Who has the toughest police department in Oklahoma City metro............

[zookeeper]

Hey positano, Thanks for that post. You are absolutely right about being able to go three pages on all of this and that would just get us warmed up.

You mentioned the judiciary and that's something I was going to mention before but didn't. Ultimately, the jurisdictions play out these scenarios in so many different ways. I have a real good friend who was an officer here in Oklahoma City who moved to Madison, WI so his wife could pursue some specialized degree program. He's been there over 10 years now, but when he first was hired at the Madison PD it was a whole new learning curve. He said 75% of the stuff officers get away with in Oklahoma wouldn't last a week in Madison. That all goes back to the highly educated citizenry and a completely, he said dramatically, different judiciary. The judges are very strict, most either being ACLU type judges or Ron Paul type judges. Liberty & Justice play equal roles and all that filters down to the cop on the streets and what they can and can't expect in the courtroom. He says it's dramatically different, but mutually respected. Same thing in Oklahoma, just different interpretations of the same laws, rulings, etc. and Oklahoma judges are simply very loose and prosecution friendly with the DA and local LEAs. So many variables and that's why I appreciated your post. Sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and move on.

[positano]

Hey positano, Thanks for that post. You are absolutely right about being able to go three pages on all of this and that would just get us warmed up.

You mentioned the judiciary and that's something I was going to mention before but didn't. Ultimately, the jurisdictions play out these scenarios in so many different ways. I have a real good friend who was an officer here in Oklahoma City who moved to Madison, WI so his wife could pursue some specialized degree program. He's been there over 10 years now, but when he first was hired at the Madison PD it was a whole new learning curve. He said 75% of the stuff officers get away with in Oklahoma wouldn't last a week in Madison. That all goes back to the highly educated citizenry and a completely, he said dramatically, different judiciary. The judges are very strict, most either being ACLU type judges or Ron Paul type judges. Liberty & Justice play equal roles and all that filters down to the cop on the streets and what they can and can't expect in the courtroom. He says it's dramatically different, but mutually respected. Same thing in Oklahoma, just different interpretations of the same laws, rulings, etc. and Oklahoma judges are simply very loose and prosecution friendly with the DA and local LEAs. So many variables and that's why I appreciated your post. Sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and move on.

Absolutely right. Every jurisdiction is different. Thanks for the civil disagreement. I don't post very often because of how caustic it can get around here. Refreshing.

[Anonymous.]

I used to live in Edmond so it makes sense to be pulled over there more often. But I must say whenever I tell people the only citation I have ever received, is for window tint; everyone wants to know where that was.

That's right, Edmond. I was pulled over FOR the tint. Not in addition to a moving violation or anything. It was a Friday morning and I was headed to work.

I agree with others in this thread, late night driving in Edmond is the first step to wanting to speak to an officer. I have been profiled many times for my vehicle and if you add the late night aspect, it is basically entrapment regardless of your driving behavior. Last month I was departing from Buffalo Wild Wings near Kelley/Danforth around 11pm or so on a weeknight. I was followed by an Edmond LEO all the way to Broadway Ext/122nd. He probably assumed I was trying to get out of Edmond limits to avoid him, but I was actually just traveling my normal route back to OKC. He peeled off last minute to make the 122nd exit and crossed 3 lanes with no signal to do such. I really respect the officers I see that actually obey traffic laws. I know the first moment I would go to switch lanes without a signal that night, he would have me grilling on the hood of his patrol car in about a minute.



Let me echo zookeeper, and say to never let your constitutional rights be violated. It is sickening how many people are unaware of their rights and actually fear officers.

[td25er]

I've been driving in Edmond (lived here all but 4 of those years) since 1996. I've been pulled over 3 times, with ZERO tickets. I speed VIRTUALLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE. Many times 10+ over. If you are getting pulled over and often, then YOU are an idiot and probably deserve it. People just love to bash "snobby" Edmondites, Edmond traffice lights (which are FAR better than many parts of the Metro), and Edmond cops. Jealous haters.

[td25er]

I used to live in Edmond so it makes sense to be pulled over there more often. But I must say whenever I tell people the only citation I have ever received, is for window tint; everyone wants to know where that was.

That's right, Edmond. I was pulled over FOR the tint. Not in addition to a moving violation or anything. It was a Friday morning and I was headed to work.

I agree with others in this thread, late night driving in Edmond is the first step to wanting to speak to an officer. I have been profiled many times for my vehicle and if you add the late night aspect, it is basically entrapment regardless of your driving behavior. Last month I was departing from Buffalo Wild Wings near Kelley/Danforth around 11pm or so on a weeknight. I was followed by an Edmond LEO all the way to Broadway Ext/122nd. He probably assumed I was trying to get out of Edmond limits to avoid him, but I was actually just traveling my normal route back to OKC. He peeled off last minute to make the 122nd exit and crossed 3 lanes with no signal to do such. I really respect the officers I see that actually obey traffic laws. I know the first moment I would go to switch lanes without a signal that night, he would have me grilling on the hood of his patrol car in about a minute.



Let me echo zookeeper, and say to never let your constitutional rights be violated. It is sickening how many people are unaware of their rights and actually fear officers.

Lol, ripping Edmond cops because they would dare pull you over for BREAKING THE LAW.

[Anonymous.]

Lol, ripping Edmond cops because they would dare pull you over for BREAKING THE LAW.

What? Who is ripping Edmond cops? The story I told was of an officer following me, "waiting" for me to break a law. But I obeyed laws and traveled on my way - once he followed me out of Edmond, HE broke the law by crossing 3 lanes to make an exit with no signal. My point was on that of hypocrisy.


Being pulled over a lot does not mean you're an idiot. Until you have been profiled multiple times, you don't really have a dog in this fight. Just because you have not been harassed does not mean it doesn't happen. I am only participating in a discussion about being jarred around by certain police departments more than others.

[Plutonic Panda]

I've been driving in Edmond (lived here all but 4 of those years) since 1996. I've been pulled over 3 times, with ZERO tickets. I speed VIRTUALLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE. Many times 10+ over. If you are getting pulled over and often, then YOU are an idiot and probably deserve it. People just love to bash "snobby" Edmondites, Edmond traffice lights (which are FAR better than many parts of the Metro), and Edmond cops. Jealous haters.

I agree. I'm a very fast driver and I speed all the time, about 5-15 over on the roads, depending on the scenario(I don't speed in school zones or in residential neighborhoods) and about 15-25 over on the highway and I hardly ever get pulled over. It's called a blinder and a watchful eye. Also, when I do get pulled over, I don't say anything at all, and I usually get warning. Edmond cops are actually some of the most lenient cops I've seen. OKC in general has pretty lenient police officers.

The only time I've ever gotten really into it with an officer is when one threw a drink at me on the Venice Beach trail in L.A. and I don't let people push me around -esp. police who work, bought, and are paid for from the people(which I'm part of)- so I responded but I won't even go into to that. Just know, that from what I've experienced, if you show the common courtesy, OKC police seem to be pretty tolerant.

[MrZ]

Zookeeper and Positano: This traffic stop was probably 2-3 years ago. The cop who searched my car did it from outside the car with his flashlight. My window was still down and he just shined the light through it and through the windows into the back. I heard a lot of the conversation the officer was having with whoever was looking for the mysterious warrant and they said they were having computer problems and that was the main holdup. The cops were getting pretty bored and we talked a little about general stuff. They were cool for the most part. I did hear them talking with the person doing the searching and they said something did come up but then they couldn't find it when they searched again. The cops were as confused as I was. When the call finally came back saying that nothing was found the cops seemed relieved to finally be done with it. Overall they weren't being dicks, but pulling me over for a tail light being out when it was fine was a dick move in the first place.

[OKCTalker]

Why escalate things and give an officer a reason to detain me? If I've got nothing to hide (whether it's an unpaid parking ticket or a body in the trunk), then I'm opening up everything and giving him direct responses to his questions. If I give some attitude to the wrong cop on a bad day, or try to tell him what my rights are, then he can make my life pretty miserable, whether or not it's technically legal.

I define "winning" as getting quickly on my way, not spending thousands of dollars on lawyers and scores of hours preparing for a court hearing that results in charges being dropped.

[OKCTalker]

Oh - and the Nichols Hills police. There's ALWAYS a radar unit on Penn at the Village border and church parking lot at 63rd (but I don't know about the bushes and trees).

[Urbanized]

Also RE Nichols Hills po po, back in the days of state inspection stickers they pulled me over for a sticker that was a WEEK out of date (first week of the next month - I spaced it). I got the inspection, and since there was a state-mandated 30 day grace period I took proof to the court, and the charge was waived/reduced but I STILL had to pay court costs (around $60 if memory serves, which was not inexpensive for a college student in the late eighties).

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

All of you people need to slow your butts down.

[ljbab728]

All of you people need to slow your butts down.

Like this!!!

[Midtowner]

Within the LEO community Valley Brook and Forest Park are considered the worst dregs in the region.

Arcadia is right up there.

[Bellaboo]

As of lately, I've counted as many as 4 motorcycle cops at the same time on the new I-40 in that 3 mile span...around 7:00 am. Today there were three.

Standing by their bikes pointing the radar at you.

[Gene]

I always hear how tough Norman is, but I can't even remember seeing cops in Norman. I grew up in Edmond, and back then (1990s) they were overpowered and bored, which resulted in me being treated like a criminal because I didn't drive a nice car. I got pulled over once when I was just barely in Nichols Hills because one of my headlights had a loose connection, but they polite and didn't write me a ticket - contrary to the tales I'd always been told. However bad the burb cops can get, they don't come anywhere close to deputies in the unincorporated areas. I was driving down 66 one night and had a Lincoln County deputy get on my ass and ride an inch off my bumper for 10 minutes. He eventually pulled me over because "one of my tail lights was dimmer than the other" (I checked when I got home and it wasn't). He searched my vehicle inside and for drugs, and eventually sent me on my way.

OKC cops are the best. I've lived here 15 years and never had any trouble with them. They've even got a great response time. I had a false alarm once at my house, and the security company dispatched the police who arrived immediately.

[WilliamTell]

O god, i hate to say this because im going to jinx myself, but we have pretty good cops in the metro. There is a presence but i personally never feel like its overwhelming or that there is one around every corner like i do when i visit tulsa.

[stratosphere]

OKC cops are pretty good. They do have a street presence if you are an idiot they will pull you over, but they are also really good about responding to my house when I had an alarm or (unfortunately) a break in. I wish they had more patrols to catch the thieves, but that's a different story.