Ask A Cop!!! Post Your Questions Here!

[Knight1989]

We stick with the inline and offset method as well. We actually teach the offset, but a lot of use the inline since most roads have little to no shoulder and really nowhere for traffic to move around us. I'm a big fan of the Angle, but your right about lossing the takedown lights. There are lightbars out there that have 45 degree takedown/alley lights just for the angle stop, but they are expensive and I have yet to really see a dept using them.

 

[papps953]

Now days I don't do traffic stops. I went over to the dick side.

 

[TJcop]

Now days I don't do traffic stops. I went over to the dick side.

Oh, so you're an administrator/supervisor now?:lol:

 

[RonDawg]

When you're in the final stages of working over a suspect, the confession just blubbering from his swollen and cracked lips, what do you use to get the blood and mucus stains off the walls? I can see where heavy detergent on a concrete floor is do-able but I'd imagine those sound proof walls wouldn't stand up to alot in the way of abrasives.

That OxyClean stuff you see on those late-night infomercials works surprisingly well

Seriously, almost all interrogations nowadays are at least tape-recorded with the majority being video-taped; this is to refute allegations of "coerced confessions" by the defense. And no, we don't use rooms with a single bare, dim bulb in the center (makes it hard to read your notes).

 

[Shaneinpenang]

A friend of mine and his partner kept getting called out to the same house for domestic disputes. To protect the innocent we'll call them John and Bill. This house contained a very large dog which had attacked them on numerous occassions resulting in serious injuries to Bill on their last visit. The following week John was once again called out to the same house once more, again for domestic disturbance. Bill was on sick leave due to his injuries and John was working alone. John opens the gate to the yard and sees the dog once again heading straight for him and it didn't look happy. John decided that after seeing Bill torn up the previous week he wasn't going to let that happen again. He draws his weapon and shoots the dog. Well actually he shoots at the dog but misses. The dog gets the idea though and turns around. The bullet however also makes a turn after hitting the concrete path and hits the male occupant of the house in the arm as he was opening the front door.

Apparently there was quite a bit of yelling and screaming from the house as the occupants locked themselves inside and called the police to inform them that there was a police officer outside shooting at them. They of course had not seen John shoot at the dog, but had in fact only partially opened the door when they heard and felt the gunshot.

John was later cleared of any wrong doing. The dog had been found to be dangerous on previous occasions and John genuinely felt serious bodily harm may be done to himself, there was a mark on the concrete path where the bullet hit, and the bullet had only just pierced the skin on the male occupant after it lost most of its power from hitting the ground.

No domestic disturbance was ever reported at that address again.

 

[Peter_C]

Here is a serious question. I live in California in an urban area. I have a complete fabrication shop in my garage with my air compressor outside. My neighbors yesterday called the police, who of course showed up at 7:00pm. I was probably running a grinder when they were originally called, which is LOUD. When the officer walked up I was welding, which is fairly quite. I am in the process of building my own vehicle from scratch and there will be many long days of noise. I never start before 7:00 am and shut everything noisy down by 10:00pm. The officer said I need to make an attempt to keep the noise down. So he leaves and I went right back to work, this time with my screaming air grinder and my compressor running, not trying to be a jerk but it happenend to be the tool I needed.

I can not remember the exact conversation, but he said I was not doing anything wrong per say, but something about a band practicing in a garage was not allowed? Funny part was he was telling me about running a chop saw at his own house as he is fixing it up, right as my other neigbor starts cutting wood. LOL

So the question is what are the rules on noise? BTW we have no CC&R's.

 

[JDog]

Peter C - Are you building a rockcrawler?

 

[RonDawg]

Here is a serious question. I live in California in an urban area. I have a complete fabrication shop in my garage with my air compressor outside. My neighbors yesterday called the police, who of course showed up at 7:00pm. I was probably running a grinder when they were originally called, which is LOUD. When the officer walked up I was welding, which is fairly quite. I am in the process of building my own vehicle from scratch and there will be many long days of noise. I never start before 7:00 am and shut everything noisy down by 10:00pm. The officer said I need to make an attempt to keep the noise down. So he leaves and I went right back to work, this time with my screaming air grinder and my compressor running, not trying to be a jerk but it happenend to be the tool I needed.

I can not remember the exact conversation, but he said I was not doing anything wrong per say, but something about a band practicing in a garage was not allowed? Funny part was he was telling me about running a chop saw at his own house as he is fixing it up, right as my other neigbor starts cutting wood. LOL

So the question is what are the rules on noise? BTW we have no CC&R's.

Peter,

Many municipalities have local ordinances in regards to noise. Some will even designate by the type of noise; for example, it can impose one set of limits on loud music, while imposing another set on the use of power tools and/or gardening equipment. Thus it is possible in your town to have ordinances that say "no band practice in the garage after 10 PM" and yet have nothing specifically prohibiting you from mowing your lawn at 3 AM.

If there are no local ordinances, the only state law that applies is CA Penal Code section 415 (2) which states that "any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise" is guilty of a misdemeanor. Note the words "maliciously" and "willfully"; that means, in order for this person to be convicted, the officer (and ultimately the prosecutor) has to prove the offending party did it on purpose just to annoy you.

However, in the spirit of "Community-Based Policing" most departments will still send an officer to kindly ask the offending party to lower the noise. That is most likely what happened to you; the officer may have had no basis for actual enforcement action, but did it as a courtesy to the complaining party.

The best thing for you to do is contact your local law enforcement agency and ask them what the local ordinances are in regards to noise. Note that if you live in an unincorporated area (meaning you're not part of a specific city, but are governed by the County Board of Supervisors), the laws may be different from that of a nearby incorporated city of the same name.

 

[TJcop]

As I'm not from California, I can only comment on my local laws/ordinances. We have a noise ord. that restricts noises from 7am to 10pm. This covers the usual stuff, ie: construction, lawn mowing, building cars from scratch...
But, if you lived in my city, you'd have another problem: The fact that you're building a car. Is your "shop" an auto shop? A metal fab shop? A home you use as a shop? We have a law against building or having "a vehicle in major repair or disassembly" on any property other than a licensed auto shop. Also, is your shop/home/etc in a zoned residential area or a commercial business area? That will probably restrict you also.

Not taking sides, but I can understand how people can get upset with "legal" noise. I worked 3rd shift for the last 9 years...try sleeping during the day sometimes!

 

[Peter_C]

JDog, yes it is a 1953 Willys flatfender lengthened body, on a custom frame, axles, coilovers, etc. I am in the process of building the frame, bumpers, winch mounts, etc.

My shop is my two car garage attached to the house. I live in a residential neighborhood in the city of Santa Rosa. As I said this is my project, and I am not working on it for someone else or making money off of it.

I am no longer building a vehicle in my garage then, it is art work It just happens to look like a vehicle...pretty cool work of art eh?

What gets me is instead of coming and talking to me they call the police. Although they do call the police for any little thing instead of talking to the neighbors. I.E. my neighbors had a travel trailer parked on the street that was blocking enough of the road, that I walked over and said something. Well they called the police, so the travel trailer owners thought I did it, until I went back again and talked to them.

Thanks for the answers, I will try to find out more of what my local ordinances are. Here is one that I do not like the sound of.
"It is unlawful for any person within any residential area of the City to repair, rebuild or test any motor vehicle in such manner that a reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area is caused discomfort or annoyance. (Prior code § 27.25)"