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Interesting observation

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  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, June 24, 2018 12:57 PM

RR police probably wouldn't have messed it up, but I can see where David's coming from.  These are local kids, the local LEO's are going to have a better knowledge of who the real toublemakers are as opposed to some kids that are just plain bored and who just need a good scare to get them back to the "straight and narrow."

Sometimes practical law enforcement is best left to the locals.  And all the cops I've known over the years prefer it that way. 

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, June 24, 2018 1:13 PM

As an opposite side of things, up here in the North, the RCMP are rotated out and new officers come in continuously, so as to avoid any familiarity. Seems to work.  

  • Member since
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  • From: Henrico, VA
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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, June 24, 2018 1:21 PM

Miningman

As an opposite side of things, up here in the North, the RCMP are rotated out and new officers come in continuously, so as to avoid any familiarity. Seems to work.  

 

The FBI here in the US used to have the same policy, and may still.  A new agent would be assigned to any part of the country other than where he came from just to avoid problems with local familiarity.  He might end up on his home turf after he'd been on the job for a while and picked up rank and experience.  I can't say whether that was right or wrong, but it worked for them. 

Mind you, there is a difference.  In Miningman's area the RCMP is the law enforcement agency.  The FBI is strictly Federal and not (and never was) intended to take the place of local police departments. 

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, June 25, 2018 9:30 AM

Familiarity is a two-edged sword.  The buddy-buddy aspect, wherein an officer might look the other way because the perp is a friend is the bad side.

The good side is the officer knowing that if such-and-such happens, it's probably so-and-so who's involved.

Was out on an EMS call not long ago.  One of the officers commented that she was very familiar with the patient...  And not on a personal level.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by wilmette2210 on Monday, June 25, 2018 9:31 PM

In my area the RR Police often do respond to Train VS Car/Train VS pedesterian accident. How come you almost never see them outside of yards or big terminals? And is it common for them to respond to striking incidents? Or will that depend on the area? Thanks. 

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