When police officers are caught driving drunk, they naturally incur especially severe consequences, since it’s vital that they set an example of respect for the laws, and since recklessness is an especially dangerous trait to tolerate in persons who are issued public guns and given arbitrary authority over the lives and liberty of others.
Just kidding! For what really happens to police officers caught driving drunk, at least in one big metropolitan area, see this investigative series (week of Aug. 6) in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (via Ed Brayton). And for reminders of the law’s attitude toward ordinary citizens caught in the same circumstances, see, for example, Aug. 13, 2004, Apr. 19, 2005, and Dec. 2, 2005 (& welcome Instapundit readers).
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In crime and punishment; Seattle
Thanks for blowing the lid off of this!
Oh wait, stuff lik this has ben common knowledge for years, but most of the public are just too stupid to care.
Most small to medium city departments aren’t like that. My former city, for example, fires people for it. A lot depends on the blood alcohol level and whether it’s happened before but the officer didn’t “officially” get caught, ie: has an off duty history of it but only according to rumor.
The other thing to keep in mind is, well at least in California, there are two sections of the vehicle code that deal with drunk driving; one is simply “impaired”, and the other is blood alcohol content over the legal limit. One can be “impaired” while still being under the legal limit. Could have genuinely had one beer but forgot he took cold meds or something.
Anyway, while it’s wrong to hold the public accountable to a level that law enforcement isn’t, it’s also equally wrong to hold law enforcement accountable to a level that the public isn’t. And the latter? Happens all the time. The public just never hears about stuff like cops getting fired for running a red light.
“The public just never hears about stuff like cops getting fired for running a red light.”
Because it doesn’t happen. You are obviously not from NJ. My friend is a cop. He pretty much doesn’t pay attention to lights, signs, or any of those annoying things the rest of us put up with.
An officer of the law getting away with drinking and driving?
Who does he think he is? Paris Hilton?
Why shouldn’t law enforcement be held to a higher standard than the rest of us? They get to break traffic laws at will, carry firearms, and order their fellow citizens around. I see no reason they should not be held to a higher standard. The community is elevating their privileges and is entitled to expect elevated behavior.
Cops definitely SHOULD be held to a higher standard!
Thy are given special privileges, many of them with great potential for abuse. Only those with the highest character should be given such authority and privilege.
Wow. I didn’t know Patrick Kennedy was a cop.
My rule is: Anyone that wants to be a policeman or politician, should not be allowed to be one. I’m still working out the details of the implementation plan.
Walter - I’ll see your drunk driving police officer and raise you a two drunk driving Nashville police officers who were DUI and turned a beautiful and promising college student into a speed bump.
The two female off-duty officers were not administered a field sobriety for an hour afterwards, were not handcuffed and were allowed to drink water before receiving the test when she still blew over .16.
The student is now mentally and physically disabled for life.
It is one of the tragedies of America today that police officers, who are empowered with privileges and authority far above those of average citizens, are not held to a STANDARD higher than that of the average citizen. I understand that the work is hard and sometimes dangerous; but that doesn’t make it right for them to behave as petty, spoiled, tinpot tyrants.
Put a breath-a-lyzer in cop cars. Problem solved.
I remember a story from a few years ago about Chicago Police getting drunk and shooting at civilians for sport. I searched “Chicago Police Drunk” hoping to find the story, and Google returned 2,040,000 hits. I give up!!!