Police veterans, through years on the job, often develop methods for handling situations that aren’t explicitly taught in the academy. These are the unwritten rules, the shortcuts, the… let’s call them veteran faux pas. Sometimes they’re incredibly effective, born of experience and a deep understanding of the community. Other times, they can land an officer in hot water.
While we can’t reveal all the secrets of the trade, here are a few common occurrences that happen in police jurisdictions across America. These are the things you won’t find in any training manual.
Whether your marked police units are black and white, blue and white, plain white, or another solid color, they’ve all been used as a taxi service at some point. It’s amazing how often a homeless individual, often intoxicated, causing minor disturbances around town, will conveniently “request” a ride to just outside the city limits. The seasoned veteran, eager to resolve the situation quickly and efficiently, is often more than happy to oblige, providing a one-way trip across the border. This avoids paperwork and frees up time to address more pressing issues.
Police officers are generally exempt from certain vehicle code violations when responding Code 3—lights and siren. However, the general public might be surprised to learn how infrequently Code 3 response is actually authorized. Therefore, many veteran police officers will occasionally “go out on a limb.” They take it upon themselves to expedite their arrival at a call by activating the “excuse me lights.” This involves activating some form of emergency lights—usually rear flashing ambers—without the use of the siren. In essence, the officer is trying to say, “excuse me” as they navigate through traffic. While the intention is often admirable, this veteran faux pas can expose officers to civil liability if they are involved in a traffic collision while operating their vehicle in this manner. It’s a calculated risk, balancing the need for speed with potential consequences.
After running some local hookers for wants and warrants, and they surprisingly come back clear, a veteran faux pas involves the ladies of the night removing their high heels and sprinting a couple hundred yards until they pass the city line. As with the black and white taxi, you might detect a trend: the veteran faux pas actions say, take your vices and unsavory character to the next city! It’s a way of managing the problem without necessarily solving it, pushing it just beyond the jurisdiction.
Dealing with individuals experiencing mental health crises can be incredibly challenging. (Save the speech about compassion for the mentally ill… . I have it, but not for the overwhelming number of bizarre people police deal with who are forced to cope with self-inflicted trauma.) As a result, police receive repeated calls regarding the same people with no apparent viable solutions. When dealing with these individuals, the veteran might enter their world to gain cooperation. In doing so, seasoned officers will conspire with another veteran on a private radio channel. The second officer will then issue orders to the troubled individual. The officer personally handling the troubling individual will tell him or her to listen to the orders coming through the radio from the Space Commander. On occasion it works, and the individual will actually follow directions. It’s a creative, albeit unconventional, approach to de-escalation.
The last thing graveyard shift officers want is a time-consuming call for service close to the end-of-watch. Therefore, it’s amazing how many traffic violators the veteran can find during this timeframe in order to make him unavailable for those calls. By the way, these violators almost never get cited because the veteran committing this faux pas certainly does not want to get called to traffic court in lieu of going home and crawling into bed. It’s a strategic use of discretion, prioritizing personal well-being over strict enforcement.
Experienced officers will go to incredible lengths to haze newbies. One stunt involves setting up the new officer’s police unit to make it appear as though its been burglarized. To do this, the veteran will roll down the passenger side window while the rookie is on a call for service. Once the window is down, he will spread broken glass throughout the passenger area, as if the window were smashed. He will then remove property belonging to the rookie, making the staged crime appear authentic. It works every time! There are many other pranks worth mentioning, but this was one of the time honored favorite veteran faux pas at my department. It’s a rite of passage, a test of resilience, and a way to build camaraderie (albeit in a slightly twisted way).
Naturally, this should be avoided at all costs. But since the human body does not come with an on/off switch, it’s also physically impossible to stay awake and alert every second of every graveyard shift; particularly when you’ve been in court all day. So the veteran faux pas involves creative ways to safely shut your eyes on duty when it becomes practically impossible to keep them open. The practice includes everything from having a partner watch your back in a dark corner of the city, to a secret place in the police facility with your pack-set (radio) cranked full volume to act as an alarm clock if necessary. Finally, experienced officers perfect these practices when meeting one another for coffee during their shift. So the next time you see a couple of pros on a coffee break, say “hello” and smile knowing their conversation is really advanced officer training in the area of veteran faux pas.
Law Enforcement Today (Photo courtesy Chris Yarzab)