My run-in with the cops...

[Shifty]

Okay, so I was on my way back from the city at about 8.30 tonight. The cops had set up camp in their normal sneaky spot - on the Expressway onramp near QUT, booking outbound cars.

So anyway, as I'm merging onto the Expressway a 4WD in one of the outer lanes does about 115 past me, then coasts back to the speed limit so we're travelling along together, in a staggered formation with a short distance between us.

A short time later (I was just passing the Vulture Street exit by this time, and had already moved across one lane as the left-most lane automatically exists) the cop car suddenly comes flying past me at 160km/h, about an inch from my mirror, under full brakes, and nearly runs square into the back of the 4WD - only missing the pair of us because the curve in the road caused the cop car to end up in my lane as he braked straight-on.

The cop car ended up a few car lengths in front of the 4WD still under brakes, then dropped back beside it and turned the lights on.

Okay:

* it is not necessary to do 160km/h to catch a vehicle doing 80km/h
* even if it had been appropriate, driving in such a manner warrants announcement by lights & sirens in advance, not after the fact. What if I'd been changing lanes as they came past me, assuming that the headlights in the distance were doing 80-ish?
* the cop obviously has no idea how to handle the car at that speed
* the cop obviously has no idea how to read traffic or anticipate required actions in advance
* this uniform-wearing prick is the same one who would give me a lecture & fine for doing 10km/h over the limit, write me up for a loud exhaust or book me for an 'unsafe' mudguard.

I took the details of the cop car and basic description of the driver (male, approx 50yo), and headed to the nearby Dutton Park Police station (open 24 hours). I was there for ages and the Sergeant on duty spent the whole time playing good cop bad cop - pretending to be on my side but arguing every point in the most ridiculous manner. In short he stated that if there was no accident then the conduct was neither dangerous nor inappropriate and that the officer was trained to drive in that manner - he said he was happy to have a member of the public come in and tell him that the officer was doing his job.

The Sergeant pointed out that the officer put his life on the line every time he put on his uniform (this I assume makes it OK to endanger everyone else), and the Sergeant also insisted blindly that as a 25-year member of 'the force' that his assessment of the happenings were more valid than mine even though *I* was the witness and he wasn't even there.

What a crock of shit. Suggestions on the next move?

[Lainie]

No ideas on the next step but shit yeah that sucks. Have seen it many times on the freeway near my place. The same car same cop almost near takes the bike with him when pulling him over. I shit myself evertime I see him go after a bike.......

[chameleon]

waste of time there shifty, sarge was only doing his job, and their job is to protect each other.
I'll only go into a cop-shop if I have handcuffs on mate, no other reason. What society, the media, and government portray about the force is a lot different to reality. I could tell you stories, O so many stories.

Your next step is to "forget it" you are fighting a losing battle for nothing.

[Shifty]

And that's precisely why I'd like to do something.

The reason we have these bullshit laws is that everyone sits on their hands and says "oh well"

[chameleon]

And that's precisely why I'd like to do something.

The reason we have these bullshit laws is that everyone sits on their hands and says "oh well"

well if your determined to make a difference, see the ombudsman, or the CJC. I think the CJC is still in operation, may or may not have been compromised. make sure you come back and tell us how you faired.

[targanon]

Yeah I'm on that one too, and it does yield results a little while ago I had a run in with one cycle cop that spends his duty time in the hills around Brisbane.. This cop did get a reprimand and a mark against his name ... I wrote the commissioner for police in QLD and the CJC and I got a fair amount of correspondence.. from them re the matter.. it took some ringing around to find the right place to get something done but, if we all sit back and say DOH they just going to pat each other on the back I can't do anything.. Your right you can't but if you write in and complain about X copper and I write in a do the same adventurely something will happen its kinda like voting.. if one person votes for and 10 against he losses but if 10 more people vote with him well he's has won.. well anyway the more people that complain about the way the coppers are doing they job something will be done.. we are their Quality Control so to speak... Macca's have to make good burgers or they get in trouble so I think coppers need to as well...

[Barrabob]

Shifty if that 4wd was doing 101 kph down that bit of road they would have booked him for about 500 bucks and 6 points trust me and the fact it is the highway has nill to do with it or that it may heve been 2am and there was no trafic on it.

Its one of the ones i didnt get around to fighting where they hide behind a concrete wall and a couple of gaurd rails and the copper in the passenger side lines up the rader through the drivers ear and there is a sign about 50 meters away that says 80kph but they go for the lower speed limit anyyway to boost the ticket.

I will go with camelion the only way i will go into a cop shop these days is in handcuffs.

[targanon]

Hey shifty I meant to say HI

[greenmeanie]

Two options:

1. Foget about it.

2. Write letters of complaint to CMC/Local state member parliament etc. Not emails......they can't lost or not received .

Got to remember shifty you are dealing with qld coppers(a law amongst themselves....D's are worse).
They will lie their arse off to save themselves esp in court.
Can't drive 4 shit.....yeah that is a given.

Personally i would forget about it.

What you do is up to you shifty.

[Stereo]

That really sucks....

Unfortunately you will find that cops are constantly being accused of negligence, harrasment, abuse, stupidity....

It makes the guys and girls on the desks in the stations reluctant to bother with taking any complaints...

If you are serious about getting it investigated, you have to ring up police headquarters, talk to the operator and ask them who to speak to about this, they will put you through to the correct person who can help you....

Talking to a copper in the copshop is not the best way to go.... They spend most of their time avoiding doing any real work...

[ZX10R King]

My guess is he would be from the Roma St headquarters cop shop anyway. Ring them, rport the rego number and complaint. Then go higher (i.e. CJC or whatever deals with this)

[ozx6r]

next move ? - go to the fridge and crack a jimmy can

& forget about it!

[Lucas]

In short he stated that if there was no accident then the conduct was neither dangerous nor inappropriate and that the officer was trained to drive in that manner - he said he was happy to have a member of the public come in and tell him that the officer was doing his job.

Hmmmmm didn't Neka just get a fine for doing something they said wasn't in control of the vehicle .......... but if he didnt crash then going by the officer's opinion it wasnt wrong

as always 2 different Laws one for them one for me
Like if i park on a nature strip i get a fine
but they park their speed cameras on it

Shifty you could write to your local minister about it

[John H]

I think if they put your own safety in jeopardy by conducting a chase at such unnecessary speed, you really should kick up a stink and complain. Like any other job, the police no doubt recruit a few morons and unless someone actually makes a point of complaining, the morons just keep on being morons.

I had a similar experience on the Hume Highway once during the holiday period. I'm driving a car doing absolutely spot on 110km/h, and some guy sails past me in the overtaking lane at about 125ish. Maybe a minute or two later, an SS Commodore cop car comes past in the overtaking lane, with NO LIGHTS OR SIRENS at what I would estimate to be close to 200km/h if not over - the speed difference was so great it was like the way cars whoosh past you if you're parked in the emergency lane, except in this case I'm doing 110km/h! I'm just imagining what could have happened if someone had tried to merge into the overtaking lane ahead of him - when you do a quick mirror/headcheck you're generally checking your immediate vicinity, not a couple of hundred metres back up the road. The copper was 10 times the menace to safety that the guy doing 125 in a 110 zone was.

I wish I'd complained officially about that dickhead in the SS Commodore at the time - and I reckon you should complain further about the copper who nearly collected you. It's crazy if it can be left purely to the discretion of the sergeant in a police station as to whether your complaint gets lodged officially or not.

[RG]

It's not the first time we encounter this shit, I mean the 'cops can't drive' part.
I'd luv to arm myself with a video cam and spend 2 hrs sitting beside the roads n catch the coppers do this kind of shit.

Anyone wanna sponsor me for this good cause?