A point has been mentioned here, which continues to be ignored... how did the cops know that there was a hold up at Applebee's ?

JLee, this thing about checking on cops making traffic stops, is that why any cop who passes me when I get pulled over stops too? Even out-of-county cop cars?

Dude, you have to realize that first you need to call the police (and do so without giving yourself away that you are, which quite often is only possible after the robber has left the store), you need to get connected to the dispatcher (which takes time for the system to work out which one to connect you to), you have to give all the baisc information about what is happening (ie, robbery in progress with x weapon at x location at x street,), you then need to have the dispatcher alert the police in the area, who then need to listen to the information, then they need to drive to the area, which even if the robber is still there, will take time to get there as the police cant just go at 100mph, they need to go at a safe speed so they dont run anyone over or crash their car (because cars can realy only remain controlable at certain speeds, which will vary depending on the road quality, not to mention the fact that you cant take turns in built up areas at high speed without taking a big risk of rolling the car), and depending where they are in their patrol area, it may take a few minutes to get there (not to mention that there may be trafic that they need to avoid)

This is what I would call the ideal situation.

I guess there is just too many variables.

Zonardi- do you think we're going to blindly respond to a robbery in progress call?

Where are you?
What is happening?
Is this happening now?
Are they in the building?
If they've left, what are they driving?
Is anyone hurt?
If so, how many and how badly?
Are they armed?
What are they armed with?
How many of them are there?
What do they look like?

Not to mention that your entire argument is based on speculation...

I mean.. I would hope so honestly. You're telling me if I called dispatch and I whispered "there is a robbery at applebees send help" and I hang up.. They aren't going to take me seriously?

They would investigate it in the order all of the other crank calls are received.

We call for more guys because going home at the end of the day is a top priority. I make it a habit to check on the other guys when they're on traffic stops, even if it's just a "routine" (there is no such thing, but whatever) stop. This job is not predictable.

Yes it is illegal to have drug paraphernalia. But looking at a pipe and assuming it's used in drugs is just that, and assumption. He could have used that pipe to smoke tobacco in which case it would have been totally legal. They tested his pipe for crack.. which it obviously turned up negative.

I guess.... Sometimes it just seems excessive though. Like calling five other cars when a guy is already in custody, or cooperating.

Well when I called 911 from my cellular is was enough info for Grove City Ohio police department to call me back within less than a minute, so it must be enough information.

Lots of straw men in this thread, building Zan's argument up so you can treat him like ****.

I get what Zan's saying. I'm not sure I agree, but if you do agree that pot shouldn't be illegal, he wouldn't be in trouble for his illegal firearm. I'm kind of worried about someone so stupid as to leave his pipe laying around (You said this is his usual spot?) having a gun in his car, though.

I'm kind of worried about someone so stupid as to leave his pipe laying around (You said this is his usual spot?) having a gun in his car, though.

Yeah I'm serious, I'd do it now and video tape it but I'm not as dumb as you guys think I am.

Wait what are you saying?

Are you aware that you do not have to know the location of someone in order to call them?

Which is, of course, irrelevant because it is not legal.

It doesn't matter. He was illegally carrying a gun in his car and got caught because he was stupid.

Of course you would say that. As a police officer, a person is supposed to uphold the law, I understand that. Discussing the stupid marijuana laws isn't irrelevant simply because the law is final for your job as a police officer.

Of course you would say that. As a police officer, a person is supposed to uphold the law, I understand that. Discussing the stupid marijuana laws isn't irrelevant simply because the law is final for your job as a police officer.

Exactly- which is why nobody should be faulting the cops for doing their job.

I fault cops for enforcing unjust laws. The same way that "I was following orders" does not exempt you from war crimes.

Uh, that sounds nice and all, even almost works as an example, but war crimes are defined acts that are illegal, so committing them is pretty much breaking the law.