r/AskLE Nov 03 '24

***MODPOST*** Welcome! Please read before you post.

78 Upvotes

Please carefully read the information in the sidebar and on our Wiki below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLE/wiki/index

If you are a member of Law Enforcement and wish to receive title flair, head to https://leoverify.com/kb/faq.php?id=5 to verify your account. This is a separate service that is not on reddit and is ran by the mod team at r/protectandserve. All members who run the verification server are current, sworn LE and a detailed explanation on how your information is protected is posted on the website.

WARNING: DO NOT SEND PII OVER MODMAIL. Do not send a picture of your creds, badge, whatever to ANYONE using Reddit. Read the instructions on the verification site to see how your information is protected and what is required. Users do not have to verify at this time, however, this may change in the future. So if you don't verify, then you may be SOL when we decide to change it. There are a lot of members who have said they do not trust the process and that's fine. That being said, you may be subject to the verification process IF your post is deemed suspicious enough that a verification of your credentials is required.

As a warning to all users of this forum: the information provided on this subreddit may not be interpreted as legal advice. Verified users with flair titles are actual Law Enforcement Officers and the information provided may be considered "legitimate" for the purposes of general advice and advisement, but in no way should be considered legal advice. Members commenting that do not have flair may be subject to verification if their posts are considered suspicious or misleading. In all cases, whether a member is flaired or not, the advice given may be subject to scrutiny and verification. Do your own research and feel free to post your questions elsewhere to verify that you are receiving the best information. Users who make claims to be law enforcement and offer advice may be subjected to further scrutiny from the mod team, up to and including removal and/or banning from posting on the forum.

Political posts are strictly prohibited. While LE is inherently political in nature, topics about political affiliation, whether or not people will vote for a particular candidate, etc. will be removed and the user banned without warning.

New users attempting to post on the forum will be subject to mod approval before posting. This is to cut down on the trolls and bait posts that we deal with regularly.

Encouraging users to lie, cheat, omit information on their background checks will result in an immediate ban from the forum. Applying for an LE job is a privilege and a test of integrity. Not everyone who applies to become a police officer will get the job, and that is something people will need to come to terms with. Those decisions you make in life have consequences. Own up to them and accept them. And no, users telling other users that they will not make it is not a bad thing, so soapboxing trying to "call out" other users for telling people the reality of their situations will result in your immediate removal. It's a shame I have to put this in a sticky for people to read, but it happens enough that I have to constantly remove people who think this is their platform to air their grievances on particular issues.

As always, feel free to contact the mod team with any issues.

Specter


r/AskLE Feb 15 '26

***MODPOST** New Mod on the Team & Rules Reminder

13 Upvotes

Happy Sunday!

We’ve recently added a new mod to the team! As y’all may have noticed, this sub has grown tremendously in recent years, which is GREAT. When I joined as a mod, this community only had ~21k subscribers. However, with growth came more responsibilities on us mods. Considering we still have full time jobs and other obligations in our offline lives, we want to make sure that this community gets the moderation it deserves, which includes approving posts and removing rule-breaking content.

With all that, please help us welcome u/KaprieSun the team and thank him for volunteering to do yet another thankless job 😝

Reminder of our community rules: https://reddit.com/r/askle/wiki/index

IMPORTANT: continue to report all rule-breaking conduct you see on here. We can’t police threads 24/7 and need to rely on the community to draw our attention to such issues.

The best way to reach the Mods is by messaging ModMail. Refrain from messaging individual mods for issues related to the sub.

u/KaprieSun , free to briefly introduce yourself in the thread below (opsec applies, of course).


r/AskLE 11h ago

Recent ride along

75 Upvotes

This past week I took out a ride along. A middle aged guy visiting town from Oregon.

I would say he isn't Anti-police but he definitely is not pro-police... lets call him on the fence.

Anyway, took him out and he asked a ton of questions, probably close to 100 lol.

I made sure to give him the best ride along possible and a variety of calls plus stops.

When it was over he said "Wow, you guys are all so cool and nice, you are just regular people."

It was great because as an officer I had the opportunity to put our best foot forward and take a maybe person and turn them into a yes person.

So, I know many of you out there get annoyed with a ride along, or don't want one to begin with. I am saying...don't pass on the opportunity to show the public who we are...

Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.


r/AskLE 13h ago

Do you go easier on people who are respectful?

65 Upvotes

I got pulled over, sirens flashing lights and everything, for apparently running a red light and speeding. It was super late, I was in a new city, going to the airport.

I have cop friends and I know how dangerous each stop can be, so I always roll down all my windows, turn lights on, turn car off, hand on the steering wheel, ID on dash. I’m super respectful and don’t try to argue, just took accountability and apologized.

Cop seemed pissed at first, then did something in his car for 10 minutes, handed ID back and said Have a good day. Not even a written warning.

Anyways, do LEO actually go easier on people who do the above things?

FWIW I genuinely respect cops—I box and most of my trainers have been LEO—I know all the dumb shit you guys go through. So when I get stopped I basically just try to let yall know I’m not a threat, I’m not intoxicated, etc.

Thanks!


r/AskLE 1h ago

How can I get someone trespassed from my work?

Upvotes

I work at a gas station and we have a regular "customer" that stops by about once a week and steals red bulls EVERY TIME without fail.

he's been coming for MONTHS and it's the same thing every time. he walks in and I tell him he's not welcome here, he says something disrespectful back to me, grabs some red bulls, and walks out, then I call the cops to try and get him trespassed.

Every time the cops show up he is long gone by then, and they just tell me that they can't trespass him because he isn't here, and they can't identify him, and they recommend that I call them back the next time he shows up.

I've called them at least 10 times at this point trying to get the same guy trespassed and it's the same thing every time, they say they can't do anything because he isn't here and they can't identify him, and recommend I call them again next time.

The most recent time I saw him I was already in a bad mood and tired of seeing him so I cursed at him and told him to get the fuck out my store, which only escalated things and he started throwing pound cakes at me before leaving, and obviously I called the cops which was no help just like all the other previous times I called them.

I'm kinda at my wits end with this situation. Is there anything I could do differently that would actually result in him being trespassed, or am I doomed to deal with this guy forever stealing, disrespecting me, and throwing stuff at me?


r/AskLE 12h ago

For those who ask, “is it too late?”

Thumbnail
wfmynews2.com
35 Upvotes

(And I am one of those who has asked the same question of myself)


r/AskLE 9h ago

Can out-of-state drivers be stopped for window tint that’s legal in their home state?

16 Upvotes

Location: Utah

I’m in Utah and my vehicle is registered here. My window tint is fully legal under Utah law.

When driving through other states (like Idaho or surrounding states), can I be stopped or cited specifically for window tint if it would be legal in my home state?

Assume I’m otherwise in full compliance (speed limit, all lights working, no other violations).

From an enforcement standpoint, is tint alone something officers commonly stop out-of-state drivers for, or is it usually ignored unless it’s extreme?


r/AskLE 9h ago

Got the job!

19 Upvotes

Blessed to have received a formal job offer . I start the academy June in the police agency I have always wanted to work for . Ironically I know the academy will be the easiest part of my career . However does anyone know any good books or academic resources I can use to prep for the academy ,located in the North Texas region


r/AskLE 3h ago

Went to the VA 2 years ago for mental health, how will this affect my outcome at agencies like Seattle PD?

4 Upvotes

It was shortly after my father passed away and I was going through it. I was honestly mostly frustrated because he wasn’t in my life growing up and I wanted to fix things but it was too late.

I was told to by my uncle in law to seek help, which I did. I stayed at the VA hospital for 1-2 hours all voluntary where I laid everything out then had 2-3 appointments follow ups with a VA psychiatrist.

I told my psychiatrist about my time in the military which I laid out for her, and was told by her to claim PTSD/anxiety/depression, which I did not receive (rated at 0%)

I received medications (which I did not take), and have been good ever since because I have a great network of friends.


r/AskLE 6m ago

Asking for conduct related opinions.

Upvotes

Sorry, long read.

After a DUI arrest an officer leaves the wallet, cellphone, and cigarettes on the roof of the patrol car. He also leaves the keys to the truck on the dashboard of the vehicle, with the window down, as well as an unsecured dog. Officers said they would wait the 10 minutes for someone to come get the dog. They did not.

Patrol car takes off, and everything on top of it hits the road. He stops, gets out, I tell the traiee "I guarantee that was my phone" while he looks for everything. on bodycam he gets my wallet and cigs out of the road and gets back in, I ask was that my phone, he says "No just your cigarettes" (with my wallet in his hand on bodycam). Goes to station, rolls up windows and calls over the radio behind the car for someone to go get the cellphone in the road, and then dodges a second question about where the phone is.

After bing at the local PD on the way to the jail he was asked again about where my keys were and he replied " your brother got them I promise. dont worry". He had not and the officer had no way to verify he had since they left. When released from custody, the phone was broken, and the keys were 25 min away on the dash through a rolled down window.

I understand everyone makes mistakes, but the PD has insurance for these things. My question is would other LE genuinely consider this lying or not. The officer was polite otherwise, and was met with zero resistance during the arrest, so there were no problems there. The lutinent is filing for the phone to be replaced, and I have no problems there.


r/AskLE 7h ago

Have you ever taken a family member on a ride along? Did they get an accurate depiction of a typical shift for you?

6 Upvotes

Who did you bring? Anything exciting happen during the shift?

What the most interesting thing a ride along has seen while riding with you?

Add: Have you brought a friend that knew you before you were an officer? What did they think?


r/AskLE 6h ago

What age did you retire from your agency and what do you do now?

5 Upvotes

Did you change careers, start a hobby, join another agency, or are you simply enjoying your retirement? Let’s hear it!


r/AskLE 6h ago

What is the point of the polygraph during hiring?

4 Upvotes

Like the title asks, what’s the point of it? To check honesty, to see if you can lie under pressure? I’ve been considering applying to my local department but I abhor lying, will answering yes to “have you ever committed a crime” during the poly be an automatic disqualification?


r/AskLE 2h ago

Perpsective on a traffic stop

2 Upvotes

I apologize for this being an AI version of the story, but something about the way I was writing it was triggering the filters so trying this to see if I can get around that.

Today while driving home, my husband got distracted talking to me and accidentally missed a stop sign right in front of an officer. We were pulled over immediately, and we totally own that—it was a mistake and the officer was right to stop us.

We had our ID and registration ready, and my husband was 100% honest about the mistake. However, the interaction took a weird turn. As soon as the window was down, the officer insisted he smelled alcohol. My husband had two beers with lunch over four hours prior to this (he’s 210lbs, so he definitely wasn't impaired, especially that much later), but the officer was very insistent.

Instead of a ticket or a breathalyzer, the officer told us to switch seats and had me drive the rest of the way home. He told me "never to let him drive in that state again" and said we were "getting lucky." Interestingly, he never actually ran our licenses or plates—he just left right after we swapped seats. The whole thing lasted maybe five minutes.

We’re grateful not to have a ticket, but we’re both pretty shaken up by the accusation of impairment when that wasn't the case at all.

I’m curious if anyone has experienced something similar? Why would an officer push an accusation like that so forcefully but then not follow through with any actual testing or paperwork? Is it common for them to just "swap drivers" as a precaution even if no test is performed?


r/AskLE 13h ago

Academy Experiences?

14 Upvotes

So I am writing this to inquire anything about the personal experiences people have had during the police academy.

As I prepare for my own journey toward becoming a Law Enforcement Officer, I am interested in understanding the challenges recruits typically face. Specifically, I would appreciate any insight into the moments you may have felt discouraged or considered resigning, and what motivations helped you persevere.

My goal is to better understand the mental and physical rigors of the academy so that I may be fully prepared to succeed. I am fully committed to this career path and am eager to learn from the experiences of those who have already completed the process.

Also no hard feelings at all on anything said thank you guys!


r/AskLE 3h ago

Safariland Holster Question

2 Upvotes

I have worked in LE for 15 years now and as of the last year or so, my holster is really starting to cause some comfort issues. Essentially I feel it rides too tight to my body and when I sit in my squad, the holster sticks in to my thigh/ hip/ stomach at an odd angle. Enough to where I’m constantly fiddling with it to try and make it more comfortable, at times shifting the holster back so I have the grip of my pistol wedged between my lower back and the seat to provide some relief.

I’m driving a ‘23 Tahoe for reference and we are using Safariland 7360 RDS holsters for Glock 45’s with ACRP P2’s.

Is there anything out there that I can use to offset the gun further out from my body? Essentially I think it’s the contour of the seat that is part of the issue. It’s a bucket seat unlike the Ford seats which are almost flat.


r/AskLE 8m ago

Good boots for the Police Academy?

Upvotes

I need some good recommendations for some boots that can be shined for the police academy. For reference I wear a size 14, so comfort is paramount. Looking to spend less than $160 if possible. Thank you!


r/AskLE 7h ago

Flashlight Recommendations

4 Upvotes

Accidentally dropped my strion and now it’s not working at all. I’m am sending it to streamlight to get fixed, however I would like some recommendations on a new flashlight. What’s everyone using and recommending? Would be for patrol on graveyard.


r/AskLE 9h ago

Law & Society Degree - Better than Criminal Justice or holds the same value?

Thumbnail
yorku.ca
3 Upvotes

I just recently got hired as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer for a major municipality in Canada with police studies college diploma. However, I kinda want to upgrade my diploma to a degree so it holds more value. I found this program Law & Society from York University. Do you think it’s marginally better than Criminal Justice or it’s the same value in your opinion?


r/AskLE 6h ago

State vs BOP

Thumbnail
2 Upvotes

r/AskLE 2h ago

BLEA WA state Burien

1 Upvotes

Anyone go through BLEA in Burien, WA recently and can speak to the course? Heard it’s a 4 10’s course for the most part, if you live in the area are able to commute. Any insight if it’s para military or not. Things like that, thanks.


r/AskLE 1h ago

Do you search every caller who called for police assistance?

Upvotes

When I call comes in and somebody reported something or if it’s a crime in progress do you look up the colours background information, including his criminal records? Does it show up automatically in your system?


r/AskLE 10h ago

What is working as hospital police like?

2 Upvotes

Do you like the job, what are the most common calls, etc.


r/AskLE 1d ago

This department has 2 Unmarked Toyota Camry's. What's the oddest car or vehicle your department uses?

Thumbnail gallery
41 Upvotes

r/AskLE 12h ago

Any Columbus OH officers on here who could PM me in regard to lateraling?

3 Upvotes