Turf war between FHP and Miami PD after this event

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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. --

A city of Miami police officer was caught driving 120 mph and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper followed him for several minutes before issuing him a ticket, said FHP.

Fausto Lopez, 35, was charged with reckless driving.

According to the police report, Lopez was driving at a high rate of speed in a marked police car southbound on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 62 at 6:28 a.m. on Oct. 11 when a FHP trooper saw him crossing over several lanes.

That FHP trooper followed him and tried pulling him over, but he first ignored her sirens, according to the report.

Dash cam video showed Lopez's car as the sirens and emergency lights of the trooper's car were activated.

The police report said Lopez slowed down to 78 mph before speeding up again.

Seven minutes and 12 miles after first seeing Lopez drive past, he pulled over. In the video, the trooper was seen drawing her gun before handcuffing Lopez.

"I never saw you," Lopez told the FHP trooper.

"How do you not see a car with blue lights in the dark," she asked him.

Lopez told the trooper that he was on his way to an off-duty job at a school in Coconut Grove.

click here for the rest of the story http://www.officer.com/news/1044387...-gunpoint-for-traveling-120-mph-on-interstate

For the dash camera video go to Channel 10 WPGL http://www.local10.com/news/29619059/detail.html
 
I must confess, that I have never understood the make up of the US law enforcement system.

I can understand the need for a Highway Patrol as well as a local PD, but where does State Troopers come into the mix?

In UK for example, policing area's are set up in counties, with CID and uniformed plod along with traffic police. However in some counties traffic police are doing "normal" police work (If there is such a thing). Traffic cops in UK wear white peaked caps, as opposed to the standard issue dark blue peak caps or helmets.
 
I must confess, that I have never understood the make up of the US law enforcement system.

I can understand the need for a Highway Patrol as well as a local PD, but where does State Troopers come into the mix?

In UK for example, policing area's are set up in counties, with CID and uniformed plod along with traffic police. However in some counties traffic police are doing "normal" police work (If there is such a thing). Traffic cops in UK wear white peaked caps, as opposed to the standard issue dark blue peak caps or helmets.

In Florida the State Troopers are the Highway Patrol... The Agency is the Florida Highway Patrol and the cops are called State Troopers. In most states the State Police are the Highway Patrol... Florida is one of the few places that doesn't have a "State Police". Florida has it set up that different agencies enforce different sections of State Law. The Highway Patrol does traffic enforcement, FDLE is the investigative agency of the State, the Department of Environmental Protection enforces State laws in State parks. Under the State Constitution; the Sheriff is the highest authority in the land as a sole agency. On paper at least..... All cops in Florida are all certified under the same standards. So it doesn't matter if you're a City Cop, County Deputy Sheriff, or State Special Agent or Trooper. All have to go through an Academy that falls under the training guidelines set forth by the State of Florida. Only folks in Florida that doesn't need that are Federal Officers and Special Agents.



The general makeup for police in the USA are the following....

Federal
State
County
City

The FBI, DEA, BATFE, Secert Service, Border Patrol, Customs, etc... are all Federal Law Enforcement Agecies.

Florida has some of the following State Agencies... Highway Patrol, Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Wildlife Commission,, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

County Enforcement is the following where I live... Miami Dade Police Department (County Sheriff) and Miami Dade School Board Police

City agencies are like City of Miami Police, Hialeah Police, etc... some cities have different agencies like Melbourne FL. They have the City of Melbourne Police and the Melbourne International Airport Police. Both are complete independent agencies but both fall under the authority of the City of Melbourne and their Charter. Both operate with separate budgets, have separate chiefs, separate uniforms, etc....
 
Thanks for the explanation 5.56.

Another couple of questions if I may:-
Where does the Texas Rangers come into the mix?

Are the US Marshals Federal?

If a 911 call is made, house invasion, armed robbery or murder, who attends?

As an aside.
When I lived in UK, I lived in the county of Essex a few miles east of London. Quite a few London Metropolitan Police officers lived in the county to get away from city life. An Essex cop in the small town where I lived stated that its the aim of Essex officers to “nick” a cop from the Metropolitan Police. He said there has always been friction of some sort between the two forces.
 
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Thanks for the explanation 5.56.

Another couple of questions if I may:-
Where does the Texas Rangers come into the mix?

Are the US Marshals Federal?

If a 911 call is made, house invasion, armed robbery or murder, who attends?

As an aside.
When I lived in UK, I lived in the county of Essex a few miles east of London. Quite a few London Metropolitan Police officers lived in the county to get away from city life. An Essex cop in the small town where I lived stated that its the aim of Essex officers to “nick” a cop from the Metropolitan Police. He said there has always been friction of some sort between the two forces.

The US Marshals are a federal agency tasked with aresting fugitives of federal crimes. Someone that skipped bail or wscape federal custody. They are the oldest federal law enforcemeny agency in the USA and they lost the first federal agent in the line of duty.

The Texas Rangers are an investugative branch of the Texas Departmant of Public Safety (Texas State Police). The Texas Highway Patrol falls under the TDPS and all Rangers first started as uniform troopers for the THP.

Florida's version of the Rangers is the Floroda Departnent of Law Enforcement. FDLE. The state version of the FBI.

As for dailing 911 and who shows up that's depending in where one lives. If its an unincorparated area then it falls under the county sheriff, of its under the city then the city pd. Also some cities have part time PDs and the calls are transferred to the county sheriff. In other states like New York the State Police handles calls if the local agency is closed.

Part time agencies are ue to budet an man power issues. They might only have enough cops to wrk the morning and afternoon shift but not midnight shift.
 
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