Freedom Hating Brit Beaten up by US Cops for Crossing Road

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 01-12-2007, 01:18

Originally Posted by Tribesman

So if he was working as a security guard at a hotel then does he have any right to demand someones ID in the street ?

He would be expected to.

**Dave1984** · 01-12-2007, 01:24

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

He would be expected to.

How come? I could see it if they were acting suspiciously on trying to enter the premises, but not actually with regard to an offence they commited not directly connected to the hotel.

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 01-12-2007, 01:34

Originally Posted by D Wilson

How come? I could see it if they were acting suspiciously on trying to enter the premises, but not actually with regard to an offence they commited not directly connected to the hotel.

They are supposed to stop crime if they see it even if off duty. Makes sense to me.

Originally Posted by Goofball

My mind is boggling here. Are you saying that any American business or individual with enough $$ can hire a cop to do his bidding while the cop is still acting in his capacity and exercising his authority as a police officer?

That does not sound right.

I can understand hiring a cop to work security for you while he is off duty, but it seems, well, corrupt, for lack of a better word, to have a police officer trading on the authority granted to him by virtue of his uniform.

A cop on another forum was taking questions and he said this. Businesses like to hire police because they are trained and reliable, and cops like to make extra money. If you see standing around walmart that's what they are doing.

**Dave1984** · 01-12-2007, 01:36

[QUOTE=Sasaki Kojiro]They are supposed to stop crime if they see it even if off duty. Makes sense to me.
/QUOTE]

Hmm yes, but then how does that expectation extend to an average citixen's civic duty?

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 01-12-2007, 01:39

Originally Posted by D Wilson

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

They are supposed to stop crime if they see it even if off duty. Makes sense to me.

Hmm yes, but then how does that expectation extend to an average citixen's civic duty?

Average citizens aren't cops? If someone tells you "hey, you can't walk across the street like that" and you are over the age of 15, then they are a cop. Not a "rude young man" or whatever

**Goofball** · 01-12-2007, 01:47

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

Average citizens aren't cops? If someone tells you "hey, you can't walk across the street like that" and you are over the age of 15, then they are a cop. Not a "rude young man" or whatever

Really?

I was waiting at the mouth of my driveway yesterday to pull out into traffic, when a pedestrian walked up to my window (my driveway, as many do, crosses the sidewalk, so my vehicle was blocking the sidewalk as I waited for an opening in traffic). She was quite angry with me and told me in a voice that had quite an air of command to it that I had to back up off of the sidewalk to let pedestrians pass.

By your criteria, I should have assumed that she was a police officer and done exactly what she told me to do.

As it happens, I played the odds that she wasn't a police officer, and told her exactly what I thought she should do...

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 01-12-2007, 01:50

Originally Posted by Goofball

Really?

I was waiting at the mouth of my driveway yesterday to pull out into traffic, when a pedestrian walked up to my window (my driveway, as many do, crosses the sidewalk, so my vehicle was blocking the sidewalk as I waited for an opening in traffic). She was quite angry with me and told me in a voice that had quite an air of command to it that I had to back up off of the sidewalk to let pedestrians pass.

By your criteria, I should have assumed that she was a police officer and done exactly what she told me to do.

As it happens, I played the odds that she wasn't a police officer, and told her exactly what I thought she should do...

I thought you lived in Canada.

Originally Posted by Goofball

But they should not be able to do this in uniform, pretending to still be acting in their official capacity as police officers, when, in the case you describe, they are nothing more than Wal Mart employees.

Why not? They can still arrest people. They would be there to catch shoplifters not restock shelves or something.

**Goofball** · 01-12-2007, 01:50

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

A cop on another forum was taking questions and he said this. Businesses like to hire police because they are trained and reliable, and cops like to make extra money. If you see standing around walmart that's what they are doing.

But they should not be able to do this in uniform, pretending to still be acting in their official capacity as police officers, when, in the case you describe, they are nothing more than Wal Mart employees.