Car Chases In California

[abstrak_tokatl]

Originally Posted by notmeofficer

your police are only the reflection of society itself.. all we have to do is look in the mirror....

its not that the standards have changed so much as it is society that is changing.. our mores, values, and traditions...
most of the changes in the way departments act probably comes as a result of some type of litigation or decree from on high

there are people today that dont subscribe to the hip hop rap culture... to the "whats in it for me " ideals... but those people are getting harder and harder to recruit for policework

still.. tell me another class of workers that go through a physical, a psychological.. a polygraph, an oral, an academy, perhaps a second patrol school, an in service FTO program, probation, multiple layers of testing, on going consistent training. Women have really only been on policework on the front lines for 25 years or so... they are both a bane and a benefit to departments

it should be this way with life and death responsibility

I'm sorry man, but that's untrue. The standards have changed. They now accept high school drop outs, gang members, and drug addicts. This was changed years ago. They are just looking for memembers who proclaim to have changed their ways.

But in any case, they think they are a military group and not a police force.

[notmeofficer]

Your comments show you don't have a clear understanding of backgrounds, polygraphs,medicals, orals, and written exams.

Feel free to explain your knowledge of policework.. I trust you are familiar with the core values of our department.. each of which we are required to subscribe to.. and each of which we can be fired for not adhering to.

Have standards changed.. yes, they require MORE today than an applicant of 30 years ago.
We clearly are not military. That does not mean we dont use force..plenty of force when necessary... if we were military we would have free fire zones and rules of engagement that would allow us to do things American society would not condone.

So, to answer your post directly, and factually,

We do NOT accept high school dropouts.. a high school education is a minimum requirement. Most officers are college educated.. we pay more for them... Many high school grads that make it to the academy find they cant cut the academics of report writing and go back to their jobs at McDonalds or King Taco

Gang members.. hmmm.. if you are active in a gang and have a criminal history beyond a non serious misdemeanor you would be rejected.. if you had multiple misdemeanors.. you would be rejected. If you were in a gang and didn't commit crime you would not necessarily be precluded from being a policeman but you would be looked at very carefully.

Drug addicts....
You cannot be addicted to any drug, legal or illegal, alcohol to whatever, that would show up on a tox screen.. including steroids. We are required to random drug test at anytime. Failure of a test is an automatic dismissal.

Is it possible someone can squeak through with some social anomaly... it is possible.. but in my experience they usually self destruct in some way that shows their hidden faults. The percentage is VERY small

Please try and speak accurately so that others may share in your worldly expertise about policework.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[abstrak_tokatl]

Desire and wishes account for little of which has been seen by the community.

And in the press, LA35 has been reaching out to the "lower rungs" for years (watch it some time, i love the station).

21 years of age ( which is openly discussed on LA35 as being dropped to 18).

Learn How To Become a Police Officer, Find Police Officer Job Description at Join LAPD
Graduation from a U.S. high school, G.E.D. or equivalent from a U.S. institution, or a California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) certificate is required.

This was dropped to years ago from just high school graduates. (that would be less). Just because it pays more to have college graduates doesn't mean that the LAPD higher more college graduates.

the background principles i won't argue, but i will say that they have been ignored.

But military... when LAPD carry around mk47s for whatever reason, that's ****en military. How about about pointing it at a kid going to school?

What is best wishes and what actually happens are very different things.

Which is why the LAPD is considered little more then just another gang.

[THASPECIAL]

I heard the LAPD had new technology that uses GPS and they shoot a glob of sticky stuff from the front of thier car that has a GPS tracking device in it and it attaches to the fleeing car so that the police wont have to chase when it might endanger more people....does anyone know have they started using that at all yet?

[notmeofficer]

You are correct about the sticky gps... there is a skunkworks section at the SHERIFFS Department that is testing many new less than lethal weapons...

Microwave technology.. denial of area .. currently in use in Iraq
Pain generators- currently in use in Iraq
Next generation taser-wireless.. much longer ranges
Vehicle disablers.. zap the OBD system.. of course we are getting to where big brother can turn off an obd3 system from a satellite.. thank your car manufacturers... not the police


Patrol deputies are armed with a Beretta 9mm and a shotgun. Field supervisors are equipped with ar-15's.... LAPD isnt any different. Special units may be issued other weapons as necessary..i.e SWAT.. undercover units. I will not divulge what weapons are available but there are some much higher lethality tools available. Criminals actions dictate their use... criminals decide what level of force will be used upon them.. they decide if they want to die

Until we get to the star trek phaser people will continue to be killed by the police...

A GED will get you into the application process.. but probably not through it unless you are stellar in other things... We go through about 30000 applicants to fill 300 positions...these are facts...

LAPD is the other department in L.A.... while I know about it I wont comment upon it... Its easy to internet whine about the police.. try volunteering in your community to make it better.. you might just make a difference

[bentaxlecrew]

I agree its definitly media attention. Im born and raised in southern calif. and have actually had one pass in front of me. Since then when the lights turn green I tend to stay back and look both ways before I drive on. Ive actually heard young guys talking and say their ultimate thrill would be to outrun the cops and be on the 6:00 news. Sad but true.