Threats to you (or your family)??

[K9 Police]

Just by reading the thread title I knew someone would say that carrying off-duty should be mandatory or something to that effect; and I was right!

I get threats all the time, and like others said, more during an arrest than any other time. If they really wanted us hurt or killed, they could and there is nothing we could do.

K9

[Sleuth]

At least in the Federal Court system, the Judges tend to throw a BIG book at the outlaws who threaten Federal Officers. They tend to go away for a long time, then BOP sends them to a prison way out of the area.

[retdetsgt]

Originally posted by Bart
if they wanted to do something, they wouldnt have to put any effort into finding out where i live and waiting until im off duty. they can find me in their own turf. im not worried enough to carry while im off duty.

Exactly! If I wanted to kill somebody, they could be carrying an M-16 and it wouldn't do them any good. They'd never see me....

[krj]

I posted a thread up in the general section yesterday (Police News in Nashville TN). There's a news site included in the thread that leads to different stories related to recent happenings pertaining to LE in middle-TN. Our cops have been kept busy!

Specific to this thread, one of the stories is entitled "Suspect Charged in Attack On Officers' Wife". It's short, with very little detail, but it will hit home with you guys anyway.

[PhilipCal]

Threats

Threats come with the territory.I generally don't take them all that seriously. Serving subpeona's at an officer's residence is bull**** pure and simple. I"ve never had that happen,but would raise holy hell if it did,including raising hell with the State Bar Association.All subpeonas for officers in my dept come to the post or office. In the society we currently live in,I guess we should never totally disregard a threat,but don't go crazy over them either.

[Sleuth]

Part of avoiding threats is pre-planning. All my mail has always gone to a P.O. Box; my cars are registered to my P.O. Box (allowed for LEO under state law); also under AZ law, my property is not easily discoverable through tax or land records; and we use a cell phone for our home phone (when we had a landline, our names but no address was listed). None of these are foolproof, but they do tend to make someone work hard to find me.
If they do work that hard, it also can go to show their intent to do me "serious bodily harm", i.e. any stranger approaching my home is suspect, and we act accordingly.

[BlueBlood]

I havent received any threats of harm ive taken seriously. About the only threats ive recieved so far were threats like "Im going to have your job when i get out of jail, you are soooooooo fired, wait till my attorney gets ahold of you". I usually get sarcastic with these type people and reply that they can have my job becaus i dont like it anyway and kind of laugh at them. They will look at you dumb founded for a second and repeat something like "you think your funny, think your funny wait and see". And ill reply something like "no, i think your funny". But i can pretty much predict what people are going to say about getting me fired or whatever, its amuseing.

[Ex-plod]

Most of the threats I encountered were alcohol fueled and quickly forgotten.As we dont have the Freedom of Information Act here computer records are protected by the Data protection Act which means they are extremely difficult to get unauthorised access to.I dont know of anyone I ever worked with who had problems but it can happen, I know the Anti Terrorist Unit only identify themselves by thier warrant numbers rather than names and if you work certain details they can put a block on your car registration. I do hope its only in films that the vilians find the officers homes as quickly and as regularly as they seem to.

[Sleuth]

BlueBlood, I had one guy I arrested who claimed to be a personal friend of Senator Ted Kennedy, and he was going to call him as soon as he bailed out. I told him to "tell Teddy for me that I could not make the party this weekend - oh, never mind, I have to call him later myself!"
There was a long silence followed by "You know Ted Kennedy? You really know him??"
No, but it shut this guy up.

Another violator tried to impress me by saying he knew the State Govenor. (This didn't bother me, I was FED). I picked up the phone in the interview room, and asked information for the number to the Gov's mansion - at 1:30 AM on a Sunday.
Violator: "What are you doing?"
Me: "I'm going to call and ask if he does know you. If he does, I'm going to tell him that you are attempting to influence a Federal Officer by using his name!"
Viloator: "NO, NO, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!"
Me: "OK, now we both know what you are."

My job was FUN once you learned how to relax and enjoy it!

[BlueBlood]

Originally posted by Sleuth
BlueBlood, I had one guy I arrested who claimed to be a personal friend of Senator Ted Kennedy,

Yes, most arrestes know top goverment officials as well.
I havent been on that long so i dont have many stories, but my first nutcase knew the govoner. THis was an off duty arrest for me. I was on the freeway at 3am and pull this guy over for wreckless driving. He cut a few cars off, speeding up, slowing down appeared to mabey be drunk. I pulled him, he refused to give me his D/L or any information and wanted to speak to a superviser. He was very loud, yelling, just not listening. He started reaching under his seat, wouldnt show me his hands, i order him out the car. He wont get out so i opened the door and he gets out. From then on its a throw down on the side of the interstate. A bystander called 911 and within 10 minutes 10 cruisers arrived but by then he is already handcuffed screaming he knows the govoner and all kinds of things. We a later found out he almost got arrested by public safety officer at the Govenors mansion becaus he has just left there before i stopped him from trying to see the govenor at 2:30am on a tuesday morning, lol. ALmost got arrested, but they had to tresspass him from the property. The guy was 10-68. (mental subject)
But he filed all types of complaints on me especially and a few other officers that were on scene and IAD had to investigate. He had a few bruises on his face from our scuffle on the pavement. WHen he came in for his inverview, the IAD guys had to arrest him becaus he became irate and threating towards them and had to end up wrestling with him like i did. I believe he is still an ongoing waste of time. But he is a case.

[DMS 525]

If threats were gold, I'd be filthy rich.

All I tell them is to bring it on, and see where they end up. I need not tell them, but I'm sure they get the message all they'll get out of it is their toe tagged, or a long stretch in the penn.

"I know So and So, blah blah blah." Makes me wanna gag! "Oh, my Dad/Uncle/Whatever is a lawyer/cop/city councilman in Podunk, etc." I've told them my Dad was a mechanic, and my Mom was an accountant, so what the fu*k is their point?! Usually shuts them up.

Been threatened with lawsuits so much, it's a wonder I'm not wearing a barrel. Never have been sued, nor have any of my employers.

I write this after watching so much happen in this city over the last few days. Said it before,and will reinterate: People are friggin' STUPID!!!! Guess that's job security for LE.

[retdetsgt]

If that stuff really bothers you, you should look into other employment. I'd hate to spend my career being scared.

[JB2245]

Originally posted by Sleuth
Part of avoiding threats is pre-planning. All my mail has always gone to a P.O. Box; my cars are registered to my P.O. Box (allowed for LEO under state law); also under AZ law, my property is not easily discoverable through tax or land records; and we use a cell phone for our home phone (when we had a landline, our names but no address was listed). None of these are foolproof, but they do tend to make someone work hard to find me.
If they do work that hard, it also can go to show their intent to do me "serious bodily harm", i.e. any stranger approaching my home is suspect, and we act accordingly.

Thats all well and good, but if someone really wants to harm/kill you, they will and there is nothing you can do about it.

[lspg2219]

Anybody got a link to their state law (AZ?) allowing LEO to register POVs to PO Box or making it hard to discover LEO's property? Thanks.

[retdetsgt]

Originally posted by JB2245
Thats all well and good, but if someone really wants to harm/kill you, they will and there is nothing you can do about it.

No kidding! I wonder how many times it actually happens that bad guys go to a cop's house looking for him? Damn few I imagine. I doubt many are willing to risk that, or have the attention span....