Are the police allowed to break the law?

fairly smart

They are supposed to follow all traffic laws...UNLESS they have their lights and/or sirens on. The second they could be looking for loiterers, or someone in trouble, but since there was no other traffic, lights wouldn't matter. People have been known to be assulted on trails & cycle paths, I wouldn't mind seeing them on there!

Hello

they are not allowed to break the law but in emergencies it can be allowed. although it has to be within reason.

pirate_princess

I have seen them seriously take the mick, but the two examples you've given I wouldn't complain about.

fdm215

Hello? The lights and sirens generally give the police a bit of leeway in the performance of their jobs. As for the second case, you'd have to know what they were actually doing in order to judge. There may have been a reasonable explanation.

coons69

if their emergency ligts and siren are on they can disregard traffic laws, but must use due regard for other dirvers ie...slowing down at a red light, make sure everyone is yeilding to them and then go through the red light. The van was probably on a detail that required them to be there.

Ian UK

I can't see why this would be a problem to you.

I have driven on cycle tracks and the wrong way up one way streets when on emergency calls.

I will however have to justify my actions and face any possible consequences if my actions are ever brought into question.

I also do these things to be able to do what I joined for. To help the public and to prevent and detect crime (in a nutshell).

CG-23 Sailor

For those who cite examples of cops breaking laws as a cop car turning on its lights to get through an intersection then turning them back off and going on their way....

They were going to a call you idiots.

there are three ways a cop uses their lights...
Codes 1,2,and 3.

Code 1: No lights or sirens
This is used for routine calls like going to take a complaint report or other some such call that does not involve some major law violation.

Code 2: Using lights only at the intersections.
This is what you people think is wrong. They ARE going to a call. probably a fight or some other disturbance where they DO need to get there quicker but does not justify a full Code 3 response.

Code 3: Full lights and sirens
This is the max emergency response mode. someones life is in immediate danger, a serious crime that is "IN PROGRESS" as opposed to a serious crime being reported after the fact.

Lets give some examples...

A wife calls and reports that her husband hit her earlier today. she wants to file charges and make a report.
CODE 1: No immediate danger to the wife. the crime already happened earlier

A wife calls 911 and reports she and her husband fighting. she then gets in a verbal yelling arguement with the husband who is there and the dispatcher can hear the fight over the open line. the arguement is heated and may result in physical violence but not yet. a check shows a history of fights and the husband has a record for domestic violence.
CODE 2: There is a likelyhood of a violent crime may occur

Wife calls police and the husband takes the phone away. dispatcher can hear physical fighting and the wife screaming in pain and terror as the husband beats her.
CODE 3: Someones life is in immediate danger.

Cops do NOT go code 3 to every call
Just because you dont know the call does not mean there is no call

Dont make judgements from a position of IGNORANCE

davidmi711

They are not allowed to violate the law, however the law normally exempts emergency vehicles from many vehicle codes. As such, they are doing something that would be illegal for you, but it is not for them.

dazzla00

They certainly are treated differently when they have committed a crime compared to a civilian.

Dan W

The minute you need a cop, you're going to be hoping they come the wrong way up that one-way street if that's the quickest way for them to get to you.

Philbomoog

The police are not allowed to break the law but there are numerous exemptions that allow them to do things that would otherwise be illegal. e.g. running red lights and carrying weapons.

Mr Abba

The same laws apply to them too. When they are in an emergency situation then its fine for them to go against the rules.

bradhart2

no they aren't allowed to break the law though there are provisions most places that allow them to do things that are normally illegal such as one way street violation thus making it not illegal for them to do.

jmc445976

When responding to an emergency, the emergency services do have a general exemption from the road traffic act when driving under 'blue lights'. I very much doubt the blues and twos were being used simply to warn other vehicles.

waffleage

The van could have been looking for someone or something, but no they're not allowed to break the law like that. They can speed though.

Here i have a police officer who doesn't like to stop at stoplights/signs, so he turns his lights on to get through them and then stops when there are no more.

woodyhou

Patrol vehicles and emergency vehicles are exempt from traffic law. With that being said if we get into an accident in the process we get more discipline than a regular citizen would for doing the same thing.

walt

There is one law for them and one law for us. The thing is, their law is better than ours, they make it up as they go along.

Butcher Bird

Yes, it is called corruption and police misconduct and the smaller more rural areas, according to the FBI and DOJ are overloaded with cases. I know this because I have charges and an investigation going on. I was surprised when the FBI agent said it would be a while, there were a lot of other cases ahead of mine in my county in Rural Missouri. I found it hard to believe this is more land and cows then people. So yes, they get away with it and then threaten you, falsify information or evidence, force you to move. My old commanding officer told me they call small towns, butt buddy town. Because if you are not part of the "click" your a scapegoat for whatever.
But yes, police always break the law. If you think about the logic, it is your word against a cops, so usually that is all it takes for the cop to get away with breaking the law.

txlady1us

In the state of Texas they are required to obey the same traffic laws as a citizen, as far as I know. Emergency or not, they could cost someone else's life if they do otherwise, but there may be some exceptions to the law because of emergency or pursuit laws, but I don't think so.

Suze

yeah one day my friend and i were on our way to a football game when a cop car pulled out in front of us and almost hit her front end, he was playing solitaire on his laptop the whole time, not even paying attention, and they always turn on their sirens so they can avoid red lights and traffic, it pisses me off

You have to understand police mentality. Cops think they are
all above the law and can do what they want. NOT TRUE!
Citizens need to capture these antics on film and also report these loose cannons to the federal and state attorney general.
This also goes for the many corrupt DA's out there also!

Sioneâ„¢

I would assume the van was on some sort of "mission"... That being said, the police are "allowed" to break the law in ways... Like cop cars that flash their sirens all of a sudden while at a red light, go through the light, then turn their lights back off and go on their merry way. It seems like I've seen a lessening of this in Seattle, but it's a common occurrance...

PRyder2000

I used to live in a city where they have a large pedestrian area, where you could often see police cars driving merrily through it for no apparent reason.

Also, in a neighbouring city you could often see the police driving along, then put the lights on as they go past a speed camera, and then turn them off afterwards. I assume the only reason they did that was to cover the fact they were going over the limit by pretending they're on an emergency. Bit cheeky, really.

I also once saw two police motorcyclists on the M1 who were blatantly racing each other at over 100mph. They were slowing down and then speeding up again, which they wouldn't have been doing if they'd been on a genuine emergency. But who's to stop them?

It's one law for them, and another for us, just because they are the enforcers, so there's no one to enforce them to keep to the law themselves.

If you recall that police officer who was arrested for speeding through a built up area, a year or so ago, claiming he was testing the handling of the car, and practicing in case of emergency - he was obviously having a bit of fun at the tax payers' expense, and doing what no one else is allowed to do. I can't believe that there was controversy over his arrest! Practice, indeed! Suppose he'd ploughed into a bunch of primary school children crossing the road, and killed them all! Would he get out the car and say, "No, it's all right! That was just a practice! I won't do that in a real emergency. Line up another load of children, and I'll have another go! I'll try and get it right this time." Rules are rules and are there for a reason. The fact it's police breaking the rules is neither here-nor-there.

A friend of mine was nearly beaten up by police once. The force they used was clearly classed as "unreasonable," but they got away with it because they were police. No one else would.

It's a disgrace!

iStlYrSmileBby

No. The police, just like everyone else has to obey the law. However, granted the fact that they enforce the law, they sometimes feel above the law.

thenamezemily.

theyre not supposed to but they believe they will not be punished for anything so they do as they please.

shitebird

only to cover their tracks when they do break the law.

otherwise they are not allowed to publicly.

unfortunately they do

Happiest mom & wife

well to be honest they dont suppose to but they all do ,the only way that they could go through a one way street is when they have a major emergency,but unfortunatle they all think that they rule the world,they even park on pumps but if another person do it they will get a huge ticket..thats why there are so many accident happening with police and their cars,they drive like a maniacs and run the red light when they dont have too only because they are late to get the last Donut on Dunkin Donuts..thats my opinion..

Mr. Party

It happens every day. What about the guy getting beat up by the officer who is looking around before he punches the guy again, yelling, "stop resisting". Or the LVMPD who chased a guy into a dumpster and when it turned out the guy was dead from a gunshot wound, they said it was suicide, yet the trajectory would have to mean the guy stuck his hand outside the lid and shot though the lid to kill himself? It happens every day, and will only get worse before it gets better.

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