some ride along questions for cruisers

[wearsastetson]

what do you guys think about having a ride along?

what about an assigned ride along v. an friend who aksed?

how much experience should someone have before having ability for ride along?

Is the risk worth the benifit for a ride along?

Do you think a ride along might affect your response to a situation (I know we all already act like someone is watching )?

What about having a spouse/gf-bf ride along?

just some food for thought... I saw this article

Officer Involved Shooting – June 2, 2006

On the evening of June 2, 2006, at approximately 11:05 p.m., Lieutenant Rich McLane was involved in a lethal force incident involving a 48 year old male, Gary Gottfried. Lieutenant McLane initiated a traffic stop for speeding with a Chevrolet truck driven by Gottfried.
On approach to the vehicle, Gottfried pointed a semi-automatic pistol at Lieutenant McLane and pulled the trigger. LT McLane began to retreat and fired back at Gottfried before Gottfried was able to shoot LT McLane. Gottfried was taken to the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and died from his injuries at about 1:30 a.m. on June 3, 2006.
Lt. McLane and his adult, female ride-along were not injured. Lt. McLane has been put on paid administrative leave while the case is under investigation, per departmental policy. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this officer involved shooting

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[signal1]

what do you guys think about having a ride along?

what about an assigned ride along v. an friend who aksed?

how much experience should someone have before having ability for ride along?

Is the risk worth the benifit for a ride along?

Do you think a ride along might affect your response to a situation (I know we all already act like someone is watching )?

What about having a spouse/gf-bf ride along?

Having a ride along does not bother me at all. Assigned ride alongs seem to always come to me because I don't mind. There is a lot of interest in law enforcement and I want people to see that law enforcement is not the crap they see on TV or what the news likes to report. I like to show them there are good cops on the street and not all of them are beating someone. Experience is not much of a concern but I would hope that if it comes down to it, they can assist me. We do a back ground before they ride and we don't allow a POS to ride, so the second they get in, I show them how to work the radio and how to unlock the shotgun. I don't see the ride along as any more of a risk than any other civilian that may be in the area at the time of an incident. As far as how I would react, no, ride alongs don't make me change a thing. I act the same if they are with me or if I am all alone. I am not to concerned with people "watching" me because I have nothing to hide. Say Cheese

As far as a bf/gf/spouse riding, I think it is a good idea. It let's them see you at work and it also allows them to see how everyone works together and backup is quick (at least where I am...650 sworn). As far as my wife riding, I love it when she comes out with me. My dad, who was a cop when he was younger, loves to ride along also. But I can't get my wife to ride along any more and my mom also refuses to go anymore. My mom got scared when I responded to a domestic and the guy was a genuine Adam Henry and he was yelling and kicking in the back seat (caged) while my mom sat up front. She wanted out of the car so bad. As for my wife, she used to ride until I responded to a shots fired over a bad drug deal and being the first on scene, I noticed the suspect standing in a group of people. I took him down at gun point and threw him in the back seat of my car (again caged) and it scared the living crap out of her, so she won't ride either.

[pulicords]

Having a ride along does not bother me at all. Assigned ride alongs seem to always come to me because I don't mind. There is a lot of interest in law enforcement and I want people to see that law enforcement is not the crap they see on TV or what the news likes to report. I like to show them there are good cops on the street and not all of them are beating someone. Experience is not much of a concern but I would hope that if it comes down to it, they can assist me. We do a back ground before they ride and we don't allow a POS to ride, so the second they get in, I show them how to work the radio and how to unlock the shotgun. I don't see the ride along as any more of a risk than any other civilian that may be in the area at the time of an incident. As far as how I would react, no, ride alongs don't make me change a thing. I act the same if they are with me or if I am all alone. I am not to concerned with people "watching" me because I have nothing to hide. Say Cheese

As far as a bf/gf/spouse riding, I think it is a good idea. It let's them see you at work and it also allows them to see how everyone works together and backup is quick (at least where I am...650 sworn). As far as my wife riding, I love it when she comes out with me. My dad, who was a cop when he was younger, loves to ride along also. But I can't get my wife to ride along any more and my mom also refuses to go anymore. My mom got scared when I responded to a domestic and the guy was a genuine Adam Henry and he was yelling and kicking in the back seat (caged) while my mom sat up front. She wanted out of the car so bad. As for my wife, she used to ride until I responded to a shots fired over a bad drug deal and being the first on scene, I noticed the suspect standing in a group of people. I took him down at gun point and threw him in the back seat of my car (again caged) and it scared the living crap out of her, so she won't ride either.

I couldn't agree with you more. I think ridealong programs are a great way to let the public know what we do. I've had newly elected councilmen assigned to ride with me and they've always seemed more pro-police (pay, benefits, etc...) after getting to know us personally as well as experiencing our professional side. My wife hasn't been on a ridealong with me in over twenty years, but on the last one I had a use of force incident. A drunk kid tried striking passing citizens, then me with a large wood skateboard. I maced him, then used a couple of baton strikes to get him into custody w/o further incident. My wife afterward said she felt much more comfortable knowing I had the ability to deal with violent suspects. She's encouraged other family members to go out with me and our eldest grandchildren have done so on several occasions.

[IMachU]

We don't allow family to ride with us...they have to ride in another car. This is a policy since Officer Martin Gans (Redondo Beach PD) was killed in the line of duty, and he had a ride along who was a family member. I will not second guess the situation, but I have mixed feelings about the policy.

We have officers on the shift that like to take riders, and others who will throw a fit if asked. I always liked riders for the same reasons as Signal1.

[NZCadet]

We do ridealongs all the time.
I take my squad car home, coz im a rural cop, and may get called out during the night, but we use our cars for evrything including going to the shop to get milk.

[Gulf Po Po]

Ride Alongs

I don't mind ride a longs from time to time. I enjoy having local college criminal justice students come ride because I can give them a sense of what really happens out on the street. (I had no idea what I was in for in the thousands of hours I sat in a classroom)

As far as my family, I'm not so keen on the idea. I don't want to put them in unnecessary danger I guess.
After Hurricane Katrina, things were absolutely [email protected](%ing nuts down here. Total chaos. My fiance' was meeting with her FEMA rep. and I drove over to escort them down to where her house used to be (now a nice beachfront slab. Any interested buyers?)
She was seated in the FEMA guy's Expedition, and he was typing her information on his laptop, as I leaned in the passenger window. We heard a commotion behind us across the street. I turned to see two guys fist fighting in the parking lot, with a large crowd gathering.
I ran across the street, drawing my baton, and began announcing my presence, and ordering the guys to stop fighting. They ignored me, so I began chopping away. It took several strikes each to get them to break up. I told them in no uncertain terms, that we didn't have time for their BS, and to go their seperate ways. They seemed about to comply when a dude from the crowd stepped up and said, "why don't you just let them handle it? The police haven't been around here for days." (It was the fourth or fifth day after the storm) I told him to back up, and when he did not, I struck him once with my baton. The crowd looked at me like I was crazy, be everyone backed up and left. Including the two orginal fighters. (Our jail was full of looters, and we were ordered to not arrest anyone else unless absolutely neccessary)
I walked calmly back to the truck, and didn't see the big deal in what had happened because that is how we were handling business after the storm. My fiance' was in tears, and the FEMA guy was like, "WOW! That was awesome!"
I guess my fiance' got her fill of what I do, and has no interest in riding with me at work.

[pulicords]

I walked calmly back to the truck, and didn't see the big deal in what had happened because that is how we were handling business after the storm. My fiance' was in tears, and the FEMA guy was like, "WOW! That was awesome!"
I guess my fiance' got her fill of what I do, and has no interest in riding with me at work.

Wow! I don't know what the status is regarding your wedding, but I'd take her reaction as a big, red, flag! If knowing what you do upsets her now, think about how things will be in a few years. Her support, trust and confidence in your abilities to do the job safely have a direct affect on the stability of the marriage. Don't overlook the importance of her reaction. Talk to her about it in depth and be sure she's up to being married to this career as much as you are. Just my $.02. Good luck and stay safe!

[Gulf Po Po]

I'm not worried about her reaction. We talked about it at great length, and she doesn't sweat it anymore. It was just an EXTREMELY stressful time in our lives, and she didn't need to worry about me anymore then she already did.

She packed an overnight bag to leave town for Katrina, and the storm washed away everything she owned except for what was in that bag. She was just stressed to the max. It wasn't like "Oh my god! I'm freaking out!" tears. It was just exhaustion tears, or something like that.
I guess she was surprised how I reacted, and handled the situation. She just had never seen it before. I know she feels more comfortable, knowing that I can handle a fight, or a crowd. We even laugh about it now , when I tell that story to family or friends.

She was the only girl I had ever asked out while in uniform, on a call. She had locked her keys in her jeep, and I was dispatched.

[pulicords]

Sounds like you found a keeper. Good luck.