Off duty cop powers?

NVP

NVP

NVP

Soldato
Joined
6 Sep 2007
Posts
12,807
My friends just called and told me something that happened today.

Basically he got cut up badly by a y reg BMW so he, being the type of guy he is did the same to the bimmer in his car. Now the guy started following him proper close behind so my mate pulled over at UPS (he had to drop something off anyway) the guy pulls up behind him so my mate, in his ever so polite way asked what his problem was.

They jumped out and said he was police and that he had patrol cars on the way, then flashed his wallet with a card in it, my mate thought he was blaggin because it didn't seem legit so did one home. Next thing you know he sees flashing blues going they way he just came from.

So now he's fretting it and wondering what's gonna happen.

I know there are a few police on this forum so was wondering if I could get some informed opinion on the sitiation. Can an off duty cop do anything? What's the worst that's gonna happen do you think? What's the best thing he could do in this situation?
 
He said the cut ups were quite harsh, and he says the guy had a radio in his hand or a walkie talkie that he was talking into.

Sounds like it was some road rage style maneuver and that, enough for the guy to want to follow. About half hour after he got home he dropped his car at his misses and I picked him and his brother up, dropped him off at his yard where they both live and the cars registered to and there was a cop car waiting outside, didn't do anythin jus followed us but got stuck behind traffic and then disappeared. You think they'll come round in the morning?
 
Last edited:
OP: police officers have their powers at all times 24/7 and are exercisable at all times
only exceptions being where it states in the piece of legislation that grants a specific power something like "constable in uniform" etc etc.
as for whats going to happen now, depends what the 'off duty copper' said etc etc, might get a visit might not, difficult to say
 
Rroff said:
"off duty cop" my arse.
Click to expand...



My thoughts. A real copper would have shown the badge properly (but be warned: some force warrant cards are just laminated plastic; not all get the fancy old-style metal ones). The badge should have been in a special wallet with the face showing, so all he had to do was flip the wallet open. Did he? If he took a card out and waved it, or it was on a lanyard, it's rubbish.



M
 
I have my doubts that the cop was off duty from what you say.

There are no circumstances whatsoever where an off duty cop can attempt to stop or stop a vehicle while in their own vehicle.

If I was off duty and someone cut me up then I phoned work to say I want patrol cars here now, the answer would likely be foxtrot oscar and rightly so.

Did your mate get a visit from cops afterwards ? I would assume that any legit cop would have made a note of his vrm.

In short, your mate did right in leaving and if he is spoken to then he can say why quite legitimately in that he was initially cut up and he was shown what could have been a gym card for all he knew.

It has to be said that your mate shouldn't have cut him up in revenge though.
 
If anybody cut me up and got out and claimed to be an off duty police officer i'd want to know which force, and their badge/warrant number.
 
Are we calling them cops in the uk now?

Sounds like your mate acted like a bit of a tool anyway, if you get cut up you back off and give them space, not do it back!!!
 
At their inception of course, they were known as Peelers Or Bobbies so called due to the name of their creator - Sir Robert peel.

Not sure where the term cop first began use.

*edit* did some searching

Copper as slang for policeman is first found in print in 1846, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The most likely explanation is that it comes from the verb "to cop" meaning to seize, capture, or snatch, dating from just over a century earlier (1704).
Click to expand...

Not american at all.

Cop, is just a shortenned form of copper. And i'm sure we call all remember the use of the phrase "its the coppers" from 60s tv shows.
 
Last edited:
NVP said:
He said the cut ups were quite harsh, and he says the guy had a radio in his hand or a walkie talkie that he was talking into.
Click to expand...

If the guy was a PC he should know you're not allowed to have your radio with you when off duty. You need to leave it in a secure location (your locker) switched off. I'd be asking myself why he has his Police radio with him, turned on, when he's not on duty.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom