While off duty...

[CAL]

How do you act/view your ability as a peace officer while off duty? In other words, if you witness a crime being committed off duty what would you do? Would you only call 911 and report the crime or would you step in and take action yourself?

I got to thinking about this after a discussion with one of my instructors in the academy. He basically said that although he has the authority as a Texas peace officer he doesn't ever get involved if and when he witnesses a crime being committed - he only calls 911 (his department requires only "some action being taken").

An example he gave was that one evening outside of his apartment he heard a lady screaming and crying. When he looked through his peephole he witnessed a man beating the shit out of her. His only action was dialing 911, he did not intervene. In the time it took the police to arrive (apparently it took awhile) he continued to knock the crap out of her and caused serious bodily injury. This story made myself and several other classmates somewhat angry and I think about this story fairly often.

[DD78]

It all depends on the situation. You absolutely need to call 911. That's a given. The rest all depends on what the crime is, how important immediate action is, and what my situation is.

In the specified action described by you I'd have to call and then act.

In some situations you'd be better off being a good witness. For example you see two guys robbing a store at gunpoint. By intervening, even when you are armed off duty, you could end up escalating the situation, get yourself or someone else killed, and possibly get yourself shot by arriving officers.

You have to recall that you have no body armor, possibly no weapon, no intermediate force tools, and most importantly, no radio. The radio is your lifeline and is your most important patrol tool.

It's a case by case thing.

[Broke Hoss]

It's a case by case thing

I agree completely. I've only become involved actively in just a handfull of things off duty in 26 yrs; none of which required force or even drawing my weapon. Although I did make sure it was very easily accessable a time or two. Most were drunks, either driving or stealing from a local store. I just detained them; through command presence & verbal commands till the cavalry got there. If they'd wanted to fight; I'd likely have just stepped aside.

In the situation you describe; I'd probably call 911; gather up a weapon, OC, & maybe a vest & radio. Then head outside to intervene, from a safe distance. Of course here we're small nuff that we all know each other too. You go throwing in large departments or living in a different jurisdiction. And you start having to consider officer safety from the expected reaction of the responders as well.

[DD78]

I've intervened three times in a little over three years. Only once was it a crime.

I was at a bar with a bunch of friends and we find that some drunk asshat sitting in my buddy's jeep. I only identified myself as a cop because the guy didn't seem like a career criminal but he was getting uppity and like he wanted to fight. We knew all the bouncers and I had about six friends as backup, so I was pretty well covered. I figured if he had a real threat of getting locked up he would shut his hole. He did. It was one city over from where I worked and I knew the guys who work that beat anyhow.

Turns out he was cocked and got in the wrong Jeep. Advised and sent on his way. Not really a crime but you could find a chickenshit charge for it. We were concerned that he was trying to steal stuff or the Jeep altogether.

I've "responded" to two bad car wrecks since I got on the job. One in MA and one in NJ, both with injuries. You have to step in on those because do-gooders from the general public will come in and fuck up the accident scene, jack up traffic flow, and often will do damage to the wounded in their efforts to help.

Me and my brother (also a cop) tended to an injured motorcyclist, preserved the scene as a "crime scene" (weren't sure if the guy was going to make it but he did), rerouted traffic, and tended to the injured until an off duty paramedic took that over. We held it together until the NJ Troopers arrived...1/2 hr. later. We continued to assist until the rescue and other Troopers arrived at the 45 minute mark. This was at 6pm on the NJ Turnpike so it was no small task.

Didn't even get a thank you from them. Treated us like we were assholes. Fuck the NJ State Police.

The other was a small town cop who got broadsided in his patrol car by an unliscensed driver. We only interevened a few moments there until his backup and MA State Police arrived. We gave a statement (saw the accident) and left.

[Broke Hoss]

I've assisted at several wrecks over the years; my wife is a nurse so it is pretty well impossible for us to just drive by a bad 1. When I was on SWAT & had a take home car we had a kid pulling a trailer wreck out near the end of our driveway (rural area/state hiway). I went down there in my patrol unit & used the reds to ease up traffic; radio in for DPS & called the kid's parents for him. I stayed with him till the wrecker arrived (DPS got what they needed & left). The kid's dad wrote an atta-boy letter to my chief for it (nice gesture).

I remember eating dinner with my family once and the guy at the table behind us was a little drunk. Just enough to be loud & vulgar. He was ranting to his wife/girlfriend how his food was all wrong; dropping the F-bomb about every 3rd word. I badged him; explained that the offense of Disorderly Conduct is the use of loud, profane, indecent or abusive language in a public place, that tends to create a breech of the peace. And that his rantings were offending me & my family. I told him I was confident that if he would politely notify the manager they would make his meal right so as not to lose a customer. But if he continued we'd both miss this meal but I'd be the only 1 going home with my family tonight. He shut up & apologized to me & my family after we finished & were leaving. He did ask why I badged him right off. I told him it was more to remind myself to keep my cool & not strangle him like I was tempted to do. I then left with my family for ice cream.