Would you do it?

thegrey1

thegrey1

Well-Known Member
Honestly, if no one was looking, would you give a ticket to/arrest a close friend or relative? I asked my best friend this question when she was considering police academy.I said, "Would you arrest me if you caught me committing a crime?" She said,
"No I don't think I could!" "I SAID, "Then you should not be a cop, because we have enough unethical cops!" She agreed. How do cops feels about this?
 
Definitely true. Being a cop is a tough job, it's even tougher to arrest someone they know. Being law enforcers, they should implement and stand by the rules. Not only should they follow the rules but live by it. Even if it means arresting their personal friend or family as long as he/she has violated the law.
 
It is atough situation, but I do believe that I would give them ticket or arrest them after I have caught them and given them the first warning, because if I do not make an attempt f arresting them or giving them a ticket, then they will not learn to obey the eules, they will always think that they will get away with it, that is why if I was to join the police academy, I would do it from a different state from where I come from, in order to avoid confrontation with family members and close friends.
 
Personally, I would forego the ticket but make sure they understood that they were lucky it was me who caught them and not someone else. Hopefully, an incident like this would shock them into changing but I wouldn't hesitate to issue a ticket if I caught them a second time.
 
That is good that you would ask your friend that question. If you can't uphold justice in any circumstance, then you should not be a cop. Hopefully your friends and family would not be stupid enough to commit a crime in your presence. Some people feel they are above the law.
 
I think it depends on the crime honestly. If you're willing to let someone you don't know get away with speeding or a parking violation than why wouldn't you do the same for someone you DO know? Big time crimes, however, should never fit in the forgiven territory.
 
If I caught my friend committing/doing a crime, I don't think I'll go arrest him/her. It actually depends on the degree of the crime, but I'm really not so sure. It's tough, that's why I have never considered being a police officer.
 
A true friend would understand are a police officer who serves and protects all. Should they do something wrong then instead of waiting for arrest they should call you over so you can make the arrest difficult though it might be for you. Anyone who expects to be let off the hook because you are a friend is a false friend who you should cut out of your life.

Since a police officer should [ideally] uphold the law at any cost, if a friend broke the law then I'd have no options but to arrest him or her.
 
In the situation of a crime the officer would have to recuse themselves because they are known to the suspect, but police have to do their job and would get someone else to arrest someone they know.
Letting people off a ticket is a different matter as this is done frequently so it's a discretion call, because people usually get a warning
 
I think for me it strongly depends about the situation and the crime.

For example, if I'm at a friends house and he lights up a joint, I'm not going to arrest him for possession, that would be ridiculous! If, however, I find a friend stealing I'd have to arrest them, as it's a more serious crime with deeper consequences than the former.

Regarding speeding tickets and the like, it's more discretionary so I'd let them off with a warning, saying they're lucky they got me, but next time I catch them I'll definitely give them the ticket, and hope they don't feel entitled to breaking the law next time.
 
May102014 said:
Definitely true. Being a cop is a tough job, it's even tougher to arrest someone they know. Being law enforcers, they should implement and stand by the rules. Not only should they follow the rules but live by it. Even if it means arresting their personal friend or family as long as he/she has violated the law.
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I would be able to do this since I do not have too many people I am close to anyway. I think it is hard but you have to remember that the person committed a crime and could possibly think of getting away with it again with someone else. So it is going to be difficult to arrest a family member even if they are innocent.
 
I would also just give them a warning and let them know that they were lucky that I caught them and not anyone else! If it were my own mother and she was harming someone then I would have to stay true to the law.
 
I would let my family and friends know ahead of time that I would enforce the law even if it's on them. When a Law Enforcement Officer is doing their job they please no one. This to me shows the officer will always do the right things in any or all situations.
 
I don't like to see anyone suffering and I don't like unfair situations, so if anyone I love would be doing any of this and would not be reasonable the police would have to be the solution.
 
I could never ever do this. I think we all have a soft spot for our loved ones and whomever says they will do it is just masking it over. It is very difficult to do that and very few people have the heart to do it.
 
I agree with Joan here. If it something as a speeding ticket which police officers sometimes let people off with a warning, I could see no reason not to give a friend a warning. If the crime is something much worse than it would be a conflict of interest. I would have to see what the crime was but I think I would have to give them a citation like anyone else. Being a Police officer must be a hard job, I do not even want to imagine it. Hats off to you guys and gals who serve and protect us, we appreciate it!
 
wahmed said:
I could never ever do this. I think we all have a soft spot for our loved ones and whomever says they will do it is just masking it over. It is very difficult to do that and very few people have the heart to do it.
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Come on, what if your loved one was hurting someone, could you live knowing that? I would not be able to live knowing that my kid was hurting someone and I just did nothing...
 
If I knew they were committing crimes and they were close to me, I'd have someone else arrest them but still arrest them. I don't think I could do that to friends or family, but I know they have to be punished. I know it might be shirking responsibility or be seen as a weakness, but I don't care.
 
It is important that you are committed to tour job. I do believe one should be very careful while one thinks about how well they know their job and are ready to do it very well.
 
Being a police officer is supposed to test your mental and emotional ability along with physical work. If you are witnessing your loved one who is breaking the law then you have to make the arrest.
 
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