The following is an ‘Ask The Chief’ question submitted to TLS, and the Chief’s response. Email your questions for the Chief to [email protected].
Question:
My wife, a young teacher, was pulled over by an officer for driving 40 MPH on MLK drive. I understand police must do their job, but was it necessary for a additional police car to show up make a huge scene and cause unnecessary embarrassment and trauma to my wife? This was not a potential dangerous situation that required back up of any sort. I see it everyday a harmless lady or old man is pulled over and there are 2 police cars there. Besides for the additional unnecessary traffic this can cause, is there a reason for this? sometimes I feel we have over budgeted on our police offices and they are simply bored in our low crime neighborhood, so when a simple traffic violation occurs they all come running. I think in the next meeting with the officers these 2 topics need to be discuses, #1 if there is no potential threat the officer, only one cruises is to deal with the traffic ticket, #2 when pulling over cars please don’t obstruct the flow of traffic. I’ve seen police cars jam up the entire route 9 because the officer was too inconsiderate to have the car turn into a side street while issuing the ticket.
I want to make it clear we love our police officers, and this is just 2 issues I feel need improvement.
The Chief’s response:
Police officers are instructed in the police academy that motor vehicle stops can be a deadly encounter, especially at night in unlighted areas, areas of high crime or when dealing with the unknown motorist. A police officer doesn’t know who he/she is stopping or how many occupants are in the vehicle, until after they make contact with the driver. A backup unit is always dispatched when an officer makes a stop. Once the officer decides that he doesn’t need assistance he/she can request the backup officer to break off. Sometimes the backup officer is already there or if that officer if broken off will still pass by to see that things are ok, visually.
A routine motor vehicle stop should not be an embarrassing situation and does not cause trauma. Someone speeding in a residential neighborhood, although not a serious crime, can be considered dangerous, as to the high rate of speed where people are walking, crossing and children playing, etc. We do not define what harmless is and just because it’s a woman doesn’t make them any less harmless.
Motor vehicle stops cause traffic to react and slowdown and sometimes, yes, additional congestion occurs, but the result is traffic slowing, people buckle up, put down the phones and see that we care about the public’s safety as well as our officers – that is why they angle their cars at the stop to offer a lane of safety.
Thank you for your question, and when our officers are out enforcing traffic violations I will ask them to stay safe at all times.
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Have a question for the Chief? Email it to [email protected]
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Nicely articulated answer to a slightly silly question.
Thanks Chief!
Are you one of those people that tried bringing himself up by putting others down???or just slightly?
Great response from an intelligent man to (moderated) Yes speeding is dangerous, and yes officers cannot know that your wife is harmless. And to Lakewood scoop-i think questions should be moderated so that only ones that show respect for our chief of police and officers should be put through.
I have another question who’s idea was it to equipment patrol vehicles with those painful blinding lights? What was wrong with the lights they used to have 20 years ago?
Well your question maybe a valid one, it is full of cynicism and lacks respect for our officers that put their lives on the line to protect us everyday and every-night.
You could have asked the same question with more respect and less cynicism.
BTW the answer was great
This letter was truly ignorant and embarrassing, including the lousy grammar and spelling (i.e. “seen” instead of “scene”)
in Brooklyn when cops make routine traffic stops they don’t need back ups although the risks there are much higher, not sure why Lakewood offices needs 2 cars to pull over a family mini van in a safe neighborhood in broad day light, give me a break…
but yes indeed we love our police
In Brooklyn, they ride 2 per car unlike Lakewood where it is one per car.
I agree with the question and not with the answer.
I think the question was written honestly, as I am in the same boat. I highly respect the police officers for risking their lives, but I also have questions on how they do some things. I think it was a good question (could’ve been written a drop more respectfully) and the answer was clear and respectful as well.
The question was better than the answer. Officers don’t realize it, but they do traumatize all the pasengers and children with the whole lights thing
HELLO MR HOPE YOUR DAY IS GOING WELL, TO BREAK ANY LAW DESERVES THAT TRAMA LIKE OUR CHUEF EXPLAINED THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF IT WILL BE A DANGEROUS DRIVER BETTER SAFE THEN SRRY
Hey to all you people getting embarrassed & traumatized I have 3 words to tell you “OBEY THE LAW” & then you don’t have to worry abt this issue anymore!
Yea.
But if you see a car full of kids, please just turn off the lights
Hut Rochmonis!
Translation- have mercy
indeed those light systems are a bit over the top, they totally blind motorist passing through the area. I’m sure someone is making a boat load of money outfitting those cars, but the lights need to be toned down just a bit! it creates a dangerous situation when motorist cant see.
I agree with the question and the answer. As to how do they know who is dangerous – they know. or they should know. a little old lady does not have a gun nor does a lady with six kids in the car.
And I agree, there needs to be more traffic enforcement and let all the violators get so many tickets that they won’t break the law again. I am sure all of us can report the near misses we encounter daily when we see someone almost crash into us or another car breaking the law. It is sickening!!!! So no matter how they look pull them over and give them the ticket. But just don’t make a huge scene that’s all he’s asking.
On another note, the saddest thing about the lakewood traffic is that it makes fairly decent, even good drivers break the law because they feel they can’t get anywhere otherwise. of course it’s wrong but that is the reality.
What the questioner and some commenters fail to realize is that there have been police officers killed during routine traffic stops. Both by being shot at point blank range and by traffic accidents- hit by passing cars. This unfortunately happens locally and around the country.
Our officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe. The children of a police officer who went to work one fine day and was killed in the line of duty are traumatized. The children of a mother who was pulled over for speeding or talking on a cell phone are taught that rules have consequences. If we experience extreme embarrassment (trauma??) from a traffic stop it is due to our own tendency to gather around, slow down and stare at the “offender”.
I think some context is in order, some respect for our cops, and if we want to mitigate shame or embarrassment then we should work on ourselves as bystanders to move on and not crowd around staring at people who got pulled over. Needless to say, if you follow the law you are not likely to be pulled over.
unfortunately if you don’t drive aggressive in this town you will never get anywhere. The building just keeps going up and the traffic gets worse and worse, can you blame the guy for shooting out infornt of you from his development on rt 9 after waiting 10 minutes? what should he do sit there all day?? we are forced to drive this way b.c. of no fault of our own. Its very sad, that we are being labeled aggressive drivers, but there is no alternative.
Hey @rich, why don’t you stop and give the poor guy a chance. If you think there is no alternative to aggression, no matter what you rationalize is the cause, you need professional mental health counseling before you get behind the wheel again.
poor guy? not sure what your talking about. I made a very simple and obvious point and that is people are forced to drive a bit more aggressive then they would otherwise do, to do all the traffic.