Comments on: Boise Top Copper On Police Texting

By: dog

dog — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:59:38 +0000

Cop gets killed while texting and driving = tragedy/occupational hazard + giant funeral.

Citizen gets killed by cop texting and driving = tragedy/colateral damage + huge lawsuit.

Sad to think about.

Shouldn’t the bicycle cops have handlebar mounted computers? How can the motorcycle cops do their jobs without typing and texting while driving?

By: cyclops

cyclops — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:01:40 +0000

Kappa TA, you are just being silly! Have you ever taken the “pursuit and defensive driving” course that every officer must pass during their Post training? Of course their skills are far superior to that of a civilian motorist! Sure, they need to be aware of the consequenses with driving while texting. I am in total support that they shouldn’t be “reading reports” while driving. I had a patrol officer behind me in traffic the other day. I noticed he was reading something on the back of a manilla envelope and was clearly distracted while he was behind me. There is a huge difference between reading and responding to a call.

By: leave me alone

leave me alone — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:11:42 +0000

Has this texting bill in the legislature been killed yet or is it law? I cant believe our liberty loving gov would sign such a bill.

By: Kappa TA

Kappa TA — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:57:44 +0000

Law enforcement officers have no greater abilities to drive safely in traffic and text or type on computers than any other motorist. That fact has nothing to do with the urgency or importance of their jobs, which we all recognize. Use the two-way, BUCKLE UP and obey all traffic and vehicular laws the same as everyone else. The life you save could be your own.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:35:42 +0000

While this is a touchy subject regardless of which side of the fence you are on, I applaud the Chief for taking notice a common concern and addressing it head on. Whether the policies are agreeable to everyone will be another matter, but give the man credit for coming into a forum that is not always government friendly and laying a plan out on the table. I think other local government leaders should take note on how one official addressed a public issue, agree or diagree as you may, and maybe they should think about following suit.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:32:57 +0000

AT the very least they should have to turn off the radio when recording a stop. I am watching a video of an arrest right now and I can’t hear anything over the Brad Paisley blaring in the cop car…

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:44:05 +0000

So, help me understand, it is a requirement that officers be able to multi-task while driving?

A few weeks back I had to go to a place and used a set of Mapquest directions to get there via full page printout. I found that I actually had to pull over to read the directions in order to keep from drifting all over the roadway. I thought my driving skills were good enough to “read and follow directions” while driving and they were not!

I can’t imagine anything important enough to put other drivers and vehicles at risk after that experience. People who do this are in a few words selfish and self-centered. It is dangerous and I would choose to support this as a primary offense on a drivers record if they are pulled over.

Cops need to pull over as well.

By: cyclops

cyclops — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:36:00 +0000

Chief Masterson, I would like to thank you for taking the time to post here. It is an excellent example of “inclusion” by BPD in the public discourse.
I would be interested in any examples, or statistics, that support the stand many have taken here. Just how many accidents, involving BPD vehicles, as a result of driving and texting, happen over a given period of time? I believe we make a mistake when we compare first responders to the driving abilities of the general public. Again, thank you.

By: bikeboy

bikeboy — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:20:22 +0000

My first reaction was the same as Rod’s. Why not stick to “old school,” which seemed to work back before Bill Gates became a bajillionaire.

But other posters have shed further light on “old school.”

You’d think they could devise somewhat of a hybrid methodology. Cop calls the inquiry in. Somebody in dispatch – NOT risking crashing into a bystander, and not needing to scribble anything down – does the lookup duties and sends the results to the screen, where it can be glanced at.

(If – no WHEN – a cop crashes into an innocent bystander, the loved ones of that bystander won’t be appeased by understanding how important and “official” the duties were. And Chief Masterson is absolutely correct when he says the police should be leading by example. They lose respect when they seem “above the law.”)

By: kip wills

kip wills — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:10:22 +0000

Since the computer “to” messages are screened often by dispatch supervisors and bpd supervisors, it would be the rare message sent or received from wife, etc. Those messages are not like phone text. You can only send and receive them with other emergency service computer terminals. The rank and file bpd, acso, gcpd do not have phone texting ability. Although I support regulating emergency responders, there also has to be the ability for them to do their job as well. Compared to the late 80’s when I started, it is much safer today using computers instead of jotting things down on a notepad while driving. Should there be reasonable precautions taken? Absolutely. Ultimately though law enforcement supervisors should deal with the 1percent who fail to take safe precautions and not flock shoot the 99percent who are.