New Jersey: How come cops can drive while talking on cell phones?

da bomb

Listen, officers have been specially trained for years in the art of talking on their radios, taking directions, driving at high rates of speed, handling certain driving maneuvers and all the while under a lot of pressure. This kind of training is not offered to the public at the DMV. Get over it.

UPDATE:
Since you want to know exactly why officers carry cell phones, I will tell you. I have been the wife of an officer who is now a Captain for 15 years. When you have a serious case or accident going on, where names, addresses, and locations are disclosed, they will try to do as much of their communication over the phone as possible because reporters break into their radio frequencies and meet or beat the officers to the scene of a crime or accident. When that happens, the officers can't conduct their investigation without the constant shadow and questions of the press...even though they do not quite yet have answers. Not to mention there are people (reporters) there compromising a crime/accident scene when they sneak around to areas that are supposed to be off limits...and yes, they do this, unfortunately.

So, when they are on the phone conducting business, is it against the law to laugh? Are you saying that you have NEVER laughed at work? If you were in that line of work, you would take every laugh you could possibly get. One more thing, remember that an officer's vehicle is his/her office or desk. That's where they spend most if not all of their work day. How else are family supposed to keep in contact?

gomanyes562

Cops often use their cell phones for business when the radios don't have reception or when they need to talk in private.

Steven C

Sometimes we have to follow up with the hospital on a victim or suspect. That is why we are on the phone.

mikeysco

I just going to assume that cell phone use while driving is illegal in New Jersey. It will be in California starting next year.

Of course, it could be that just like California, New Jersey exempts certain people from that law - like police officers who might be using the phone for official reasons. Laughter does not necessarily equal unofficial, so it's a little presumptuous of you to *assume* that the law does not exempt police officers and that the officers you saw were using their phones for unofficial reasons.

Now, if the law in New Jersey does indeed exempt cops, your complaint is not with the cops, it's with the lawmakers. An important distinction to remain aware of.

Vindicaire

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone while at work. I have made calls to my sergeant, victims, witnesses, case workers, probation officers, the jail, the information center (warrants/no contact orders), and more.

The radios in my area are "on the air" an amazing 90% of the time. That is just communications between dispatch and the officers. Sensitive information is NEVER broadcast on the open frequencies, but is instead given in phone calls.

*****

They are NOT suppose to. They are to OBEY the very laws they enforce. They do it because, THEY CAN.

londa627

How come cops get free coffee?, how come cops can speed?, How come cops can run red lights?...its just a mystery.....lol

jim w

cops answer calls on cell phone . i hope that the last person that runs into you while talking on a phone is a cop.most people avoid cops . they dont speed by a cop while they are on the phone. thats just dumb . a cop is working and trained to do so while driveing. dont drive and talk on the phone .. wish they would outlaw it here to

it's bad for everyone when this happens i'm not perfect and try not to do it often

Logic316

To "DA BOMB":
Special training, my @ss! About 2 weeks ago I was driving to a garage sale in Mamaroneck, NY and I almost T-boned a local cop who ran a stop sign while he was yakking on a cell phone. There's only so much multitasking the human brain can do, and using a phone while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk no matter what kind of training or experience you have.

There's a big difference between using a cell phone and a two-way radio. Telephones operate in full duplex, meaning you can both talk and listen at the same time. A two-way radio can only operate in half-duplex, meaning you can talk OR listen, but not both. This makes using a two-way police radio or a C.B. much less distracting than using a phone, and is thus safer.

you_are_the1

if they dont talk and u r getting robbed they will not come to help u, and u will be scrued

Bush is not conservative

because they are above the law. They are god-creatures, and they demand your respect (or they will tazer you and throw you in jail!)

Gerald

I hope that when you see this again--- tell the officer of your disapproval... No they are not above the law. Take his name and badge number and write a complaint to the Chief of police.
Remember --- he is not going to give you a break...

LEO53

If it's against the law and they are violating it, report them to their Sgt. If that doesn't work, call the local news, they love that stuff.

Jaci { R.I.P. Casey }

beats the heck out of me - they do it in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties also
if you ever get to ask them, ask why they are also allowed to drive above the speed limit for no reason and use their lights and sirens to get through slow traffic when there isn't an emergency (I've seen them turn the lights & sirens off a block or so later)
these are things that make me go "hmmm"
- Jaci
.

Darkgift

listen, I don't care if its official business. Get a Bluetooth like the rest of us. If its illegal, its illegal. No one here can say that cops don't abuse their privileges. We see them on their phones, we them put the lights on just to beat a red light, and it just gets worse every hear. I'm not a cop basher. I have cops in the family, and they say the same thing. Even admit to it themselves. What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong.

Darkgift

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