Law enforcement

Years ago I was driving into London from Essex at around 2:30 in the morning, I approached a roundabout/traffic circle slowed right down to about 10 MPH, checked it was clear drove around then headed for a set of traffic lights about 200 yards away. I saw blue lights in my rear view mirror, I pulled over and a cop driving an 850cc Austin Mini got out of his car, approached me claiming I was doing 80 MPH in a 40 MPH limit. I thought he was kidding but he wasn't. He asked if I had been drinking,

I said "Yes, I had a cup of tea about an hour ago."
COP "Don't be smart. I clocked you doing 80."

I didn't even reply I took out a note book I always carried and took down the registration of the car he was driving. If I had been doing 80 MPH he'd have to do 180 mph to catch me, I doubt if 850 mini's were capable of doing 80 and my FIAT 124 took 6 days to reach 60 MPH let alone 80. I took his police number down in my note book, date, time of day, weather conditions, distance from the roundabout where I was stopped. He asked what I was doing so I replied "When this goes to court I want all the evidence on hand, so if you are going to nick me, nick me." There was no way I was going to let this go. He sniffed and told me I could go.

I knew what he was doing, he was probably bored on night shift saw me and thought he had a drunk driver dead to rights and needed some excuse to pull me over. And British police wonder why they have got a bad name. I am totally against drink driving, but pull people over by the book and don't lie.

This was not the only incident I've had with British police.
 
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Law Enforcement

The pay and benefits in U.S. law enforcement depend on where you work. In New York ( city) and California, pay and benefits are very generous. It's important to remember that there is a lot of overtime pay. It's not uncommon for overtime pay to exceed the standard salary check.
That brings up an important point. The hours are horrible. In patrol you are on rotating shifts, working all hours and sometimes changing shifts so often that it completely disrupts your life. The last place I worked employed 12 hour shifts and THEN there was overtime. Of course you were only scheduled for three days of this, however often you had to testify in court on your off time. The stress on the family is bad.
As an investigator, you work on a case when the trail is still hot or until you collapse. The temptations in police work are great and unlike the military, there is no one looking over your shoulder every minute, so it's up to the individual to maintain standards of integrity. You have to keep honest and productive for twenty or thirty years, I worked for 35 years and managed to leave under honorable circumstances and I have nothing to be ashamed of. I worked in an elite department with very high standards and many couldn't keep up. We fired someone about once a month out of a 400 officer force.
With regard to retirement: My retirement is the equivalent of a Major or Lt.Col. in the military, and I was only a working level officer/investigator. Much of the compensation and retirement benefits in U.S. law enforcement are hidden from the public. If they knew how much we actually made, there might be trouble.
The pay and benefits greatly exceed the military plans, but I pay for my medical, and it's expensive.
In the U.S. all pay and benefits are under attack in all sectors, so it's not going to be so good in the future, but I certainly don't regret what I did and it worked out well for me and my family.
 
Well, geez Louise, I live in Florida. You know what goes on down here. If ya don't, please and thank you look it up. All you have to do ....or rather be is young and wear a "hoodie".�� I do fear for my step son..older teen. It's a violent state( show me one that is not). But alas, I do see the glass half full. It took years to do so.
 
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