The official "Ask a cop/deputy anything!" thread

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Hey Sedan- I got a notice of data breach from Farmers insurance saying they believe my drivers license may have been obtained. I don't have Farmers, never did and never even contacted them for a quote. I googled Farmers data breach and the only thing that came up was from 2010. I googled the phone number shown and it didn't come up as Farmers number. The letter looks legit but I'm not calling that number.

Is there some centralized info or database where all insurance companies would have all DL info?

I'll call a general number tomorrow from work. My credit is pretty locked but still. Argh!

I'm not aware of any centralized data like that. Furthermore, you'd never receive any notice regarding lost or misplaced state issued identification........not even from the DMV. It smells like a scam or phishing expedition for sure.

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Sedan will chime in but just sounds like a spam effort to me and personally, I wouldn't call the number. Assume you don't have your SSN on your license....

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Sedan will chime in but just sounds like a spam effort to me and personally, I wouldn't call the number. Assume you don't have your SSN on your license....

I won’t call the number on the letter. It looks legit, the address is correct and the person that signed does hold that office but that’s public info. I’ll call the number on their website tomorrow but curious as to whether a company I have never contacted could have access to my DL info

The unknown here is I have an operation in So CA. Sometimes I have no choice but to supply my DL info. And no, ssn is not on DL. Thanks for responding

[TrevorM3]

do you guys look at people who have those "support law enforcement" license plates (or anything related to cops) any different?

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

do you guys look at people who have those "support law enforcement" license plates (or anything related to cops) any different?

Cops totally let me drive like a complete idiot because I have a thin blue line flag on my back window


NOT

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

do you guys look at people who have those "support law enforcement" license plates (or anything related to cops) any different?

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

do you guys look at people who have those "support law enforcement" license plates (or anything related to cops) any different?

Blue line flags/license plates catch my attention for three reasons:

• Is it an off duty law enforcement official?
• Is it a supporter of law enforcement?
• Is it a gangster playing the part of one of the above to avoid detection (...it happens more often than you think)?

Most of the time I'll run that plate and see what comes up. I'll also look at the driver and profile. If it's a dude with a blue line flag sticker, but he has a "13" tatted on his head/neck/face, something is awry. If it's your average Joe/Jane Schmoe, that's a different story.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

If it's a dude with a blue line flag sticker, but he has a "13" tatted on his head/neck/face, something is awry. If it's your average Joe/Jane Schmoe, that's a different story.

Maybe an average Joe/Jane likes the number 13. Totally innocent! Lol.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Maybe an average Joe/Jane likes the number 13. Totally innocent! Lol.

No, not innocent. MS-13, 18th st. L.A. gangs.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Esteban

No, not innocent. MS - 13, 18th st. An L. A. gang.

Esteban, it was tongue-in-cheek, hence the "lol".

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Esteban, it was tongue-in-cheek, hence the "lol".

Sure... "lol"

[Esteban]

Born and raised in L.A. Very familiar with C14, and 18th street in the late 60s.

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Blue line flags/license plates catch my attention for three reasons:

• Is it an off duty law enforcement official?
• Is it a supporter of law enforcement?
• Is it a gangster playing the part of one of the above to avoid detection (...it happens more often than you think)?

Most of the time I'll run that plate and see what comes up. I'll also look at the driver and profile. If it's a dude with a blue line flag sticker, but he has a "13" tatted on his head/neck/face, something is awry. If it's your average Joe/Jane Schmoe, that's a different story.

Sounds like the answer is, 'yes'!

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Blue line flags/license plates catch my attention for three reasons:

• Is it an off duty law enforcement official?
• Is it a supporter of law enforcement?
• Is it a gangster playing the part of one of the above to avoid detection (...it happens more often than you think)?

Most of the time I'll run that plate and see what comes up. I'll also look at the driver and profile. If it's a dude with a blue line flag sticker, but he has a "13" tatted on his head/neck/face, something is awry. If it's your average Joe/Jane Schmoe, that's a different story.

Very few guys I worked with would put anything on their car that ID'd them as cops for fear of the vandalism that might happen to your car when unattended. The smokies put shit all over their car, but then again they're in the Hero Business and everyone loves the smokies.

[mahalom3]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I'm with L.A. County. We have zero recruits coming in. Last year we didn't run many classes at all. If I remember correctly we ran maybe 5 max; all half the size of a normal class due to COVID (...60-ish trainees versus 110-ish; a mixture of Deputy Sheriff Trainees [D.S.T.] and Police Officer Recruits from Participating Agencies). Compare that to 2019 where we were running academy classes every 3 or 4 weeks and using three different academy locations (..which allowed us to run five classes simultaneously). I was at the academy last week and the week prior to that, and there is currently one class that is about to graduate that has less than 10 D.S.T.'s; it's mostly full of officer recruits for other police agencies. There's a possibility we may run one class this summer, but that class will be for people who are already on the department as a D.S.T., but who were unable to start the academy last year due to COVID. At the current time our entire training staff has been farmed out to do other things since we aren't running classes. The academy was like a ghost town. We will be severely impacted by the 700 retirements.

Same with thing us. I was told by an background investigator that we are only hiring Correctional Deputies (Non Sworn) at this time. We do have a lot of people retiring as well.

[mahalom3]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Blue line flags/license plates catch my attention for three reasons:

• Is it an off duty law enforcement official?
• Is it a supporter of law enforcement?
• Is it a gangster playing the part of one of the above to avoid detection (...it happens more often than you think)?

Most of the time I'll run that plate and see what comes up. I'll also look at the driver and profile. If it's a dude with a blue line flag sticker, but he has a "13" tatted on his head/neck/face, something is awry. If it's your average Joe/Jane Schmoe, that's a different story.

Well we have this myth here in SoCal that having a fireman's sticker on the rear window of a vehicle as well is a reason for not getting pulled over by Law Enforcement. As my partner stated, we run the plates and see what the next step is.

[UncleWede]

So, if I only have 13 on my knuckles, then it's still cool to run a blue line, right???

No, that's not a teardrop on my eye, I'm an advocate for water conservation.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

So, if I only have 13 on my knuckles, then it's still cool to run a blue line, right???

No, that's not a teardrop on my eye, I'm an advocate for water conservation.

I'm cracking up.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I'm cracking up.

What, you don't think I'm on my local water board?

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

What, you don't think I'm on my local water board?

I halfway believe you are. Lol!

[Bonk!]

yikes: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56897186

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Bonk!

yikes: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56897186

Honestly, people need to stop being so sensitive about everything. I laugh at the stuff I see too. If you can't find some humor in this messed up world, this career will swallow you up.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Honestly, people need to stop being so sensitive about everything. I laugh at the stuff I see too. If you can't find some humor in this messed up world, this career will swallow you up.

The reality is my friend, that if you don't laugh then you'll be crying. When I think of some of the things that I have laughed at or joked about I know that many would think that there is something seriously wrong with me. But when you're standing in the middle of the horror it becomes a coping mechanism and I know that I am not the only one.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Murf993

The reality is my friend, that if you don't laugh then you'll be crying. When I think of some of the things that I have laughed at or joked about I know that many would think that there is something seriously wrong with me. But when you're standing in the middle of the horror it becomes a coping mechanism and I know that I am not the only one.

Exactly! I'm sure doctors, attorneys, etc. do it too. You have to cope with the ugly somehow.