I’ve never been in trouble with the law. I live in Los Angeles and in February I got pulled over on the freeway for speeding. I did not contest that and immediately admitted fault. I didn’t have my registration or proof of insurance on me and told the officer that, but stated it could all be verified as valid. He didn’t question or give me a hard time and proceeded to hand me my deserved ticket without any pushback for not having physical proof of those two items.

Watching videos of cop interactions I see so many people getting hassled in a similar situation as myself.

Is this just a cops discretion or does it have more to do with location?

Thank you!

So I’m 17 rn, I’m trans guy which I started T and I plan to get top surgery and like I want to join the police academy I wear glasses and I have asthma ALSO I’m 5’2..

Does this stuff affect my chances to become a policer:

I’m 5’2
I’m a trans guy
I wear glasses
I have asthma

.. when if I have to be 21 I’m wondering if this stuff still disqualifies me or will make me have a hard time

Weird question

I got pulled over by a local cop. It was a valid issue. He gave me a warning but then asked for my phone number. Instinctively I gave it and he wrote it down on his note book but later I realized I didn't really had to do that and asked why he needed it for. He said if my vehicle was somewhere during the snow etc they needed to contact me for something etc. That didn't sound right to me.

I have a serious question to all of the males in law enforcement.

I am a 24F, I believe that I have a calling to serve. I have been pursuing law enforcement for a little bit now. I haven’t applied yet but I’m planning on it in about 6 months or so. Mostly I’ve just been trying my best to get into shape and I’ve went on a couple of ride alongs.

Before I ask my question, I want to share some beliefs I have. I don’t think women should be in law enforcement UNLESS they truly truly believe that it is their calling and that they put in more effort than the men when it comes down to physical fitness. Because we all know it’s way harder for women to become physically fit, that’s just the way we were made. I believe that women can be leaders in law enforcement but it takes a very specific type. I also believe that women shouldn’t make up most of the team. I think the team should be at least 80% male. In short, I am not a feminist, and I respect men in their roles as leaders and officers as a woman myself.

So here’s my question(s) to the men. What do you believe a woman should work on before becoming an officer? How can she hold equal weight on the team with everyone else? We all know women aren’t as strong as men and that’s fine. But what do you look for in a good female partner? What makes you feel more comfortable when working with a female partner? What makes you feel like you can trust her to have your back just as equally as your male partners?

Any additional tips that you’d like to throw out there are welcome. Especially involving physical fitness, training etc.

Hi guys,

I'm 18 years old and got my first speeding ticket. I live in Westchester, NY, but I was visiting a friend a few hours away and got pulled over around 4 hours away on the taconic state parkway. I was going a bit over 75 in a 55, but they only cited me for a 75 in a 55. I'm still on my parents' insurance and I'd be completely okay with paying the ticket, but I'm afraid the points the ticket will give me will hit their insurance.

I've heard a lot of different things: pay the ticket, hire a lawyer, go to court myself. The only issue is that since the court is pretty far away I'd prefer to avoid having to drive all the way there. Is the only way to get around this paying the ticket?

Thank you!

I started working as a police officer in the criminal police two months ago as a lieutenant.

Today, I had my first experience calling a person’s mother to tell her that her son had died. Her reaction was exactly what you’d expect, but hearing her break down on the phone really got to me. I can’t stop thinking about it, and I feel like I ruined someone’s life by making that call, even though I know it wasn’t my fault.

For those of you who have been in law enforcement, EMS, or similar jobs, how do you cope with experiences like this? Does it get easier over time, or do you just learn how to carry it better?

The game would only be played during periods of downtime while waiting for calls.

Instead of staring at a phone or zoning out, officers would play an augmented reality shooter where the environment around them becomes the game world. Random adults and vehicles would occasionally receive temporary virtual markers visible only to the officer. The objective would be to virtually shoot these targets before they disappeared.

The point is to force officers to continuously observe their surroundings instead of mentally switching off.

To make the game fair and avoid obvious biases:

• No markers would ever appear on anyone estimated to be under 18.
• Marker placement would be randomized so that no demographic group was targeted more often than its prevalence in the general population.
• The game would pause instantly whenever a dispatch or radio transmission came in.

I think it could improve situational awareness. Instead of spending long periods of time passively waiting, officers would be actively tracking vehicles, pedestrians, and changes in their environment.

What do you think of this idea?

I decided I wanted to be a police officer this year and the department that I want closed their applications before I was ready to apply so I didn’t apply. I’m not in like peak shape but I’ve been really focusing on the POWER test aspects of things for the last couple months to get myself ready. I ended up having an injury that put me in a boot for 2 weeks and I’m still healing with it, but a department that I wouldn’t mind looking into and potentially working for opened applications (and they pay really well for entry level and more than the department I was looking at). I’m stuck between applying to this department and then if I want to try and lateral later to the department I wanted. Or if I should just get myself in even better shape to really be really for the POWER test and the academy.

I’ve been doing ride alongs with the department I wanted and the officer advised me that they probably won’t open applications for another 2 years. Which I don’t mind waiting I have a joke I get paid decent at right now so if that means making my money with that job until they open applications that’s chill.

Also does anyone know how often most of the suburbs or surrounding areas open applications because if I decide to wait and then want to apply to somewhere next year (after looking into if I want to go to that department) it would be nice to have an idea of any department would even be hiring sometimes next year.

Read the whole thing!!

I thought of something while watching some body cam footage. K-9 units are obviously an important part In police work. When some dogs are sent to be put down, why don’t some times professional trainers try to redeem the dog? While some dogs aren’t going to change some might and it might be easier if someone can redirect that aggressiveness towards something good rather than “fix” dog entirely. Especially if there is a large shortage at some point in canine units. I know the standard police dog is usually a German Shepherd, but breeds such as the pitbull have a very close psi bite in. Both are very smart. If the dog appears like its behavior is able to change why not try to redirect it towards something good and give the animal another chance at life? And possibly another home, maybe one better than the old one they had.

I’m not saying every single dog that is supposed to be euthanized should be redeemed. However, I am sure there are some dogs that are and might not even rightfully deserve the euthanizing.

Hopefully, this makes sense. I’m curious what other people think

(Not all breeds obviously, but breeds like the Kangal (strongest bite psi), Doberman, Cane Corso, etc. maybe even a smaller dog could have an advantage too)

Officer Anthony Dale Ferguson was shot and killed after chasing an evading suspect. Shot by a previous VIOLENT crimmanel who was arrested a few months prior on an officer involved shooting while possession of a firearm. He was released with a bail of.. Whopping ZERO dollars. His lawyers used a legal loophole and the judge said, and I quote, “Give him one more chance” letting him walk free after A VIOLENT altercation involving shots fired and police in New Mexico. After his release he was being pulled over for driving without headlights, fleed, got into a foot pursuit, and shot an officer in the face with a shotgun before cowardely continuing to run and then being arrested. Since the incident New Mexico made a whopping yet again ZERO charges to any legislation or ruling related to the release of a VIOLENT crimmanel with a cash bond of ZERO dollars. The Judge’s should be accountable for similar incidents like that and chnage has to occur, more and more incidents like these pccur and it frustrates me how all they say is “We’re sorry” and continue to do nothing.

If you want to see more indepth info watch the video “The Murder of Officer Anthony Ferguson” by Midwest Safety on Youtube.

Hi, this is to all NYPD who served the city throughout the 80s. I’m putting together a costume for this Halloween to go to a friend’s party here in the Indiana. I was wanting to ask questions about the gear and relay what I’ve got already for evaluation. So I ordered the classic 8-point hat, I have one already but it’s a little annoying to fit tbh so I’m trying Bayly’s for the new one, I have a leather Sam Browne belt, all the gear holders are leather on it, speedloader pouches, baton ring, maglite AND maglite belt ring. I ordered the powder blue duty shirt, some navy duty pants. My question is about the baton and duty holster. I have a baton, a monadnock polycarbonate NYPD style, did they carry the plastic ones in the 80s? Also, I know the revolver was carried in a specific holster for NYPD, but was any holster allowed for the gun or only those specific ones? Lastly, I’m going to get a nylon duty jacket since it’ll probably be chilly and sew some morale patches on the shoulder, I also have a prop badge and hat badge. Also, I have to find a fake mustache, that’s important. Oh! And I need to find a Motorola saber radio

I’ve been a cop for 11 years, and software development is my side hobby. I built an iPhone and Apple Watch app called LOC8.

Sometimes you just get turned around, no matter how well you know your city. Shit happens.

Foot pursuits. Perimeters. Backyards. Alleys. Large parking lots. Unfamiliar streets. You know roughly where you are, but you need the exact address, cross street, or coordinates fast.

This was built for those moments.

Now the biggest question is privacy.

LOC8 was built with privacy as a major focus from the beginning. There are no user accounts, no public profiles, and no location history someone can log into and view. The app is not designed to track where you have been.

By default, LOC8 simply uses your current location to show you the information you need in that moment.

The only live location sharing feature is Team Rooms. That feature is completely optional. One user creates a temporary room, receives a one time code, and shares that code with the people they want to join. Only users inside that room can see each other, and anyone can leave at any time.

The goal was never to build another tracking app. The goal was to build a fast, simple tool that helps you know exactly where you are when it matters.

Wall of text, my apologies.

Brief context: Once upon a time, I (33m) was a software engineer. I got laid off during workforce reductions. Single-income household. I became a cop to keep food on the table for my family, and it also just happened to be the job I always WANTED to be in, but software job was better for my family in every way so I went with that instead. 5 months ago, I received a job offer for a software dev role making the same money I was making at my old job. For the sake of my family, I couldn't refuse the offer, especially since we were expecting our second child (who was born shortly before I started the new job). End context.

So after 5 months of being out of LE, I CAN'T STAND IT. I absolutely hate my job. I hate being chained to a desk. I hate everything about this new corporate life. At first, I ignored it and powered through because I know it's a blessing. But now it's gotten to the point where I'm descending into full-on depression, which I have never had to navigate before, and all I can think about every second I am at work is being back out on the road and how I could be doing something, work-wise, that actually matters. Maybe not on a global scale, but locally in the community, showing up and saving a life, getting a family out of a shitty situation, or even just being there for someone to talk to when they're having a bad day will never NOT be what I want to do. (And yes, of course, there's all the other cool stuff we get to do, but that's just the cherry on top). Hands down, the greatest job I have ever had.

I know this sounds so damn corny, but I'm gonna say it, so bear with me. Honest to God, I grew up feeling that LE was my calling, and I validated that for myself by getting the opportunity to do it. And I was good at it. Not the rockstar of the agency, but still a good cop. Now that I'm out, I am fighting an internal battle every day to not walk out of the office and jump back in, even though it makes no sense financially. I've even gone so far as to talk to my old patrol captain and told him I was thinking about coming back. He's mentioned it to command staff, and there's a spot waiting for me if I decide to go. Nothing special about that, though, with staffing the way it is pretty much everywhere. But anyway, this is costing me mentally, and nothing feels right anymore.

What kind of person does it make me that I can't seem to find happiness and fulfillment in my family alone and in making sure they are comfortable? I can't seem to make that my only care in the world, and it makes me feel even more like shit. Feels selfish. So my options are: I stay the course, I fight this seemingly pathetic depression (I feel uncomfortable even calling it that), and the hatred for the work I do. Or I go back and cause my family a temporary, but no less insignificant, financial strain while I get to be the person I want to be for both myself and for them. It seems like whichever I choose, my family still loses in some way. Be it financially or from me being... Whatever the hell I'm being right now.

At this point, I'm really just ranting/venting/trying to convince myself that this is ridiculous. At the end of the day, I'm an adult; I need to act like one, and I need to make this decision with my wife. I've already spoken to her about it, and of course, the issue is just money. She's very supportive of me going back into LE because she knows that's where my heart is in terms of my career. So I'm not necessarily asking what I should do, but I guess I'm trying to validate these feelings and hear from some other folks in LE to see if y'all have had a situation where you felt the same. Have you had to leave and have/had these same feelings? Any advice on how the hell I get my head right? Probably a shrink, huh?

My department is requiring me to purchase

-Flashlight
-Handcuffs
-Firearm

Need recommendations for all three. Cost doesn’t really matter, as I would rather pay a premium for quality.

I’ll be using .45 for my service weapon. Obviously I know it’s kind of personal preference. But looking for recommendations at least for what to try and shoot, rather then shooting everything.

Hello,

I just wanted to get some insight from officers who either are gay or have worked with gay officers how that goes? I am wanting to make a career swap to LEO, however, I will say I am *very* gay. Like of course I can still be confident, and I do think I would have the ability to control a situation, etc (and if not completely, thats what training is for) - but I will say I definitely have "gay voice" - as in the moment I say hello you WILL know that I am a gay man.
Do you know of officers getting flack for this from their departments or even from general public when working calls, etc. (E.g. have you seen a gay cop be called a f*ggot, how did they react, etc) - for context I do live in the Southeastern US and would be applying for a medium sized city, but not a major metropolitan area.
My hope is that it's 2026 and as far as coworkers/departments so I would assume its generally not a big deal anymore as long as they are a good officer, etc. But just curious if anyone has any first hand experience they want to share. I did used to be in the Navy back in 2015 and it wasn't really a big deal other than a few random encounters here and there, and there definitely was a couple of people in leadership that treated me a specific way but I think those were outliers in the grand scheme.
Appreciate any insight that you guys may have.

Hey everyone,
I'm an active law enforcement officer (20+), and over the last several months I've been building an app called BlueShifts because I got tired of trying to manage my work schedule using what’s currently out there. I tried several police-specific calendars, but I either found them too complicated or they just didn't fit the way I wanted to organize my schedule and off-duty work.

As a thank-you to the officers helping shape the app, early adopters will receive free lifetime access. I'm much more interested in getting honest feedback from fellow officers than trying to sell subscriptions.

Instead of creating another generic calendar, I wanted to build something designed specifically for police officers and other shift workers.
So far, the app includes:

Custom rotating shift schedules
Off-duty job scheduling
Off-duty earnings tracking
Business mileage tracking
Court date scheduling
Leave and vacation scheduling
Hours worked for off-duty details
Paid, pending, and total off-duty earnings
Sunrise and sunset times
Federal holiday indicators
Schedule sharing with a spouse or significant other
Shared calendar event indicators
Court directory
Jail directory
Hospital directory
Gate codes
Useful work contacts
Off-duty employer contacts
Off-duty scheduler contacts
Personal notes attached to events
Multi-day event support

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blueshifts-police-calendar/id6785681164

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shiftsandoffduty.police

A clean monthly calendar designed around shift work instead of a generic planner

One thing that was really important to me is privacy. The app doesn't require creating an account, and your schedule and personal information stay on your phone—they aren't stored on app servers.

I'm genuinely looking for feedback from other officers.

What feature would make you actually switch to a dedicated police calendar?

What do you dislike about your current scheduling method or calendar app?

Is there anything you've always wished a police calendar would do that you haven't seen yet?

I'm not trying to sell anything here. I'm looking for honest feedback from people who actually work the job so I can make the app as useful as possible.
I'd really appreciate any suggestions, criticism, or ideas—even if it's something small that would make your day a little easier.
Stay safe out there. 🚔

Hi all - I’m 30F and Michigan-based. I’ve worked in an office since graduating college, and I’m looking for a career change.

Working as a police officer has always ignited a lot of interest for me, but there are several factors that make me nervous.

First and foremost, I know l’ll need to get in shape before being able to pass the physical exam.

I’m also wondering the typical trajectory and timeline for advancing in your career. I know it may vary by department.

I’d really like to work towards detective work. I do have the Bachelor’s degree, but wondering what else plays a role in getting there.

I also see from a lot of other posts that the department politics can be brutal. I’m used to a pretty clinical office culture where everyone is pretty to-themselves and respectful.

Overall, if I do work towards getting through the police academy, I want to make sure I know what I’m in for and don’t regret leaving the office environment…even if it is soul sucking.

I mean, I don't care how fit the girl is, if I was a cop I would really want to avoid doing it out of fear of something getting misinterpreted. Only one allegation can end a copper's career or worse.

Following the event, does it usually create an awkward atmosphere at the station? I was watching some body cam footage on YouTube of intense situations. Situations involving gunfire between cops and hostels or when securing a crash site, stuff like that? A lot of these videos have cops, firefighters and even EMTs screaming at each other, hurling insults like "Ya idiot!", "You dumb fuck!", "You and I are gonna have a talk afterwards with the captain to straighten you out!"

Ambulances, fire fighters, backup, BearCat vehicles, et cetera get screamed at for not coming the scene fast enough, and insults are traded. For any of you with insight on this, is it normal for cops to resolve the "hangover" the following day with apologies and accepting the sacred rule of "don't take it personally"?

I get stressed when I get questioned heavily. Guess it’s just a byproduct of extremely strict parents who used to interrogate me lol. So I’m nervous as heck for tmr because it’s a stressed based test and I’m already stressed.

Genuine questions for former police officers or maybe those who's somehow still in service since early 2000's how much attachment were you freely allowed to install in your issued patrol rifle like flashlight and optics or scopes into your carbines back then compared to today? where almost every patrol rifles given to you guys have complete set up in present day.

Im an officer at a local school. In May, I had my performance evaluation. It went well and I was congratulated for a job well done over the past year.. then I made an idiot error Facebook post about that I was depressed and that despite having a positive end of year evaluation, I still felt I didnt do a good job. The post also mentioned I was on antidepressants ams that sometimes I forgot to take them

That last part was what HR focused on. I was brought in by HR and put on administrative leave pending a fit for duty evaluation. I passed and I was brought in this past monday. My chief stated that he dug a bit into my past and questioned about an incident that happened 16 years ago when I had a suicide attempt. Then another incident about a year after that when I had a dunk guy barge into my house and I fired my gun at him. I didnt hit him but he got the message and left. The sheriff's department agreed with me and said I had the option to kill him.

Fast forward back to this past monday.. that was put together with my Facebook post and they kept saying that I will harm the image of the ISD if that would to be found out if a major incident would to occur. And that people would question them on why I was still employed. I asked if I was being terminated and that insisted several times I was not. But also kept stating "if you decided to leave, we would support you and give you 6 weeks of pay to help you transition. The police force is in need of good officers like yourself." I replied "are good officers not needed here?" Which that reiterated that I should think of the image of the district and that with those three cases on you that it wouldn't look well and we would all be out of a job... but. "We will support you decision either way" they made it seem I would be the selfish one if I were to stay..HR also mentioned that the other officers wouldn't feel safe working with you given this issue and my past..

I dont want to stay some place that im not wanted but I also dont think I should leave just because I had a suicide attempt 16 years ago and that im on antidepressants now...

What do you guys think?

I noticed recently in a motorcade a single VPD-marked BMW RT 1250 alongside the old Harley Davidsons. Is this a precursor to replacing the entire fleet in the VPD? Couldn't find anything online about it, so just curious. Does anyone know?