ride a longs

[keith720]

I don't have a problem with ride-alongs as long as they are associated with either another agency, or a C.J. student looking to get started. I remember that I was a young pup once and had a lot of questions. I don't mind any questions that they have, but the ride is over if they start to give unsolicited advice.

[McCrackhd]

On a different note completely my wife applied for and received a reserve commission with my former agency and was an active rider with me while I was employed there. She was not a civilian ride along but a reserve officer. I do not recommend this at all, nor do I think most agencies would allow it but in our own specific case it was very much an eye opener.

Hell, my wife and I wouldn't even be able to work the same shift at MCSO as a dispatcher and deputy, hence why I haven't gone over. They work Panama, too, but it's straight days. Therefore, we would have to work opposite days and never see each other.

[McCrackhd]

how does he still have his job after that...?

and i had to sign a few papers. when the sarg handed them to me i asked what they were for. his response "well basicly.. if you die your mom cant sue"

they also made me wear a vest. i think it was also better that i knew him personally and he made it very clear before we left the station what to do in situations and when i can get out of the car

He got several days off, but Mobile doesn't fire unless you committ an actual criminal act or lie during a trial board. Basically, if you screw up, and own up to it, they'll give you days off, but not fire you. Of course, some people have gotten screwed on that, since they didn't feel they did anything wrong, so they got more days than they would have for saying they messed up and were sorry. Kinda like dealing with the NCAA. But I have to give credit for those that stand up when they believe they were right. Some have even sued and gotten back pay.

[121Traffic]

I'm torn as well. I think they have their place. I don't mind letting close friends, or other cops (applicants or just visitors) ride, and I'm okay with significant others ride, depending on how they handle it. My GF now, for example, is a jail deputy so I know she'll be fine.

That said, I am not a fan of having them dumped on me. I'm less aggravated if it is an applicant because I want good people at my agency. If I feel someone's a goober, I'll be sure to let someone know. But if it is just a curious citizen, a student just riding because they want to see what it is like, etc. I'll take them, but I hate rearranging my car like others have said. That said, there's nothing in our policy that says they get to ride the entire 10 hours. If one is really driving me up the wall, I try to encourage them to stay for 4 hours or so, telling them the call load is gonna drop off, I have a lot of paper, etc.

I had one freaking psycho that wanted to continue riding, even when I had to go to the hospital to babysit a K-9 bitten suspect who was unconscious for 3 hours, then wanted to sit and mouth-breathe over my shoulder for TWO MOTHERF^%^*ING HOURS of OT while I typed the paper up when I got back to the station. That one was hell. GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jks9199]

I've never minded ride-alongs. Yeah, it's a pain to move shit for them -- but we don't have take homes or even personally assigned cars right now, so you're rearranging all your gear anyway every day. (Which could lead to a whole new rant...) I think it's good for the public and the press to do them, occasionally, just to get a more balanced view than watching COPS and all the screwy cop shows on tv. I think that the town council and other politicians and upper level town managers should be doing ride-alongs occasionally... I just read an article about how agencies are stretching the service lives of cruisers more and more, for example. One tip they had, that I kind of agree with, is to take the folks who have say in your budget process out, and let them experience what it's like to ride in one of those older cruisers on crappy shocks, etc. And let them see what that beat cop's "mobile observation platform" is like, and why you want or need things set up a certain way.

I'd also love to see the prosecutors and judges doing the occasional ride-along. Yeah, the judges would have to recuse themselves from some cases (or maybe do the ride-along in a neighboring jurisdiction) -- but I think they'd get a valuable insight into what's going on in the street, too. I know that when a judge happened to live near and witness a crash I worked, he commented that he was surprised at what went into the investigation. And it was a pretty routine crash...

The cop taking the ride-along should have the final say in how long they ride. Got a moron who's wanting to tag along on stupid shit that makes no sense (like 121's guy)-- and you should be able to say it's done. Or if the ride-along is just an annoying tool or clueless wonder, and especially if they're somehow a threat (like a guy who wants to play with the shotgun or hit the switches... 'cause he's "like your partner, right?")

And it's a pain in the ass if the ride-along is too short... We had a stretch where we had some high school criminal justice students doing ride-alongs for about an hour to and hour and a half or so. Barely get 'em into the car and settled down, and you're heading back into the station to drop 'em off.

[berserk]

Our policy only has them riding for four hours, anyway. Occasionally I'll let someone ride an hour or two longer than that, but no one goes for the full shift except for personal friends. Even at four hours, I'll still cut it short if they violate one of my rules (1- I'd better not be able to smell them, 2- They can get out of the car unless I say otherwise, but they need to stay behind me and not interact with people on calls). Nothing pisses me off more than when I'm walking out of a call, and the rider stops on the way out to ask the victim a couple of questions, or make sure that they understood whatever I just explained.

I don't mind moving my stuff, I've got a secondary set up for the car anyway in case I should have the good fortune to have a partner.

[McCrackhd]

Our policy only has them riding for four hours, anyway. Occasionally I'll let someone ride an hour or two longer than that, but no one goes for the full shift except for personal friends. Even at four hours, I'll still cut it short if they violate one of my rules (1- I'd better not be able to smell them, 2- They can get out of the car unless I say otherwise, but they need to stay behind me and not interact with people on calls). Nothing pisses me off more than when I'm walking out of a call, and the rider stops on the way out to ask the victim a couple of questions, or make sure that they understood whatever I just explained.

I don't mind moving my stuff, I've got a secondary set up for the car anyway in case I should have the good fortune to have a partner.

So, let me get this straight...some jaggoff who probably doesn't know jack shit about the law and police work is asking another citizen if they had questions or if they understood what you told them??!! Can you say WTF?

[berserk]

So, let me get this straight...some jaggoff who probably doesn't know jack shit about the law and police work is asking another citizen if they had questions or if they understood what you told them??!! Can you say WTF?

Yep. I was livid.

It wasn't even my rider, it was some lady riding with my partner, who decided to give the rider another chance because this was the first call of the day. It didn't happen again.

[Pudge]

On a different note completely my wife applied for and received a reserve commission with my former agency and was an active rider with me while I was employed there. She was not a civilian ride along but a reserve officer. I do not recommend this at all, nor do I think most agencies would allow it but in our own specific case it was very much an eye opener.

Oh, for sure. I just couldn't have my wife riding with me. She's very strong willed, type A personality and doesn't have a problem with speaking whats on her mind. If I'm sharing something at work she's quick to tell me what I should've said, or what she would've said. I can brush that off.

I have no doubt that she'd know her role in the passenger seat of my car, but when I'm in work mode and in my office it wouldn't go over real well when she started in with the "ya should've said/done this"

Somewhat related, she commented that she should've applied for the last open dispatch spot at our department. I'm pretty glad she didn't for the same reason.

What she doesn't realize is that "Work Daddy" is a lot quicker to tell her to shut the fuck up than "Home Daddy" really is.

[Five-0]

Oh, for sure. I just couldn't have my wife riding with me. She's very strong willed, type A personality and doesn't have a problem with speaking whats on her mind. If I'm sharing something at work she's quick to tell me what I should've said, or what she would've said. I can brush that off.

I have no doubt that she'd know her role in the passenger seat of my car, but when I'm in work mode and in my office it wouldn't go over real well when she started in with the "ya should've said/done this"

Somewhat related, she commented that she should've applied for the last open dispatch spot at our department. I'm pretty glad she didn't for the same reason.

I'll go a different direction with that. I have different way, mindset, whatever about me when I'm at work. I have to work to get out of that mindset especially after my long week. Thinking of a loved one with me could make me hesitate or do something I otherwise would not. That could get me or others hurt. I wouldn't want anything slowing down my instincts, reactions, or trained responses because I have a loved in the car. Imagine how a "be careful" heard from your wife before you go to clear a building could cloud the mind. I let the defenses down and let those clouds take over me when they hug me when I come home.

[Pudge]

I'll go a different direction with that. I have different way, mindset, whatever about me when I'm at work. I have to work to get out of that mindset especially after my long week. Thinking of a loved one with me could make me hesitate or do something I otherwise would not. That could get me or others hurt. I wouldn't want anything slowing down my instincts, reactions, or trained responses because I have a loved in the car. Imagine how a "be careful" heard from your wife before you go to clear a building could cloud the mind. I let the defenses down and let those clouds take over me when they hug me when I come home.

And more importantly, that.

[nick122590]

I'm torn as well. I think they have their place. I don't mind letting close friends, or other cops (applicants or just visitors) ride, and I'm okay with significant others ride, depending on how they handle it. My GF now, for example, is a jail deputy so I know she'll be fine.

That said, I am not a fan of having them dumped on me. I'm less aggravated if it is an applicant because I want good people at my agency. If I feel someone's a goober, I'll be sure to let someone know. But if it is just a curious citizen, a student just riding because they want to see what it is like, etc. I'll take them, but I hate rearranging my car like others have said. That said, there's nothing in our policy that says they get to ride the entire 10 hours. If one is really driving me up the wall, I try to encourage them to stay for 4 hours or so, telling them the call load is gonna drop off, I have a lot of paper, etc.

I had one freaking psycho that wanted to continue riding, even when I had to go to the hospital to babysit a K-9 bitten suspect who was unconscious for 3 hours, then wanted to sit and mouth-breathe over my shoulder for TWO MOTHERF^%^*ING HOURS of OT while I typed the paper up when I got back to the station. That one was hell. GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was surprised it seemed he wanted me to stay as long as possible. he showed me everything. from how the paperwork process goes. what they do with evidence, to even processing people. i think i learned more that night then in 3 hole semesters of CJ schooling

[armsmaster270]

I never minded Ride alongs when I was on the street. I had a lot of Explorer Cadets ride with me one of them a Dep. Chief's son rode with me many times.

[Traffic Goddess]

I always loved ride-alongs. One very special to me was when my brother was in the Marines in Hawaii and was home for a visit. I got permission for him to ride the entire shift and it was pretty cool to share with him what I did every day. I had to laugh because the city I worked in had a rather large Puerto Rican population...my brother tans easily and of course was all buffed out because he was doing Super Squad competitions. (His visit home was to actually receive his Super Squad award from the Commandant at 8th & I with all of the pomp and circumstance that went with it.)
Anyway....my brother became quite the popular young man among the female population on that day....