| CPA Blog: May I see your license and registration? |
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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
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Posted: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 3:09 pm
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Cadets at the Citizens Police Academy had a chance to do some role playing Tuesday night.
Officer Drew Darnell briefed us on the proper way to conduct a traffic stop and then set us loose in the Murfreesboro Police garage to play out some real-life scenarios.
Darnell refreshed us on some tips giving earlier in the class (See CPA Blog: How to get out of a ticket) and gave some other tips, like slow down and pull over at the first possible moment after you see those tell-tale blue lights and preferably into a parking lot rather than the shoulder.
After what we cadets experienced Tuesday night, those tips mean more than ever.
We were given the opportunity to act as police officers in simulated traffic stops, where Public Information Officer Kyle Evans played the bad guy.
We were paired up and given scenarios like a possible DUI, reckless driving, speeding or a BOLO (Be on the lookout) for a certain vehicle.
Every time a pair of students approached the car with Evans in the driver’s seat, we were unaware of just what would happen next.
In my scenario, I “pulled him over” for doing 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. He got out of the car and met me at the rear with a few choice words.
I asked him for his license, which he handed over. As I turned away to check it, he pulled a sawed-off shotgun out of the back seat. At which point, I used deadly force with my fake gun.
Other pairs saw similar situations degrade with an arguing couple turning into a suicidal husband, a couple parking turning into some armed robbers and so on.
The hardest part of the entire experience, for me at least, was knowing what to say to keep the situation under control beyond, “May I see your license and registration?”
The simulations were fun and funny to watch but drove home the important point that every time a cop pulls a car over, he or she doesn’t know what’s going to step out and meet them. It could be a simple speeder or someone much more dangerous.
It’s nerve-wracking and set me on edge. Just imagine what an actual cop is thinking.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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