The Privileged Many: "Professional Courtesy" Exposed
April 10th, 2008 Posted in James Baxter, Professional Courtesy, Traffic Tickets
By Jim Baxter, NMA President
Jennifer Muir of the Orange County Register did a little digging at the California DMV and found that thousands of state employees have special license plates that are not traceable for enforcement purposes. The recipients are primarily involved with enforcement activities, although for many that’s a stretch. The rationalization is that they need untraceable plates to protect themselves from vengeful criminals.
As it turns out the “confidential plates” also protect the holders from traffic tickets, parking fines, road tolls, and other unpleasantries of life. They are just one more example of our two tiered society where the farmers, clerks, merchants, mechanics and homemakers are held to the letter of the law while the police, courthouse residents, and elected officials have “professional courtesy.”
Our system was based on the ideal that everyone is to be held to the same standard, be equally responsible for our actions and that there not be an anointed elite with privileged status. Granted, this is an “ideal” and ideals are something we strive for knowing that perfection is usually not achievable.
Still, when a glaring and pregnant contradiction to the ideal is so apparent and malignant, as is “professional courtesy,” why is it so readily ignored?
Jennifer Muir’s exposé uncovered a program that has existed for three decades and was certainly obvious to our “representatives,“ those in positions of power. Of course they too were attracted to confidential license plates.
For as long as traffic laws have been enforced there has been professional courtesy among police officers. Cops don’t give tickets to other cops. Why is that? If these laws have merit and it’s to everyone’s benefit that these laws be obeyed why aren’t the enforcers held accountable?
Cops don’t let other cops rob, kidnap, or murder — what’s up with traffic laws? Could it be that many of these laws are not necessary, constructive, or fair, and the police inherently know this? Is it that many of these laws and their enforcement are more about making a buck for the sponsoring governments than they are about public safety?
Perhaps the ultimate solution to professional courtesy is to trim back the laws to those the cops will enforce against other cops and see how that works out.
Image Credit: IntangibleArts
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14 Responses to “The Privileged Many: "Professional Courtesy" Exposed”
By Ted on Aug 10, 2008
Like it not the Police are a privileged group and if you don’t like it prepare to be imprisoned after the coup.
By Brian on Aug 1, 2008
Warren,
By that argument, Bartenders should be immune from DUI charges, computer programmers should be immune from hacking charges, and bankers should be allowed to mug people — after all, they’re used to people handing them money at work!
Stupid argument. Try again.
By Warren on Jun 30, 2008
Look folks,I am not a cop or anything like that, but I have to say Give the cops a break! Put yourself in their position. They have a thankless job, not to mention inherently dangerous. Lets say you worked 10-12hrs a day, after a few years on the job, you would be more likely to say, run a red light or make an illegal turn or something. They have to rush, not just have to, they are expected to be their when there is a problem within a heartbeat, and they try. They get so used to trying during all thos working days, they sometimes forget and bring a little of that into their personal life. I think it should be expected that they will do this. and yes, because of their job, I would say a little leeway should be given. Now We are just reffering to traffic type things. I don’t think anyone here is saying they get away with murder. When they do make the bigger mistakes like drunk driving, I think they should have the same consequences as anyone else. They should after all, know better!
By Scott M. Karriker on Apr 14, 2008
There is no such thing as “professional courtesy” in this case. If someone singles out a group of people and decides not to enforce the laws or enforce the laws on a particular class of people, it is called discrimination. It is illegal and there are many websites where the officers brag about giving special rights to their co-workers. Let’s start labeling it as it is an not calling it professional courtesy . . . it is discrimination.
By Dan on Apr 14, 2008
“Professional Courtesy” is the new corruption.
Actually, there’s a decent argument to be made to get your ticket dismissed because the laws aren’t being enforced equally, in accordance with the “equal protection” clause of the 14th Amendment.
By JOE on Apr 13, 2008
Here’s a good local debate about such; read the comments after the article; “Woman killed in accident with trooper identified” ;http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=11&articleID=071201_1__Awoma30052
By JOE on Apr 13, 2008
“Professional Courtesy” has got to go. It erodes the confidence of the driving public in our justice system, the sense of fairness. As I have said before, law enforcement is like no other job. We tolerate a certain number of bad people in most jobs, we can’t in law enforcement. Professional Courtesy rendered in most jobs hurts nobodies reputation or sense of fairness, it does in law enforcement. One of the bedrock principals in this country is that no one is above the law. I don’t see an exclusion in there for law enforcement, a public official or a member of some cops family.
By lamac66 on Apr 12, 2008
Well,this article wasn’t addressing egregious crimes.Of course you don’t get the professional courtesy on murder…although some would disagree.
The article I think was addressing traffic laws. Professional courtesy does exist in that regard.
By TOM on Apr 12, 2008
A PS: I WAS EVEN TOLD IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR ME TO “USE” IT AS I WOULD BE IMPERSONATING AN OCCIFUR.
By TOM on Apr 12, 2008
I HAVE OVER 50 PHOTOS OF CARS WITH A FRONT LICENCE PLATE OR A WINDOD STICKER THAT IS BLACK WITH A THIN BLUE LINE ON THEM. DO YOU THINK IT’S A COURTESY CARD? DUH!!! COPS HAVE TOLD ME IT IS, AND THEY EVEN MAKE “TARGETS” OUT OF THEIR FAMILY CARS BY PUTTING THEM THERE. I SPOKE WITH MY LOCAL CHIEF, AND HE AGREED SAYING MOST OF THE CARES ARE ON “YOUNGER” OFFICERS, AND THEY ARE “PRETTY STUPID”!!!I AM GOING TO SEND THE PHOTOS TO ERIC.
By Carl Brutananadilewski on Apr 12, 2008
Hook me up with one of those sweet plates!
And while we’re at it, to level the playing field we should suspend all traffic laws; after all, they are an oppression of our freedoms! Speed limits, having to be sober when driving, and having to be able to see properly are all steps towards a dictatorship.
Driving the speed limit means the terrorists have won!
By GuardingTheGuards on Apr 11, 2008
Denying won’t help you, Jon and One Eyed.
We know what you are up to.
By One Eyed on Apr 11, 2008
I agree Jon, they don’t read the news very much.
I am a law enforcement officer and last year I arrested an off duty police officer for DUI. It’s our job.
By Jon on Apr 10, 2008
“Cops don’t let other cops rob, kidnap, or murder”
Don’t read the news very much huh?
My area a trooper just got caught stealing $900.00 from a motorist during a traffic stop. He was caught only because the motorist went to the AG not other cops.
A cop out west recently fell asleep at the wheel and killed two cyclists and his fellow cops ensured the investigation was sufficiently botched as to have no change in criminal court.
Another was in the news last Nov(?) for cuffing an innocent bystander and keeping him locked in a police car for several hours; again sufficiently covered up by the other fine examples in the department so as not to have any charges leveled.