Questions Posted to "Ask a Dispatcher"
Q. In regards to officers speeding question, I am not talking about in emergency situations or during traffic violations... I am talking about when cops are out just generally driving down the road. Techinically if they are going 1 mile over the speed limit that is speeding, and against the law, correct? or when they are going 60 miles an hour, or faster, whether they are going with the flow of traffic or not, is that not illegal? Basically what i want to know is what procedure would one do, for a cop to get a speeding ticket or traffic violation. in regard to emergency situations, I have fallowed a cop to a certain point a few times when they have gone 65 down the highway just to see where they are headed, not to a stalking degree though if thats illegal, and I have seen the cops are just out driving and and not responding to a call. So what i want to know is, is it okay for a cop to go one mile or any amount over the speed limit if they arent in an emergency situation or responding to a call, and how to see they get prosecuted because we all have equal rights? and i have been harassed and let go by an officer when i myself has been driving 60 down the highway right next to an officer. Also, when i start calling in when i see a cop speeding how do i fallow up and know what action was taken or whether they were technically responding to an emergency. I am not trying to be a pest, but make sure all out rights are equal and that there isnt any special treatment for police officers, although i do respect they put themselves in the line of duty to protect us citizens
Dear Juneau Resident,
If you suspect an officer is speeding you need to call JPD and ask to speak with that officer's supervisor. They will know or can find out if the officer was on a call, you can then follow up with that sergeant to see what happened. If you are not satisfied with the results please call that person's boss.
Police officers know and you should as well that car speedometers are not completely reliable. The patrol cars check their own speed by radar as well as other vehicles. There is a display inside the patrol car on the radar that shows an officer the verified patrol car speed.
Research shows police officers are much more likely to be killed in a traffic accident than in an arrest situation. Driving is a huge liability concern for all police departments and JPD wants to know if there are driving issues so please let us know if there is a problem. There is more at stake than a citation, it is a job requirement that officers drive with the law and risk to the public in mind at all times. Most people won't lose their jobs over bad driving, police officers can and do.
