So, police have special training!! does that apply to riding motorcycles also, while on the phone?? I just find it, strange that so many police are using the cell phone all the time....I guess the radio's don't work very well...Plus the crotch texting must take some pretty special super advanced training....another law that is pointless, since no one "NO ONE" including the police pay attention to it....the double standards here, make any kind of respect for the police pretty hard....
Keith Jans - 5 years ago
So, police have special training!! does that apply to riding motorcycles also, while on the phone?? I just find it, strange that so many police are using the cell phone all the time....I guess the radio's don't work very well...Plus the crotch texting must take some pretty special super advanced training....another law that is pointless, since no one "NO ONE" including the police pay attention to it....the double standards here, make any kind of respect for the police pretty hard....
Gary Bilobrk - 7 years ago
It's not necessary for a police officer to use a cellphone in his vehicle they have radios. And besides if I want it to take special training to use my cell phone in my car I should be able to do so if the police are.
Glen Wilson - 8 years ago
Distracted driving may be more of a nuisance that a real safety concern anyhow, and they have found a way to cash in. It is annoying when someone sits are a green light because they are checking their phone, and some idiots out there are doing extremely unsafe things while they are supposed to be focused on driving, but see the link below on a an article outlining facts on distracted driving laws.
So. If I take the "special training", I can legally use my phone, etc. while driving????
C D - 8 years ago
I don't believe it's about people hating the police. It's about being law enforcement and not above the law as so many officers feel they are. I have no argument with them doing a job that needs immediate response, but general enquires or a quick call to office on slow time incidents should be dealt with inside the law. Speeding yes when it's an incident that requires there immediate attention. Speeding because they think they can - no. Use of equipment to aid in an immediate situation - which is what the exemption should cover- yes, not slow time jobs that can be done safely and inside the law. It just seems like an abuse of the exemption. The law is the law and no one is above it. They have exemptions when they need it - for jobs that require that immediate presence.
If you uphold the law you should be seen to do that too. Don't abuse the exemption. Use it wisely or the public will become more and more fed up. The public have a right to question and should have honest answers, so far the police are not being clear and are definitely not dealing with officers who break the law.
K A - 8 years ago
The comments here show two things.
1) Police have a lot of public education to do.
2) Police have a lot of learning to do.
The comment about fire and ambulance personnel ... they actually CAN use handheld devices just like police while on duty when required for duty related purposes. All emergency services are able to.
On that front think about it for a minute. If a police officer is dispatched to your 911 call, you are fleeing from an assault or something urgent it ongoing, they will call you back to find you. You aren't sitting still they have to get you on the phone and keep track of where you are to meet up with you. Relaying that communication through third parties and dispatchers creates errors and delays. There are numerous other examples of times when police and all emergency services use communication devices and YES it does create a risk, but the decision is based on whether there is MORE risk in NOT communicating than in communicating.
As for radios and partners .. radios work to reach dispatchers and other police officers, but not someone in the public and partners cost the taxpayers over $100,000 per year so most police officers work alone in the cars because the taxpayers don't want to hire more.
You can't have it all. If you want that police officer to be able to find you in an emergency and you want them to get there fast and you don't want to pay to put 2 police officers in every car then your laws have to have these exemptions.
Having said all of that raise part 2 though. The police have to learn better how and when to use their authorities to "break the law" so to speak. This is no different than a police car speeding. There are times when it is 100% legitimate and necessary and times when it likely is not. Police have to work on not only doing what is right but on BEING SEEN to do what is right.
In the end they can't win though because the haters will continue to hate regardless. All they can do is go out of their way to give the public the choices. Personally I think that most of you deserve the police officer pulling over to call you while they are responding to your 911 call that a gunman just broke into your home and you are running down the street to try to get away from him.
Mike Griffith - 8 years ago
Cops may be trained to use the stuff they have at their finger tips. But you know they have hands free devices that come over the car's stereo system ( hands free) . SORRY no amount of training can teach you how to steer a vehicle while looking at your crotch, or computer screen, the floor ,etc. I have been a class one driver for 42 years. You need all 3 eyes on the road oh yea we only have two. I use a dash cam and you know cop cars float back and forth just like all the other distracted civilian vehicles . So no special treatment for them unless they have hands free park and talk !!!! Too Bad.
Femmefisher - 8 years ago
Police have RADIO's people. They should not be on a cell phone to call for back up or anything else for that matter. They are just like every other employee, they should not be on a phone while on government time!!
Daniel Bourcier - 8 years ago
That training thing is bullshit and so is the "work use" of her Iphone. So if you're a fireman, ambulance driver, or have any other career where you have to multi task, you can use your phone while driving? Funny they don't ask about your job title if they pull you over? If she was on a phone or mike connected to the car,ok. But what ever emergency from her Iphone can wait just like regular people.
nepoose - 8 years ago
Thats why they have a partner, and if they dont get one. They can operate the electronics.
CJ Smith - 8 years ago
How about the fact that the truck driver was also using a cellphone to take the image of this police officer in question. Emergency Services are trained and permitted to use electronic devices in the execution of their duties. He should be cited for distracted driving.
Tom jones - 8 years ago
It's about time the police answer to their indiscrections.
THey constantly flaut the law and provide a less than acceptable service to the public
They are not trained to drive and operate phones or computers either
4 days of driver training around a closed track of which each recruit has about 20 mins driving around cones. I hardly think that is demed highly trained?????
The public need to realize and have their eyes opened about what this service actually get up to
So, police have special training!! does that apply to riding motorcycles also, while on the phone?? I just find it, strange that so many police are using the cell phone all the time....I guess the radio's don't work very well...Plus the crotch texting must take some pretty special super advanced training....another law that is pointless, since no one "NO ONE" including the police pay attention to it....the double standards here, make any kind of respect for the police pretty hard....
So, police have special training!! does that apply to riding motorcycles also, while on the phone?? I just find it, strange that so many police are using the cell phone all the time....I guess the radio's don't work very well...Plus the crotch texting must take some pretty special super advanced training....another law that is pointless, since no one "NO ONE" including the police pay attention to it....the double standards here, make any kind of respect for the police pretty hard....
It's not necessary for a police officer to use a cellphone in his vehicle they have radios. And besides if I want it to take special training to use my cell phone in my car I should be able to do so if the police are.
Distracted driving may be more of a nuisance that a real safety concern anyhow, and they have found a way to cash in. It is annoying when someone sits are a green light because they are checking their phone, and some idiots out there are doing extremely unsafe things while they are supposed to be focused on driving, but see the link below on a an article outlining facts on distracted driving laws.
http://www.sense.bc.ca/2015/08/06/distracted-driving-an-inconvenient-truth/
So. If I take the "special training", I can legally use my phone, etc. while driving????
I don't believe it's about people hating the police. It's about being law enforcement and not above the law as so many officers feel they are. I have no argument with them doing a job that needs immediate response, but general enquires or a quick call to office on slow time incidents should be dealt with inside the law. Speeding yes when it's an incident that requires there immediate attention. Speeding because they think they can - no. Use of equipment to aid in an immediate situation - which is what the exemption should cover- yes, not slow time jobs that can be done safely and inside the law. It just seems like an abuse of the exemption. The law is the law and no one is above it. They have exemptions when they need it - for jobs that require that immediate presence.
If you uphold the law you should be seen to do that too. Don't abuse the exemption. Use it wisely or the public will become more and more fed up. The public have a right to question and should have honest answers, so far the police are not being clear and are definitely not dealing with officers who break the law.
The comments here show two things.
1) Police have a lot of public education to do.
2) Police have a lot of learning to do.
The comment about fire and ambulance personnel ... they actually CAN use handheld devices just like police while on duty when required for duty related purposes. All emergency services are able to.
On that front think about it for a minute. If a police officer is dispatched to your 911 call, you are fleeing from an assault or something urgent it ongoing, they will call you back to find you. You aren't sitting still they have to get you on the phone and keep track of where you are to meet up with you. Relaying that communication through third parties and dispatchers creates errors and delays. There are numerous other examples of times when police and all emergency services use communication devices and YES it does create a risk, but the decision is based on whether there is MORE risk in NOT communicating than in communicating.
As for radios and partners .. radios work to reach dispatchers and other police officers, but not someone in the public and partners cost the taxpayers over $100,000 per year so most police officers work alone in the cars because the taxpayers don't want to hire more.
You can't have it all. If you want that police officer to be able to find you in an emergency and you want them to get there fast and you don't want to pay to put 2 police officers in every car then your laws have to have these exemptions.
Having said all of that raise part 2 though. The police have to learn better how and when to use their authorities to "break the law" so to speak. This is no different than a police car speeding. There are times when it is 100% legitimate and necessary and times when it likely is not. Police have to work on not only doing what is right but on BEING SEEN to do what is right.
In the end they can't win though because the haters will continue to hate regardless. All they can do is go out of their way to give the public the choices. Personally I think that most of you deserve the police officer pulling over to call you while they are responding to your 911 call that a gunman just broke into your home and you are running down the street to try to get away from him.
Cops may be trained to use the stuff they have at their finger tips. But you know they have hands free devices that come over the car's stereo system ( hands free) . SORRY no amount of training can teach you how to steer a vehicle while looking at your crotch, or computer screen, the floor ,etc. I have been a class one driver for 42 years. You need all 3 eyes on the road oh yea we only have two. I use a dash cam and you know cop cars float back and forth just like all the other distracted civilian vehicles . So no special treatment for them unless they have hands free park and talk !!!! Too Bad.
Police have RADIO's people. They should not be on a cell phone to call for back up or anything else for that matter. They are just like every other employee, they should not be on a phone while on government time!!
That training thing is bullshit and so is the "work use" of her Iphone. So if you're a fireman, ambulance driver, or have any other career where you have to multi task, you can use your phone while driving? Funny they don't ask about your job title if they pull you over? If she was on a phone or mike connected to the car,ok. But what ever emergency from her Iphone can wait just like regular people.
Thats why they have a partner, and if they dont get one. They can operate the electronics.
How about the fact that the truck driver was also using a cellphone to take the image of this police officer in question. Emergency Services are trained and permitted to use electronic devices in the execution of their duties. He should be cited for distracted driving.
It's about time the police answer to their indiscrections.
THey constantly flaut the law and provide a less than acceptable service to the public
They are not trained to drive and operate phones or computers either
4 days of driver training around a closed track of which each recruit has about 20 mins driving around cones. I hardly think that is demed highly trained?????
The public need to realize and have their eyes opened about what this service actually get up to