Do Cops Have to Obey the Law?

The other day as I was on my way to work, I witnessed a police officer turn right at a stop sign without so much as slowing to a crawl. Had an officer seen me do that, he would surely have given me a ticket. And this was just the latest incident I’ve seen in which officers seem to ignore the rules of the road that they themselves so vigorously enforce. Why does there seem to two sets of traffic laws – one for cops, and one for the rest of us?

Cops habitually speed, ignore stop signs, run red lights, and fail to use turn signals, even when they are not on an emergency call and their lights are not flashing. It just isn’t fair. It’s no wonder some people harbor so much resentment against police officers who issue them traffic tickets. Police departments across the country need to tighten up and clean house. That includes getting rid of those officers who think they are above the law, and replacing them with law abiding citizens who wish to serve as examples to their community or state.

Comments

[Craig C]

I agree that many police officers get away with traffic violations when they are off duty or going to from work. That being said you do know that they don't respond to every emergency with their lights and sirens on right? (Its not like you see on TV) If you are trying to catch the bad guy in the act it is very un-helpful to let him know you are coming by running with lights and sirens. Often times they will be speeding, rolling through stop signs, etc in order to get to the scene quickly. Its probably against their Police Department policy but they walk a fine line between doing the public good and obeying written policies that don't match reality of life out there in the real world. And no I'm not a cop, but I do work with them and they have a thankless job. The author would likely be among the first complaining (and writing about it) if there were a delay in a response to his own emergency. Take a day and go do a citizens academy with your local police department. Or ask to do a ride-along. It will open your eyes to a world you never knew existed. Trust me.