few who do not remember the exact steps on what to do. If U.S citizens who drove understood these procedures and regulations there would not be a communication block or misunderstanding. Most states have specific-state protections and statues for citizens who have been pulled over or dealing with the police. Arizona has a statute called, "stop and identify". If law enforcement stops you on the road, you must show some form of identification upon request. (Nguyen and King). Understanding your rights and statues as a U.S citizen can stop the possibility of an altercation with an officer.

The general public’s opinion has been divided between supporting or against the police system throughout recent years due to police brutality. Police brutality has been involved in human rights but also traffic reports. With the use of regulations and informing the general public on these laws, police brutality and inappropriate behavior can be demolished.




















Resources

Langton L, Durose MR. Police Behavior during Traffic and Street Stops, 2011. Revised October 27, 2016. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2013. Accessed April 13, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat05986a&AN=buc.9910924272803556&site=eds-live&scope=site

Military.com. (2021, July 14). Police exam strategies: Handling police rules and procedures questions. Military.com. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/search/police-exam-strategies-police-rules-and-procedures-questions.html

Police officer's crash report Manual - Penndot Home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.penndot.pa.gov/TravelInPA/Safety/Documents/Pub153.pdf

Police crash report submission instructions - new york DMV. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://dmv.ny.gov/forms/p33.pdf

Nguyen, A., & King, N. (2020, October 28). If you're stopped by police, you have rights to protect you. here's what to remember. NPR. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2020/10/23/927134939/if-youre-stopped-by-police-you-have-rights-to-protect-you-here-s-what-to-remember




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