This morning I had a lady in a local convenience store stop me to ask me a question.
She asked me if I thought our department was getting a little…”slap happy.”
I asked her what she meant and she stated that she had observed an increase in traffic stops and then she said….”Come on, this is
I would like to point out that our officers do not stop cars without any legal reason at all. That would be unethical and illegal. We also do not manufacture reasons to pull over cars. If I ever caught an officer doing this he would be fired. If a car is pulled over it is because there was a violation committed. It is our job to advise, warn, and sometimes issue citations to the people who are committing these violations.
If I see a person driving without a license plate light on at night - do I HAVE to stop them? NO. Officers try to use their discretion when stopping cars. At the same time I ask you to look at it like this: If an officer sees a car being driven with a broken license plate light (a legal requirement) and they do not stop them, the officer is not doing their job. Period! I am not recommending that my officers stop every car for a broken license plate light. I am merely pointing out that it IS there job to do so.
In response to, “Come on, this is
1. Our job is to enforce the same state statutes as all the other municipal, county, and state agencies in Missouri are mandated by law to enforce.
2. The Bloomfield Ordinances are in essence the same as every other city in
3. We take the same oath of office as every other sworn law enforcement officer in
In response to, “Come on, this is
What makes you or any other person who lives or works in this town so special that they are above being stopped for any violation? Why should we selectively enforce the law just because “This is
While some of you may say that this is not the attitude we need in our town I would also like to point out that this is the type of attitude that is required to enforce the law fairly and firmly.
1 comment:
I, for One, am glad that law is enforced in our town in the firm and fair-minded way that it is. Where does this mentality that says "C'mon, this is Bloomfield" lead? Is it to be applied to things other than driving offenses such as drug crimes and break-ins too? What nonsense!
I want law enforcement in Bloomfield to do what it is hired and expected to do, which is to ENFORCE THE LAW. Since when is the consistency with which the law is enforced supposed to be determined based on whether the area involved is big or little, country or city, etc.?
Thank God for a Chief of Police who knows his job and is committed to doing it, and for one who care enough to take time to explain his position when presented with such comments as "C'mon, this is Bloomfield."
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