What did I say wrong?

[Malaru]

Hey guys- I work dispatch for a moderately small PD, and a corpral told me I made a few of the officers dislike me a hair by doing the following... and I wanted your input why Id seem like an --- for doing this...

Sense I got hired by the PD a few months ago- Ive started driving sections of the city at day and at night to learn the road and whats on them... to visually see them helps me remember where they are, and my trainer said he thought it a good idea when I suggested my doing it.

Well we have this one buisness thats near the end of a dead-end road near an interstate. The buisness had asked for extra patrol recently because of break-ins. I just happened to go down this road tonight because it was on my way home, and it was just on my list of roads for that section of the map.

When I went down it I noticed a vehicle at the very end of the rd... could not tell what it was, but it wasnt another officers- so I went a loop around the buisness and came up behind the vehicle... it was a dark colored truck with a large trailer on the back- on the trailer was a honda motorcycle. the vehicle, trailer, and motorcycle had out of state plates. it is 3am...so its definatly not the owner if its out of state plates, and he is parked in front of a honda motorcycle dealership- and there have been reports of recent breakins (though unsure if anything was stolen).... I could not see anyone i the vehicle, it looked like it had been temporarily abandoned.

I decided it was enouhg to warrent further info, so I called the dispatcher on duty and just told her that there was a vehicle that appeared abandoned in front of the shop, and it had a motorcycle- ect. if they wanted to send someone to check it out.

I went ahead and left the area after that, but I was told some guys got mad at me for reporting that vehicle like that... it ended up being some guy just looking for a place to sleep for a while, nothing more.

What did I do wrong? I mean- if it was simply a vehicle sitting there I might not have said anything- but there seemed more to it- do you consider it just 'another stupid call'?

This has been bugging me a while.

[firestone88]

Sounds like your officers aren't the most proactive, crime-fighting types. You saw something out of the oridnary that triggered your Spidey sense, and you did something about it! If they don't like it, to hell with them.

For all you knew, you were stopping a burglary before it happened! Good work!

[taz1802]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with what you did. You were a private citizen noticing something not quite right and called in in. No different than anyone else should do. Sorry if they took offense. I wouldn't let it bother you. But if it doesn't go away after a bit...talk to your supervisor and let him/her handle the rest.

[signal1]

First I want to say you did nothing wrong. I started my career in a smaller agency and I had to deal with the same crap. When I was a rookie, I was with my family (kids in the car) and some punk kid passed us in a residential area and literaly ran us off the road. I called it in and the next day, one of the Sergeants pulled me outside and chewed my butt and said to not start calling things in when off duty. What the officers probably thought you were doing was out tyring to be a cop when you aren't quite there yet. Since you want to work there, I would just smile and drive on. If you had somewhere else to go, I would tell them to stick where the sun doesn't shine and when the place gets hit again, write a letter to the editor in your local paper and let the community know how you were told not to call in suspicious persons. Then see what they have to say

[Irishluck31]

Its amazing to me that people can deduce from a vague story that the little PD that could is full of worthless lazy cops. Thats a reall cool and usable skill.

Ill bet if we got a cop that responded to the call we would get another side of it and it might have a different happier ending. God knows I love happy endings.

[StudChris]

More than likely they just got the impression that you were trying to play cop ('patrolling' the high crime area at 3am).

[14298a]

3 AM? The call probably interfered with their "Sheep Count"

[irishdep]

First thing that I would suggest is NOT to pull up behind vehicles at a place where you know could be being robbed. You are putting yourself at risk.
Now as for calling the police, you did the right thing, but again you were too close to the potential bad guys. If the cops in your area don't want to work remember that when it comes time to dispatch " you tell them where to go!"
Keep up the good work!

[SRT936]

More than likely they just got the impression that you were trying to play cop ('patrolling' the high crime area at 3am).

That was my first impression of the story. My second impression was exactly what Irishluck talked about.

[barr151]

While doing your rounds, how many times have you called for something that looks out of place? At face value, the supervisor may be using "some of the guys" routine to convey what he means.

[pujolsfan146]

Sounds like cops believe you are acting like a wannabe. I wouldn't call them lazy. They are probably out patrolling and looking for activity when they get called off to handle something they feel is a waste of time.

I don't believe we are getting the whole story. If the cops are disliking you there has to be more to the story.

[SgtScott31]

Its amazing to me that people can deduce from a vague story that the little PD that could is full of worthless lazy cops. Thats a reall cool and usable skill.

Ill bet if we got a cop that responded to the call we would get another side of it and it might have a different happier ending. God knows I love happy endings.

+1....I bet if we heard the other side, some may not be so quick to make ASSumptions.

One thing I have learned on forums is not to be too hasty to take one side for what it's worth. I would assume that the officers on this forum don't do so while on-duty, so why do it here?

[Irishluck31]

+1....I bet if we heard the other side, some may not be so quick to make ASSumptions.

One thing I have learned on forums is not to be too hasty to take one side for what it's worth. I would assume that the officers on this forum don't do so while on-duty, so why do it here?

Exactly! Good post.

[irishdep]

+1....I bet if we heard the other side, some may not be so quick to make ASSumptions.

One thing I have learned on forums is not to be too hasty to take one side for what it's worth. I would assume that the officers on this forum don't do so while on-duty, so why do it here?

Excellent point! I retract and apologize for the part of my post where I said "If the guys in your area don't want work". Upon further review dispatchers send the police to the calls not go and investigate for themselves.

[PhilipCal]

What did I say wrong?

First of all, your taking the time to learn the area your agency serves, is very commendable. I don't know any of the Officers on your agency, so really cant' make any judgments concerning how they do their jobs. What would concern me, is the fact that you put yourself at risk in the scenario you posted. I'm not saying to not get involved, I'm saying use good judgment, and common sense. It's very possible that the guys feel you're out playing cop. That may or may not be true, but it can certainly be a perception.