Advocacy & Safety - The Worst Bicycle Cop Ever.

Last night I was sitting at a cafe in the downtown area of my hometown when a bike cop rode by. The street where he was riding is a two way street with parking between the two lanes. This cop was riding the wrong way up one side, and then ten minutes later, he came cruising back down on the sidewalks. This particular area of my town has a specific ordinance forbiding sidewalk bicycling.

How can a police oficer get away with this level of ignorance in relation to the law? Especialy laws pertaining directly to what he does every day in the line of duty. I was disgusted.

Issue a citizens arrest immediately! ... or just ignore him and he will eventually learn the hard way that he is supposed to be follow the same rules as automobiles.

Last night I was sitting at a cafe in the downtown area of my hometown when a bike cop rode by. The street where he was riding is a two way street with parking between the two lanes. This cop was riding the wrong way up one side, and then ten minutes later, he came cruising back down on the sidewalks. This particular area of my town has a specific ordinance forbiding sidewalk bicycling.

How can a police oficer get away with this level of ignorance in relation to the law? Especialy laws pertaining directly to what he does every day in the line of duty. I was disgusted.

Call the cops on him! The moron's a menace and danger to society!

he will eventually learn the hard way that he is supposed to be follow the same rules as automobiles.

what's the "hard way" for a cop? no one's going to arrest him and if he hits someone, he'll just write them a ticket.

in my town, the bike cops like to stunt around on their mtbs on the steps of city hall.

Call the station and report him to his superior officers. Don't even need to talk to him, necessarily.

Call the station and report him to his superior officers. Don't even need to talk to him, necessarily.

+1


someone did this in my city when a cop swerved into them while on a cell phone.

oh my god...he was riding the wrong way on a bike...well they do that in cars too. Often, during routine patrol, officers write tickets... an easy to identify ticket is "expired registration". walking, riding or driving the "wrong" way allows an officer to see the registration sticker (as well as the inspection sticker) on the windshield. Police officers can do things that are prohibited by civilians...thats just the way it is. What he cannot do is carelessly place people's lives or personal safety in jeopardy in a reckless manner. From your scenario, he did not.

Last night I was sitting at a cafe in the downtown area of my hometown when a bike cop rode by. The street where he was riding is a two way street with parking between the two lanes. This cop was riding the wrong way up one side, and then ten minutes later, he came cruising back down on the sidewalks. This particular area of my town has a specific ordinance forbiding sidewalk bicycling.

How can a police oficer get away with this level of ignorance in relation to the law? Especialy laws pertaining directly to what he does every day in the line of duty. I was disgusted.Better check your own level of understanding of the law. Many, perhaps all, states have statutes exempting LEOs on bikes from at least some of the statutes applicable to bicycle riders.

I'll add my story. Last year I was pulled over by and LEO on my commute home for taking the lane and "blocking traffic". Whe I pointed out that--by NC law--cyclists are allowed to take the lane when necessary (and gave my reasons) he told me he was a bike cop in Durham so he "knew the law" and that the law doesn't allow cyclists to take the lane. I'll skip a bunch of the story but say that I assumed he wasn't telling the truth about being a bicycle cop since he was so ignorant of the law.

Fast-forward to the Ride of Silence a few weeks ago. We were escorted by several cops riding bikes. Standing in the parking with my wife before the ride, sure enough one of the police cars pulled up alongside me and my wife and out came the officer who pulled me over, and he had one of those police bikes and carriers on the back.

Alas, I didn't have the b*lls to go talk to him. :(

First, many police do not know all the traffic laws; bicycle-specific laws are often buried deep in the traffic codes. Secondly, as was mentioned above, many jurisdictions do indeed exempt police from traffic and some public-place trespassing laws if the performance of their particular duty at the time is made more expedient by doing so, providing they exercise due care to not present a safety hazard to the public. Obviously, this can be abused, and is a huge gray area, but this is what allows, for example, an officer to park a police car in a no-parking area for enforcement or safety purposes.

If police officers are observed doing something perceived as dangerous, illegal, or otherwise questionable, there is no harm in writing a letter or sending an e-mail to the appropriate official offices, to address the issue. Just keep in mind that their actions may be legitimate, even if it does not look that way. If the actions are not legit, I would think that letting the powers-that-be handle it would be the best first course of action. No need to get all activist about it unless the powers-that-be ignore a problem, and it is indeed determined to violate a law or policy.

Why should they follow the law on the bikes? when was the last time you ever saw a highway state patrol car anywhere NEAR the speed limit.


Police officers can do things that are prohibited by civilians.
if the officer is in the US: No they are not allowed to violate the law nor are they seperate from civilians. The police are civilians they are subject to the exact same laws as the general population.
The military personel are not civilians as there are not subject to either the US constitution and subject to local civilian laws and the UCMJ which allows double jeopardy if in violation of a civilian law. i.e public drunkeness. you get the civilian court punshment + the ucmj punishment.

additionaly military personnel are not subject to the benefits given in the constitution that a civilian law enforcemnt officer has. search and seiziure and so forth.

if the officer is in the US: No they are not allowed to violate the law nor are they seperate from civilians. The police are civilians they are subject to the exact same laws as the general population.

A LOT of states have laws on the books prohibiting traffic citations for public employees "in the official performance of their duties." Ever see a cop car parked on a sidewalk? They can, if they need to, to perform their duties.

As for Portland, there is a specific exemption for bike cops to ride on the sidewalks written right into the law.

Before making blanket statements about what a local jurisdiction says police can or cannot do, it might be prudent to look it up first. In some cases, such exemptions may not be in the traffic or penal code, but may be part of "case law." Case law is an opinion rendered by a higher court, which has the effect of statutory law.

I don't have my voluminous Texas traffic code with me; it is at the station, in my locker, and I am on vacation, so I cannot research whether the traffic law exemption for Texas peace officers is written into the traffic code. It may be in the Code of Criminal Procedure, but that is also in my locker. Obviously, an emergency vehicle, with proper lights and a siren, can disregard traffic laws, but what about the entirely practical aspect of a foot pursuit? If I am, for example, on foot patrol, and see a robbing hood knock a bicycle commuter on the head, grab his Timbuktu messenger bag, and flee on foot, do I cease my foot pursuit at the curb when the perp disregards a "Don't Walk" signal?

In a similar vein, how can I check a city park for trespassing crackheads and thieves, if I don't enter the city park myself? (Local parks close at 11 PM, except those otherwise posted for 24-hour access.) On private property that is publicly accessible, and posted against trespassing, how can I check for trespassers if I don't cruise through the parking lot and look behind the building? Think the DA will prosecute me for trespassing. Nope, of course not; the very act of the property owner posting the signs indicates he wants enforcement to happen.

Other than actual written exemptions and exceptions, there is also what jurisprudence calls the doctrine of competing harms. Thinks of it as a variation of the lesser of two evils. That is what is at work when I drive into a business parking lot to look for graffiti artists and copper thieves. It is also what is in play when a private citizen shoots an armed intruder. It may be illegal to discharge a firearm within a populated area, but that does not mean bandits can ****, loot, and pillage at will.

OK, I am not a lawyer, and this is all just my educated opinion/interpretation. I wear a badge, but not for the hometown shown in my profile. Moreover, I am addressing larger issues, not just the specific incident in the original post. :)

if the owner of the property does not want loe on the property they should not go on said property. for routine patrols. think of industiral campusus where you are trespassing and if you are on that campus and you see technology that is still under development what is your obligation to see whats under the tarp? or enter the building in general? basiccly with your loose interpretation where does your imminate domain stop?


City park you are essentially the city security .. much like securitas at my company's campus.


i love how those with a badge and a gun get to determine what laws they do an do not get to bend / break.

If these are in your local laws i would fight to have them repealed.

i am not anti L.E. i am anti I have a gun and a badge and what are your going to do about it attitude that is previlent in the l.e. community.

if the officer is in the US: No they are not allowed to violate the law nor are they seperate from civilians.



Yes, they do have to abide by the same laws of the land...but they are separate from civilians......What I said was officers can do things that civilians cannot. Officer's primary responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the state. In performing those duties they can do a lot of things that civilians cannot...

mind your own business.

Last night I was sitting at a cafe in the downtown area of my hometown when a bike cop rode by.

In this case I've got to side with the cop. He was the cyclist while you were merely a sedentarian. I mean Jeeze, what's next... sedentarian lanes? "Share the road with sedentarianists" signs? Vehicular sitting! At a cafe huh. Probably a trendy cafe where everyone dresses in black. That would make you a ninja sedentarianist. Okay it's not like you all can sneak up behind me, but dang it's hard to see you guys at night. There needs to be mandatory reflector laws for the sitting.

can you open a cars trunk? no
can you demand to see someones pockets no.
can you assualt no
can a polce car run a red light with out lights. no

My sons first ride on the rode was almost his last when a squad car OUT of Jurisdiction cut across a gas station lot to avoid the red light and the 3 cars on front of him. Stop the I am a cop there fore i don't have to follow the law, besides what are you going to do about it." You do.

I was told by a cop that i was not allowed to have a car with a differnet licence plate then the state of my drivers licence. at which point i told him to get his superviser and da out here so we can discuss the matter. Why cause i had out of state plates.

i had a cop shine alley light in my car at 5am in the winter yes while i was on the highway. with my family because i refused to move to the right when was doing about 90 and got on my bumber while i had the cruise set for 65. empty highway he could have passed after a few miles enought time to run my plate i did move to the right and thats when he tried to blind me. if he was on a call why would he tailgate me for so long if he was not on a call why was he doing 90? sorry i have been on the other side. and have seen too many instance of this agresive behavior from cops. cops just expect non cops to bow down .. sorry thats not how a democracy works.

Other than actual written exemptions and exceptions, there is also what jurisprudence calls the doctrine of competing harms. Thinks of it as a variation of the lesser of two evils. That is what is at work when I drive into a business parking lot to look for graffiti artists and copper thieves. It is also what is in play when a private citizen shoots an armed intruder. It may be illegal to discharge a firearm within a populated area, but that does not mean bandits can ****, loot, and pillage at will.


This is a very good post by Rex G; can I say that this is definitely not the first post from him that was a balanced, intelligent perspective from a LEO?

Call the station and report him to his superior officers. Don't even need to talk to him, necessarily.

How about we just cool it and be glad there is a police officer on the beat on a bicycle or on foot?

A police officer is riding a bicycle on a sidewalk and THIS is worth getting all wound up about?

Time to get outside for a bicycle ride.

If you see the bicycle cop, buy him a coffee and have a convesation with him. Maybe you can ask HIM why he is riding on the sidewalk and against traffic.

i had a cop shine alley light in my car at 5am in the winter yes while i was on the highway. with my family because i refused to move to the right when was doing about 90 and got on my bumber while i had the cruise set for 65. empty highway he could have passed after a few miles enought time to run my plate i did move to the right and thats when he tried to blind me. if he was on a call why would he tailgate me for so long if he was not on a call why was he doing 90? sorry i have been on the other side. and have seen too many instance of this agresive behavior from cops. cops just expect non cops to bow down .. sorry thats not how a democracy works.

Sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation. Maybe a point?

I know that there are bad cops out there, but in a place like Los Angeles they have an awful job and I certainly cut them some slack. In all but one occasion they've been courteous and helpful. Not many of us have to worry about someone possibly trying to kill us everyday at work.

I'm with some of the other posters and am happy every time I see a cop out patrolling, it means they are doing their job.

there was a bicycle blog floating around and periodically a bicycle cop would post an article every now and then.

He specifically addressed the riding on the sidewalk thing. They have a very good reason to do it, and they aren't breaking the law.

They typically go very slow (under 5mph) when riding on the sidewalk. They ride slow so they can be visible to the community and can stop and talk to pedestians, store owners, etc. etc. It's pretty much impossible to ride 5 mph in normal traffic.

Riding slowly on the sidewalk also gives them greater field of vision than riding on the street. I'm sure someone remembers the blog and will post a link to the article. It was an interesting read.

^ precisely correct! it's all about "community policing" and getting to know the populace, storeowners, restaurant proprietors, mechanics, and others who are part of the extended "eyes & ears" of crimefighting.
don't get all frothy about a police officer pedaling on the sidewalk, he/she is keeping his/her eyes open to help decent, law-abiding people.

if the officer is in the US: No they are not allowed to violate the law nor are they seperate from civilians. The police are civilians they are subject to the exact same laws as the general population.


Incorrect. In WI, law enforcement officers are allowed to exceed the speed limit, disregard parking restrictions, block the flow of traffic, etc. as allowed pursuant to WI State Statutes. Show me a source where civilians can do any of the above legally.

can you open a cars trunk? no
can you demand to see someones pockets no.
can you assualt no
can a polce car run a red light with out lights. no



Again, all incorrect. Law enforcement officers can search a vehicle trunk. Terry v. Ohio allows a LE officer to frisk for weapons, including pockets. Assaults, well, look up the definition of deadly force pertaining to LE Officers. And, yes, LE Officers can go through a red traffic control signal without emergency lighting equipment and sirens, while operating with due regard, if responding to a felony and the use of emergency lighting and sirens would alert the offender of the officer response, resulting in further injury to the victim, destruction of evidence, or allowing them opportunity to flee during commission of a crime.

I suggest you do some additional research, stOut, before you post your opinions on such matters. Oh, and check your spelling and grammatical correctness, please.

Constant bashing by the lawless police-haters gets truly tiresome.

Constant bashing by the lawless police-haters gets truly tiresome.

Well than you really won't like this :thumb:

The Worst Bicycle Cop Ever:
http://www.columbussoapboxderby.com/Web%20pages/pig%20on%20a%20bicycle.gif

Take a chill.
Authority is meant to have harsh critics, else it turns into oppression.

Well. The sidewalk thing would not be so bad if this wasnt an area that has "safety officers" that kick you off the sidewalk if you have wheels and threaten to confiscate whatever you are riding.

Authority is meant to have harsh critics, else it turns into oppression.

I agree. The power given to those enforcing laws, regardless of state or country, is a great power, and should never be looked upon lightly. Scrutiny should be expected. After all, complacency breeds contempt.

Nice pic, by the way! :lol:

I agree. The power given to those enforcing laws, regardless of state or country, is a great power, and should never be looked upon lightly. Scrutiny should be expected. After all, complacency breeds contempt.



That's great, but pick your battles. A cop riding on the sidewalk has a purpose. A cop beating down a hippie at a critical mass rally and then lying about it doesn't.

A cop riding on the sidewalk has a purpose. A cop beating down a hippie at a critical mass rally and then lying about it doesn't.:D

Constant bashing by the lawless police-haters gets truly tiresome.

feathers i am not bashing the police. what i am bashing is the assumption that they can do anything they want and we should just STFU. That somehow they are above the law of the common man.

OK, a non-bike-cop story to keep things in perspective: I was dispatched, one late night, to a "priority 3" prowler call, which means I was not authorized to use lights and siren, or disregard traffic laws while enroute. Yet, when I read the information on the computer screen, it clearly indicated the possibility that the prowler was already inside the house. Do y'all think I waited patiently at the dozen-or-so red lights I encountered? No, I slowed, looked, and kept going. I arrived right about the time THREE FELONS turned her bedroom's doorknob.

OK, so was I evil and corrupt for not waiting for those red lights? Perhaps, but I don't lose sleep over it, and I can look at myself in the mirror.

Again, all incorrect. Law enforcement officers can search a vehicle trunk. Terry v. Ohio allows a LE officer to frisk for weapons, including pockets. Assaults, well, look up the definition of deadly force pertaining to LE Officers. And, yes, LE Officers can go through a red traffic control signal without emergency lighting equipment and sirens, while operating with due regard, if responding to a felony and the use of emergency lighting and sirens would alert the offender of the officer response, resulting in further injury to the victim, destruction of evidence, or allowing them opportunity to flee during commission of a crime.

I suggest you do some additional research, stOut, before you post your opinions on such matters. Oh, and check your spelling and grammatical correctness, please.

No they can ask they cannot search without propable cause. or a warrent.
Yes they can while responding to an emergency violate the speed limit to an extent without lights. However I refuse to believe that EVERY squad car i have seen with 100% accuracy on the high is responding to a code.

A police officer may assualt if the situation warrants it. Not to use there car as a weapon to the general public just because the officer does not like you. i.e. when i just do not move over and they ant get to to donut shop in time.

Bascially what your position is that the police can do anything at anytime. and we just have to yield to the man? is that your point?
BTW when i was thinking of becoming a cop and was graduating from a cadet to officer for a 2 year stint. I told the chief of police that i thought his officer where below contempt that i wold execute my duites and then depart his force.

5 months later he was up on federal corruption charges.

so i have been on the other side. i refuse to work with the quality of personnel that i was with.

OP: was the cop caucasian?

No they can ask they cannot search without propable cause. or a warrent.
Yes they can while responding to an emergency violate the speed limit to an extent without lights. However I refuse to believe that EVERY squad car i have seen with 100% accuracy on the high is responding to a code.

A police officer may assualt if the situation warrants it. Not to use there car as a weapon to the general public just because the officer does not like you. i.e. when i just do not move over and they ant get to to donut shop in time.

Bascially what your position is that the police can do anything at anytime. and we just have to yield to the man? is that your point?
BTW when i was thinking of becoming a cop and was graduating from a cadet to officer for a 2 year stint. I told the chief of police that i thought his officer where below contempt that i wold execute my duites and then depart his force.

5 months later he was up on federal corruption charges.

so i have been on the other side. i refuse to work with the quality of personnel that i was with.


Nobody is saying that, they're saying that the police are in some situations allowed to break the law and quite possibly the actions of the bicycle cop this thread was originally about fall into that same category.

No they can ask they cannot search without propable cause. or a warrent.

Incorrect. A consent search may be conducted, a search with a warrant, or a search incident to arrest. A stop and frisk, or Terry stop, does not require that an officer have probable cause, only reasonable suspicion that a subject might have a weapon during a lawful stop. Refer to Terry v. Ohio, circa 1968, 392 US 1.

Yes they can while responding to an emergency violate the speed limit to an extent without lights. However I refuse to believe that EVERY squad car i have seen with 100% accuracy on the high is responding to a code.

You might actually be correct in this point.

A police officer may assualt if the situation warrants it. Not to use there car as a weapon to the general public just because the officer does not like you. i.e. when i just do not move over and they ant get to to donut shop in time.

Not quite sure what you meant here, it is difficult to translate this. By the way, do you think many cops still go to the donut shop? It's kind of a tired cliche, yes?

Bascially what your position is that the police can do anything at anytime. and we just have to yield to the man? is that your point?

No, not at all.

BTW when i was thinking of becoming a cop and was graduating from a cadet to officer for a 2 year stint. I told the chief of police that i thought his officer where below contempt that i wold execute my duites and then depart his force.

Again, I am not sure what you are trying to say here. Something about corruption, duties and departing the police force you were thinking about joining?

5 months later he was up on federal corruption charges.

so i have been on the other side. i refuse to work with the quality of personnel that i was with.

And have you been on the "other side"? Have you worked in law enforcement, ever? I get the feeling that you have had one (or more) run-ins with law enforcement officers, and you were not pleased with the outcome. Is that correct? Or are you just going through life, angry much of the time? :bike:

Yes the guy was white. Doesn't really matter though.

feathers i am not bashing the police. what i am bashing is the assumption that they can do anything they want and we should just STFU. That somehow they are above the law of the common man.st0ut, i believe i know where you're coming from and what you're saying.
sometimes things in "typed" words don't come across the same as "spoken" words.

And have you been on the "other side"? Have you worked in law enforcement, ever?
Yes 2 years my contract was for 2 years

I get the feeling that you have had one (or more) run-ins with law enforcement officers, and you were not pleased with the outcome. Is that correct? Or are you just going through life, angry much of the time? :bike:
except for traffic violations which in every case they where justified stops.
nothing else.

Yes the guy was white. Doesn't really matter though.
+1 on the who cares what race he is

OK, a non-bike-cop story to keep things in perspective: I was dispatched, one late night, to a "priority 3" prowler call, which means I was not authorized to use lights and siren, or disregard traffic laws while enroute. Yet, when I read the information on the computer screen, it clearly indicated the possibility that the prowler was already inside the house. Do y'all think I waited patiently at the dozen-or-so red lights I encountered? No, I slowed, looked, and kept going. I arrived right about the time THREE FELONS turned her bedroom's doorknob.

OK, so was I evil and corrupt for not waiting for those red lights? Perhaps, but I don't lose sleep over it, and I can look at myself in the mirror.

Rex i think this was entirly approraite. YEILDing a red light while on a call is fine. blowing thru a parking lot to avoid red light trafic while out of jurisduction with a 6yo riding his bike WITH the light is not so fine.

the issue is behavioral. The mind set of i can do what i want seems so instilled that it can cause a public danger on one end to an outright abuse of power on the other.


The funney thing is in this thread is that no officer has yet to say "yeah we have to watch ourselveas closely" instead i get if you are not for unilateral police action maybe we should keep a close eye on you cause you prolly a criminal.

:eek:

st0ut,

I'm sorry to hear about some of your experiences with law enforcement. That's unfortunate, but there are good and bad in all professions...as we all know. Wish we'd have the opportunity to visit. I might just change your mind and show you that not all of us LEOs are bad. :thumb:

By the way, do you think many cops still go to the donut shop? It's kind of a tired cliche, yes?A good time for this old chestnut, no?

http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/img/emergency-at-donutland.jpg

:D



But seriously, StOut really needs to brush up on Terry stops, etc., because you're right on the money, Havs.

And once more, for those who missed it all the other times it's been said in this thread, cops aren't above the law, but the laws DO exempt cops in some situations. Back to the OP, the traffic laws typically exempt bike cops from having to comply with some of the laws-- for example, riding on the sidewalk in a business district.

st0ut,

I'm sorry to hear about some of your experiences with law enforcement. That's unfortunate, but there are good and bad in all professions...as we all know. Wish we'd have the opportunity to visit. I might just change your mind and show you that not all of us LEOs are bad. :thumb:

if your in nearby would love to ride with you.

In downtown Chicago, as a bicycle patrol officer, it is common for us to ride on sidewalks, wrong way down one ways streets and many other minor infractions that most people would be cited for. It is NOT the normal policy to do this though, as bicycle riders must follow the rules of the road just as the drivers do. We use our personal judgment in doing this knowing full well of the consequences if something goes wrong. Now that being said, one reason we do this is patrol patterns are easily figured out by criminals and they often are very observant in how they watch us and how we react to certain situations. Call it organized confusion if you will, but we change many things to make us unpredictable.

I won't get into departmental protocol or procedures but I will say that unless you really know what the officer/s is doing and you feel that his actions are reckless, feel free to inform his supervisor at the station. It will be handled one way or the other. Also, feel free to ask the officer. As a bicycle patrol officer, we are more accessible than in a vehicle. I can't guarantee you'll get an answer though.

We use our personal judgment in doing this knowing full well of the consequences if something goes wrong.

i'll try that the next time i get a ticket (although given my current track record that could be a long time). "yes, officer, i am aware that is against the law, but i used my best personal judgement in full knowledge of the consequences."

should work like a charm.


Also, feel free to ask the officer. As a bicycle patrol officer, we are more accessible than in a vehicle. I can't guarantee you'll get an answer though.

but you [i]will probably get asked for id. :)

Last night I was sitting at a cafe in the downtown area of my hometown when a bike cop rode by. The street where he was riding is a two way street with parking between the two lanes. This cop was riding the wrong way up one side, and then ten minutes later, he came cruising back down on the sidewalks. This particular area of my town has a specific ordinance forbiding sidewalk bicycling.

How can a police oficer get away with this level of ignorance in relation to the law? Especially laws pertaining directly to what he does every day in the line of duty. I was disgusted.

I don't know where you live, but in Little Rock only police officers may ride on the sidewalk in a business district. But riding against traffic does seem a bit stupid.

frymaster, take a look at Biker43's responses again. he explained very clearly why things are done the way they are done.