Now ye're talking - to a US police officer Part II

What is the average salary for police officer and then are there allowances etc. payable on top of basic and overtime and if you move up the ranks what salary is paid. Is there much difference across departments?

Wow, that’s a broad questions all right. It truly depends on the locality, size of department, type of agency and so on. In my patch, we start them at $50K, which is OK, but the cost of living is getting expensive here, it’s Dublin expensive FFS! Some of the smaller agencies are in the $40K range which, around here is barely a living wage. Generally, bigger agencies will do better. The Feds (FBI, ATF, DEA, etc.) start around the $48K range with some special pays. They are on a federal incremental scale. We’re on a similar incremental scale too based on years served. Some of these small cities pay their cops barely more than minimum wage, which is part of the issue with policing in the US. You get what you pay for, right?

We get OT for late calls, court, extra duty (matches, concerts, etc.) as one would expect. We offer specialty pay for SWAT, Mental Health team, Training Officer, language pay for Spanish or ASL, college degrees, etc. We also get to take our cars home, so that is a benefit too.

Promotions again vary by agency, for us it is a written exam & interview panel. Most of the respectable ones do some variation on exams, interviews or assessments. Our promotion is officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain & major. The chief & assistants are appointed. Some agencies, not unlike the Gardaí, have a uniform stream or detective stream where you apply to be a detective, then move up the ranks in the investigative world. A uniform stream means you’ll stay in uniform during your career and promote up that way.

I’m curious as to what training if any, you have regarding your vehicle being surrounded by a crowd, which either won’t get out of your way and is blocking your way, or is attacking your vehicle. Would you be expected to stand your ground and hope the crowd backs off? Do you think if you felt the situation was becoming dangerous, would you drive through the crowd? I’m asking off the back of what happened in Tacoma, where a police vehicle drove through a crowd.

I’m not aware of that as a specific training scenario as such. Our cars are reasonably secure, as such. Like all modern cars, the windows are laminated glass and doors lock easily. The Tacoma situation is a difficult one, like any other use of force, and using your car against a person is considered a use of force. I saw a short video, but I’m always hesitant to judge as one has to consider the “totality of circumstances” of the situation. You have an officer surrounded by a hostile crowd with no escape route. Crowds have thrown petrol bombs at recent protests, cars have been turned over, set on fire, so what can one officer do against a crowd to protect his/her life? Do you take a chance & wait for help and hope the crowd goes away? Are you willing to bet your life on that? My initial thoughts are I’d be on the PA telling them to back off and start slowly pushing into the crowd giving lots of warning, use the siren (they are really loud up close) and see if that helps. Again, this is all speculation, I wasn’t there.

When's the last time you caught yourself doing or saying something typically American?

Well I carry a gun every day, so I suppose it doesn’t get more American than that does it? I don’t know, really, I’m so used to being here, I don’t notice do I?

When's the last time one of your colleagues said to you, that is so Irish?

Usually when I use an Irish turn of phrase, expression. Occasionally I’ll put on a Cockney accent and tell someone “your nicked mate” just to confuse a subject, helps deflate the situation.

Do you think the US police are going too far in trying to appease BLM demands? Taking the knee is uncomfortable to watch.

I don’t think so personally. Our community where I work is approx. 30% black for example. So if 30% of the people we serve are uncomfortable with how we do our job, then I would submit, we should make an effort to understand and demonstrate empathy to the community. We serve the people, so we should be sensitive to our communities. We also have a dedicated LGBT and immigrant team, does that mean we’re appeasing those communities? I have black friends who have had negative experiences with other cops, so I get it to a point. We have some work to do.

Do you think an experienced US cop would be suited to work for the Gardaí or vice versa? Are there fundamental differences between the policing models that you reckon make it impossible?

I think it could work to be fair. Once you learn the laws & rules, to a larger extent policing is policing. I think it would take a bit of getting used to going from here to the Gardaí with us being armed, it’s a different mindset. Spent a bit of time with some Gardaí on the job, and it was interesting for me seeing them just not even having to even contemplate dealing with armed subjects. End of the day, though the job is the job, so I think outside the initial adjustment it would be fine. Want to say I read a news story about a Garda who used to be NYPD, went home and is happily serving with AGS.

What’s involved in moving up ranks, to becoming a detective for example? Is it on the job training / experience/ educational requirements (as in third level/criminology courses etc.) / politics? You see on fictional shows that a rank and file member will get pulled into being a detective based on merit/some heroic action and it’s always left me wondering how it works in real life.

See my above about the promotion systems. The heroics, yeah, that’s TV/movies all right. It’s exams, etc. Some agencies (like mine) give extra promotional exam points for a third level degree, and extra courses will help too I’m sure. I can appreciate why people like being a detective, some of my mates have done it for years as they thrive on the process of catching a crook. Our new detectives are assigned a training detective, there are some training courses they get sent on, the rest is OJT and learning the ropes. We start the detectives in property crimes (burglary, theft, etc.) and they have to serve a year there before applying for any of the other CID squads (homicide, auto theft, sex crimes, narcotics, etc.).

Have any near-death experiences or a time where you felt **** might get real here.

Been in a few car crashes, been shot at a few times and the usual fights/wresting matches. The car crashes were all thankfully nothing too serious, and obviously the shots missed 😊 Honestly, when something like that happens you are so in the moment, reacting, training & survival instincts kicks in, you don’t really have time to think about it. Afterwards, yes, big adrenaline dumb, and “holy crap” that was dodgy. It’s contributed to the chronic PTSD I’ve been diagnosed with.

A topic which doesn’t get as much traction as it should is the higher incidence of post retirement suicide and overall mortality in LE. One research project reported a police officer is 50% more likely to die within 10 years of retirement when compared the general population. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, 25-30 years of rotating shifts, adrenaline dumps, arguments, fights, injuries will take a toll. As a community, we are not healthy either, very high incidence of cardiac disease, high blood pressure, cancers, again, it can be an unhealthy lifestyle. Its rare people are happy to encounter a cop, we get crap from everyone, all that does pile up over time.

If you weren't in the police what do you think you would be doing?

Probably in the Army. I like the team-based ethic, the fitness and the discipline. Apparently, I have a thing for polyester uniforms 😊

Do you follow sport and who is your favourite team(s)?

Follow the football & rugby to an extent. Never got into American sports, I’d just as soon watch paint dry as American football or baseball.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Working with a great team who has your back and just helping he community I live in. I have no lofty ideals about making the world a better place or safer from crime, but there is a satisfaction in serving the people.

Maybe if it was a deep-fried gun?

But then I’d have to be fat, while that is very American, it’s not for me 😊 (the fat or the deep-fried part)

Forgot to add, my report and video (both car & tazer) from this call will be reviewed by my SGT and my shift LT to ensure my use of force was compliant, proportionate and necessary and in accordance with policy & the law. It will also be reviewed by our training academy (they are the tazer trainers) and IA for the same reasons as above. If there are questions, I'll be called in to talk about it. All to make sure we are doing what we are supposed to do.

This happens for any use of force, be it stick, pepper spray, tazer, hands (blows, strikes, etc.), or of course firearms. Grappling & a bit of struggle just to gain compliance or get the cuffs on usually won't get looked at unless there is an injury to the perp or an officer.

Our new tazers have a small day/night camera & audio recorder built into them. It comes on once it's un-holstered, another means of documentation FYI.

So, todays call... a drunk driver.

We have a team dedicated to this, they prowl the roads looking for drunk drivers. They are certified in the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). Not every officer can give this, it's a 40 hour class with an bi-annual recertification required.

Anyhow, on patrol, officers witnesses a traffic violation (crossing the line, failure to stop, etc.). Camera on, follow them for a bit to capture video of "a drunk car" (weaving, speeding, etc.). Showing a "drunk car" to a jury is a great way to get a conviction. The traffic violation is your probable cause (PC) for the stop, so you pull them over. You ID the driver, ask them are they a diabetic or some other medical condition which could impair them. All good. You observe glassy eyes, slurred speech & the odor of what may be alcoholic beverages on or about their person. That's PC to get them out of the car for the SFST. A this point you'll have a backup officer there too (we're generally one officer units). We make the stop on a safe place, try and get into a car park of something.

The SFST trained officer then administers the test. You've seen it on YouTube (or you can look it up), its the alphabet reciting, heel-toe walk, checking the eyes, etc. All this is done on level ground, you've made sure they dont have a limp, understand English as a language, no other weird medical condition. Test is administered on camera. Subject fails the test, I now have grounds to arrest for DUI (Driving Under Influence), cuffs go on, into the car you go. My partner will check their car and take pictures of any relevant evidence, empty beer cans/bottles etc.

Their car is towed, partner usually does the towing paperwork for me. I take the perp to jail. Here the SFST is administered again (after they are booked in), in a nice, comfy, well lit room by another officer and this too is recorded on video. Subject is also breathalyzed via machine. While this little game is going on, I'm furiously typing on my laptop to generate a search warrant for the duty judge to sign. If I want their blood for a test, the courts here have ruled that is a search, ergo I need a warrant. Given I'm trying to articulate they are intoxicated, any consent given would be challenged by an attorney and the case thrown out. Warrant in hand, usually done by the time the second SFST is done. One of the nurses assigned to the jail will draw the blood.

Blood is then submitted as evidence for analysis and off I go for a nice long report writing. Then, as in previous calls, reports are reviewed & submitted as is the video. I'll write the perp a warning for the traffic violation as opposed to a ticket. Why? Because a warning holds no penalty or sanction, therefore it cannot be challenged in court. This preserves the legality of my initial traffic stop. If I write a actual ticket, an attorney will try and get that thrown out for whatever reason. If the stop is throw out, then the rest of the DUI is as well as, under law, if it was not a lawful & proper stop, then anything I do after that is "fruits of the poisioned tree" and can't be used.

An average DUI from start to finish takes about 2-3 hours to process. Its good to get the drunk s off the road, but man, it's paperwork intensive.

Be safe. I'm off this weekend, so keep the questions coming, I should have the time.

Serious traffic accident....we'll be dispatched concurrent with fire & EMS. We all arrive, lets say two vehicles on a major road, serious injuries. EMS & fire will have priority of effort to save lives. They work on medical interventions, patient extrication & transport.

We'll block traffic as needed to allow fire & EMS to work. Our primary officer, which is usually the first LE on scene, will coordinate the efforts of the other cops, request more units, whatever. We'll close lanes, put out cones, whatever we need to do. We'll say I'm primary for this one for the sake of discussion.

I'll quickly ask the paramedics how critical is it. If its serious injury with possibility of death, I'll notify a SGT and request a Traffic Corps unit. They are the accident investigators, which is a sub-specialty derived by attending a specialist course. Depending on how busy the medics are, I'll try and at least get a drivers license off each driver to ID them. One of my partners will make arrangements for towing the wrecked cars (contracted to private towing companies) and another will start taking pictures. Pictures usually start generally away from the scene & move closer, capturing things like road conditions, street signs, traffic lights, skid marks, etc. Each car will be photographed from all angles to document damage, orientation, any anything inside of evidence value (alcohol bottles, etc.). One of us will identify any witnesses, get their names and statements if we have time.

The accident investigator arrives he/she will get a quick briefing, and they'll set to work taking measurements, drawing diagrams, getting angles, etc. Medics will let us know which hospital the patients are going to and they'll transport. Once we have everything we need, we'll let the tow trucks haul the cars off & open the road. This (aside from the medical part which goes very quickly) could take over an hour, so those of us directing the traffic, in 45 degree Celsius heat wearing a Kevlar vest and polyester get to hear all about it from the good citizens about how we've caused a traffic jam, and "all we're doing is directing traffic and holding them up". Lovely people, eh?

Once the scene is secure, we'll compile all our information, and pass it on to the accident investigator. They'll get emailed all our pics, etc. They head off to the hospital to get an update on the status of the victims. If they are able, he/she will get statements, if not, note how serious it is for follow up. I'll go find a spot, park up and jam out my report along with some state required data entries. The investigator will write up their report and draw a digital sketch of the accident using software which renders really cool sketches of the scene. They will also draft up a subpoena for their medical records to include their blood work to see if there are intoxicants. If based, on what we observed on scene & witness statements, a violator will be issued a ticket for any traffic code volitions (lets say they ran a light) we can articulate on scene through witness statements, etc. A subsequent finding of a high blood alcohol level can lead to a DUI charge as well.

All this gets entered into the data system to be followed up by the traffic investigators. If one of them dies, it goes over to homicide for investigation and a detective will be assigned for follow up.

If no one dies, at this point, assuming no more tickets are issued, then it's done for us. They can go to court over the ticket or not, up to them. Now they can all argue over fault, insurance, medical bills and so on. This is why you never see a starving lawyer on the side of the road with a sign saying "will work for food"

Given the centralized recruitment set up here in Ireland, which to the best of my knowledge is competitive, given that there are lot more applicants than places when Garda recruitment does take place, what is recruitment like in America?

Given that each LE agency is an island, each agency recruits their own officers based on what they need. Very broadly, the larger agencies will have an ongoing recruitment campaign and start a class each year. Most police academies are about six months long, so a class a year is manageable for most departments. This keeps up with wastage for retirement, separations, resignations, etc. and expansion of the department due to growth. Smaller agencies who aren’t big enough to run an academy will recruit as needed, the applicants will have to be already trained either coming from another force or from a stand-alone academy run by a college (roughly equivalent to a regional Institute of Technology in Ireland).

Is wanting to become a police officer in demand?

In the US there is a shortage of police officers nationally. A combination of a hot economy, LE seen as a less attractive career due to civil unrest, and a generation of younger people who don’t feel wedded to a single career. There has been a slight uptick in earlier retirements this year due to the unrest as well compounding the problem. Previous criminal record, bad driving record & poor credit disbar a lot of people too, so the pool gets smaller just with those restrictions too.

Is it seen as a desirable job?

For some yes, others no. In the US there is an overall trend away from traditional blue-collar jobs, for the past four years we’ve had an administration demonize the idea of public service, and the civil unrest has turned a lot of people away. You’ll never get rich being a cop, and depending on where you live, its hard to start out on $50K/year when that won’t qualify you for a loan for anything bigger than a shoebox. You can go into the private sector, in some cases, especially the IT world, nearly double your money, not work nights & weekends, not fight with people & get hurt…just saying’.

Do you see many sons and daughters of police officers follow their parents into the job?

Yeah, to a small extent. One of my colleague’s daughter just graduated, he is proud and we have a few more like that in my agency. Cops marry cops a fair bit too, not uncommon to see police couples. It’s murder on the family life, childcare, & holidays, but they make it work.

Do you get many people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience and education applying?

Absolutely, applicants are as varied as the day is long. We seem to attract a fair few ex-forces types, which doesn’t surprise me. There is a lot in common between the structure of the military & LE. We have the range from college graduates, trades, career changes, teachers, the full gamut. A varied background and a broad life experience generally helps on the application.

Things the movies get wrong (which is most of it really).

Rooms full of uniforms wombling around looking at things. That destroys evidence, we control who goes in & out to protect the scene and preserve evidence. Once we secure the scene & confirm the vic is dead, we wait for CID etc. CID & CST will process the scene, we stay out. Any subsequent arriving detectives, captains, etc. stay outside until they are cleared to enter. More people in there is more evidence lost and they'd all have to write a report too.

Cops picking up guns & evidence and drawing conclusions. We leave evidence in place until it has been photographed, measured, documented. Then is it carefully picked up, placed in a paper evidence bag, tagged and sent to the lab. Sure, we'll note, "This 9mm Glock may be the weapon" but the lab makes that determination later.

Why a warrant? A warrant gives us the right to search the whole building. It's not required as such, however, it gives us the right to search anything. If the victim is downstairs, other than a brief safety sweep to make sure no one else is up there (second storey), LE doesn't have an inherent right to be up there. If we went up there, secured evidence, it could be thrown out in court. So a warrant gives us the right to search the house and any containers therein.

Medical Examiner coming up with "well he was probably stabbed by a 6ft, right handed person standing over there". Yep, if there is a body there with a knife in the chest, they'll say "likely cause of death stabbing" but beyond a no-brainer like that, they won't say much. Sure, they'll say they see blood pooling, bruises & so on, but generally won't speculate as to the cause of death. In our patch, the ME team are technicians, the actual ME rarely if ever comes to the scene. They do the autopsy back at the morgue, no real need for them to be there.

Family members allowed to see the vic. Nope, never happens, no one is allowed in, regardless of how upset & emotional they are. Our Victim Services will deal with them, but they are kept away. As the ME team are working, if they find ID documents on the body, we'll use that to ID informally until the vic. gets to the morgue. If the family says, that was my son Johnny, and the license says it's Johnny, the neighbours say its Johnny, its rare the family will be brought to the morgue for the dramatic pulling back of the sheet.

If it's a John/Jane Doe, we use DNA, fingerprints, photo matching software for driver license pictures for ID. Family may be shown photos, but its rare they'll be allowed see the body. it unnecessary trauma for them and dead bodies, especially post autopsy don't look so good.

Back to work tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have a bit of time after work for more questions