Do you give tickets while off-duty?

[blunas]

My friend and I were dicussing this and I wanted to see what you guys thought?

Can you give tickets when off duty? If so, would you have to pull the person over? Or could you simply mail it to them?

[Jim1648]

Yes, we can cite someone on duty or off. As a practical matter, I have been a cop for over 25 years and I have never stopped someone off duty. I don't have lights in my personal vehicles and I get enough of that when I am working.

A person does not have to be stopped to be cited for a violation. I have mailed a number of citations over the years. Usually it is something like Driving After Suspension or Driving After Revocation where I determine there is a violation and for whatever reason I mail it to them. Sometimes I learn that after the fact and other times I am too busy to deal with it at the time. Some of them end up going to warrant because the folks that are suspended or revoked don't always have a current address listed. We do have limitations on when someone can be charged, however. Without checking the specific statute, most charges here must be filed within 3 years of the alleged offense.

Keep in mind that I am replying as it pertains to Minnesota. Things very well may be different in other areas.

[t150vsuptpr]

Do you give tickets while off-duty?

My friend and I were dicussing this and I wanted to see what you guys thought?

Can you give tickets when off duty? If so, would you have to pull the person over? Or could you simply mail it to them?

Yes, I "can".

No, I "do not" as a general rule, not in some many years.

Far better, safer options would include simply making notes, go find and ID person on duty if need be, get warrants, ans execute same (warrants that is). Nowadays, might also consider getting a'hold of an onduty via cell, have him make stop and pull over with them and then either get info for a later warrant, or borrow a summons or two and start writing (and have area secretary transfer summons number, a big deal with some for some unknown reason that defies all reason or logic). There are other alternatives as well.

I never "mailed" a ticket to anyone, though I have seant a few warrants through channels to other divisions for execution.

[MPDCjock]

Yes, I can issue NOIs off-duty. But, I rarely do.

[flash40]

A person does not have to be stopped to be cited for a violation. I have mailed a number of citations over the years.

How do you confirm who the driver is? More often than not, it's probably the registered owner, but obviously not always...

[blunas]

That was one other question I had- how can you know who was driving? What if it was not the owner that was driving?

Also, would you guys do it for only major offenses or would you do it for a minor speeding ticket or something like that as well?

(Just curious... I had never known you could get a ticket without being pulled over so this is all new to me.)

[Jim1648]

How do you confirm who the driver is? More often than not, it's probably the registered owner, but obviously not always...

Sorry, that does need a little further explanation. I am assigned to civil process. I am in civilian clothes and an unmarked car. Sometimes I will do an eviction. Usually before doing my eviction I have the full name and date of birth of the person(s) to be evicted. I don't always know if they are going to drive away or get a ride. Sometimes I will know that they don't have a license and I will then see them drive away. I will simply mail them a citation.

Another example was one I had recently. It was just a subpoena to serve on a woman. As I drove near the house she came driving up. I had something else scheduled a few minutes away, so rather than making her wait for the citation, I told her that I would just mail it to her.

Our court security bailiffs have that happen fairly often, as well. They will have people appear in traffic court and they will know that they don't have a drivers license. The bailiffs will watch from the courthouse and often see them get in a vehicle and drive away. Again, it probably works out better to mail a tag then try to get them stopped.

[blunas]

But in terms of a speeding ticket, for example...say you are off-duty and a car speeds by you...can you just mail a ticket to the owner? How would you know that the owner was the on driving? A lot of people drive cars that they dont officially own (for example, parents often let their children drive their car). It just seems odd that you would just be able to send a ticket without ID'ing the person.

[andy5746]

Technically, as soon as I take official action (in this case, cite someone), I am considered as being "on duty" by my department. But to answer the question, as a Motor Officer, I take my ride home with me. When my shift is over, I am considered "off duty", but I am still in uniform on an official police bike. Maybe once or twice a month I see something that is so blatantly unsafe that I do issue a cite. Also, when other folks see a car pass a motor officer at 20 over, they expect you to do something.... feels kind of silly to just ignore someone fronting you off like that

In my personal vehicle, I NEVER get involved with minor traffic infractions. If I see something bad, I call the local cops or CHP and pass on the info.

[flash40]

Technically, as soon as I take official action (in this case, cite someone), I am considered as being "on duty" by my department.

Does that mean you can get paid (OT?) if you make a stop off-duty?

[CityCopDC]

I can do anything off duty, I could do "on duty". Technically your never "off". I for the life of me can not come up with a scenario which would casue me to write a ticket off duty....

[lexcoptk]

I am a police officer 24/7. Just because I am not in uniform does not mean that I can't ticket or arrest. My department has a home fleet program. I can, and do, use my cruiser off duty. I just can't leave the county with it. Part of the home fleet, as written in our general orders, is that if we see an infraction, or hear a call for service go out that we are close to, we can respond and render assistance if needed. We are also required to be armed while operating the vehicle off duty. Acctually, we had an off duty officer catch a bank robber a couple of weeks ago. Now does this mean that I go running to a nearby call if I have my family in the car with me? No. Do I stop every traffic violation I see when off duty? No, I don't stop every traffic violation I see on duty, it is officer discression, the same rules apply. It is something you have to weigh against the situation. If I am off duty and see a serious violation, or I am close to a priority call in a possition where my response can save lives or catch a dangerous criminal and I am the only one in the car (ie, not risking anyone elses safety), then I am absolutly going to respond and take care of bussiness.
I also am a motor officer but we are "strongly discouraged" from riding the motors off duty. Besides I have a personal bike, and it is much more fun to ride around than one that has "Police" plastered all over it when I don't have to.

[andy5746]

Does that mean you can get paid (OT?) if you make a stop off-duty?

Nope, but I'm covered under worker's comp if I get hurt and also covered by the department if someone decides to sue me for the actions I took. There really isn't any incentive to dive into anything, and I don't make a habit of it.

[Bully]

No Dinero, No Trabajo

[SddR70]

I'm allowed to hook em up 24/7 on or off duty. However I choose not to for safety reasons.

I have on 1 occassion had a duty officer pull over a car while I was off-duty and I issued the citation.
The subject, we've dealt with so many times that even Carter's doesn't have enough liver pills to cover that count, was driving on a restricted license and likes to thumb his nose at LE. Lesson served.

I've also on numerous occassions followed drunk drivers and called them in, then provided back-up to the officer until the arrest was effected. I probably get about 5-6 of these a year. The duty officer is the one that initates the stop, I simply watch from a distance til he gets the suspect stopped.

In those instances, I just try to be the best witness I can.