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Ask-A-Cop
Got a question about
police work? A question about something you may have seen
or heard? You can e-mail your question to askacop@fultonpd.com.
Your question may get posted on this site. Please
include where you are writing from and how you found our
webpage.
Questions will be answered that pertain to the
Fulton Police Department or our local area (Fulton, New
York).
A large number of questions have been
received from writers from other states. We are glad to
try to answer them but police agencies from your home state
would be able to better answer a lot of questions, also time
constraints limit the ability to answer all questions.
Q:
I live in a different state and want to become a police
officer. I would like to know what kind of education is
needed and if my chances are affected if I have gotten tickets
or had a minor arrest in the past? (Posted 04/10/09)
A: The
Fulton Police Department receives many questions from people
all over the country inquiring about how to become a police
officer. I can only speak specifically about our
department and not other departments in the state or the
country.
There
are exceptions, generally speaking you only need a high school
diploma to become a police officer. Any type of college
or military experience is looked highly upon. Any type
of past arrest is a serious issue and will be looked at
closely during the screening and hiring process.
For more information you should contact a police department in
your area.
Q: I need to get a copy of a police report, how do I do
that. (Posted 04/10/09)
A: There
are two ways to get a police report depending on the type of
report. If it is an accident report that has been filed
with the DMV you can call the records department ahead of
time at 598-4504 to make sure it has been approved to be
released, and if so a copy can be picked up at
the police department.
If it
is any other type of police report you will need to complete a
FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) with the City Clerk's Office
which is across the hall from the police department in the
Municipal Building. The FOIL paperwork is free to
complete and is a one page report that asks basic
information about which report you are requesting and why. After
the FOIL is submitted the requested report will be reviewed by
the Chief of Police or someone he designates to do so.
It will be determined if the report can be released
and if so which portions can be released. This process
may take up to 10 days, so you will not receive the report the
day you file the FOIL.
Q: Our
friends and family have an ongoing question regarding the
right of way at 2 stop sign
intersections and were hoping you could help.
If a
road that runs north and south does not have stop signs and a
road that runs east and west have stop signs, car #1
approaches the west intersection and stops intending to
turn left, but has to wait for traffic north and south.
While waiting car #2 approaches from the east and
stops also waiting for traffic, going straight across.
When traffic has cleared who has the "right of way"
car #1 turning left or car #2 going straight across the
intersection? (Posted 01/18/09)
A: That
is a good question and understandably would cause confusion.
Logically you may think the person who arrives first at the
intersection would go first but actually the person
who would normally have the right of way would go first.
In this case, the person who is waiting to go straight has the
right of way and goes first. I would caution all
motorists in these situations due to the possible confusion.
Even though legally the person going straight has the right of
way, proceed cautiously and make sure the person waiting to turn
left does not begin to enter the intersection first.
While
on the topic of traffic rules I would like to remind everyone
that when making turns you need to stay in your lane.
This applies when you are turning onto a mulit-lane road. I have
found this has been a problem in
Fulton
, particularly at the intersection of SR 481 and SR 3.
As a result of the recent construction at that intersection,
there are now two left turn only lanes northbound on SR
481 turning onto SR 3. It is very important to stay
within that turn lane so that you do not cause an accident.
For
more information about traffic laws and rules of the road you
can go to the New York State Legislature's web site below and
click on the "Laws of New York" link at the
bottom. Then scroll down to "Vehicle &
Traffic", or any other laws you are interested in.
http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/frmload.cgi?MENU-45348771
Q:
I
had a few questions about becoming an officer. My first
question is about military training, is it a must or is a
collage degree good enough? My second question is what
type of degree would be the best for a street patrol officer?
Thank you for any information you can provide to me.
(Posted 03/27/08)
A:
There is no requirement for college or military to become a
police officer with our agency. Of course either, or
both, is a definite plus. There are officers here that
have no college or military, some have either college or
military, some have both. The more the
education and life experience the better, but like I say if
someone does not have either it does not exclude them from
being considered.
As far
as the type of degree, that is up for debate.
Traditionally Public Justice or Criminal Justice was the
degree that students sought to become a police officer.
It is difficult to say if those degrees are looked at more
highly then other degrees during the hiring process.
Q: How
old do you have to be to become a police officer?
A:
Candidates must be at least 19 and less than 35 when they take
the examination. Eligibility for appointment begins when the
candidate reaches age 20. (There can be an exemption to the
age 35 limit for military duty - contact the Civil Service
office for details if this pertains to you.) You can check our
recruitment page to see information on the latest Civil
Service examination for the position of police officer, which
is being offered April 9th 2008.
Q: How do I get a handicap parking permit?
A: If you qualify as a person with a certified severe
disability, you can get special license plates (from DMV) or a
handicap parking permit (from your local issuing agency). You
will need a form (MV 664.1), entitled "APPLICATION FOR
LICENSE PLATES OR PARKING PERMITS FOR PERSONS WITH SEVERE
DISABILITIES". In Fulton, you can get this form from the
Fulton Police Department, or, just go to the LINKS
page on this web site to access New York State DMV's web site
which includes a FORMS page. You can download a form, and
several others, from the DMV web site.
Q: The
Fulton Police are "accredited" - what does that mean?
A: Accreditation
by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)
means a lot to the police department - and it should mean a lot
to our citizens. Accreditation status indicates that the department
has met or exceeded 144 standards as established by DCJS. Fulton
PD was accredited in September 1998. By meeting these standards,
we were validated and assured that our policies and procedures
met not only our own needs, but were on par with accepted standards
and practices for professional police operations. The standards
cover areas of police administration, training and operations.
Accreditation also means lower insurance rates for the City and
decreased liability.
http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/ops/accred/index.htm
Q: What
is Megan's Law?
A: Megan's
Law provides for the release of certain information to the public
concerning sex offenders. Information on high risk offenders
is available at any police department, or you can access the
same information from the New York State Division of Criminal
Justice Service's web site at www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/index.htm
Also, you may
call the 1-900-288-3838 to see if a person is listed in the sex
offender registry. The fee per call has been reduced from $5
to 50 cents and you can request up to five searches. However,
it is important to note that you must be able to provide the
subject's name along with one of the following: exact address,
date of birth, social security number or driver license number.
Due to a federal court injunction, if the subject committed his
crime prior to 1/21/96, the State can only verify that the person
is listed. At this time there would be no risk level assigned.
Q: I just bought a
motorized scooter - now, now I am told that I can't use it on
the street or sidewalk? Is this true?
A: Although they cannot be
legally registered or operated on public streets and highways,
the sales of motorized scooters, sometimes referred to as go-peds,
have become popular. According to the New York State
Department of Motor Vehicles, motorized scooters are motor
vehicles under state law, but they do not have the correct
equipment or design for operation on roadways.
DMV also advises that these motorized
scooters, or go-peds, are not allowed on any street, highway,
parking lot, or other area that allows public motor vehicle
traffic. Operators are subject to arrest if they
operate a motorized vehicle and do not have a registration,
driver license, inspection, insurance or correct equipment.
Q: What
color ground effect lights can you put on around and in your
car?
A:
Colored and flashing lights are prohibited under the state
vehicle and traffic law - FPD
Q:
I am a senior at high school and we are required to research
something that is in interest to us and type a paper on it. I
have always been interested in police work. So I was wondering
some things. How long does it take to become a cop? What do
you have to do to become a cop? What are the upsides and
downsides of being a cop? Do you think being a cop is for
anybody?
A:
Thanks for your interest - First, how long it takes depends on
a number of factors such as job availability, the testing and
selection process, academy training and field training. But as
an example, for this police department, you are required to
take a state civil service test which is offered in December
during a specified year (not every year). Examination results
are announced within 2-3 months. After that, there is a
physical agility test. If successful, candidates are subjected
to a polygraph examination and background character
investigation - that can take a few months. If all is still
positive, the next step is an oral interview panel where the
candidate is interviewed by a team of five veteran officers
who rank all interviewees on their responses to interview
questions. After that, a candidate is recommended by the
interview panel, as well as by the Chief. The final selection
is by a Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
With that, the candidate is hired and some additional medical
testing is conducted. The candidate is sworn as a police
officer and heads off to the police academy for six months of
training. After successful completion of training, the officer
returns to the police department and completes a three month
field training component. All of this must be completed in
order to be certified as a police officer.
The upsides? It is a very rewarding career - as you can see
from the selection process, you can be assured that you are
working with well-qualified, well-trained people of tremendous
character. The job is ever-changing, and ever-challenging.
The downsides? Some consider shift-work a problem, while
others enjoy rotating shifts. Some cases can be extremely
challenging and disturbing. The best officers will take the
'downsides' of the job and make them into something positive.
Is the job for anybody? Nope - it requires a special
personality, patience, compassion, superior integrity, a
smooth temperament and the ability to act decisively under
extreme pressure. As you can see, just becoming a police
officer requires patience, but those who have been patient
have found themselves with a very rewarding career.
Hope this helps you, and good luck with your paper.
Q:
What constitutes tailgating and under what traffic law does it
fall under?
A:
Tailgating is the layman's term used to refer to the state
vehicle and traffic law of "following too closely."
In New York, the offense is committed when a driver follows
another vehicle more closely than is reasonable or prudent,
giving due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the
traffic upon the highway and the condition of the highway.
Q:
I
am a 16 year-old, Fulton resident. I was hoping you could end
a family "argument", what is the legal age for
having to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle?
A: Thanks for your question - anyone under age 14 is
required to wear a helmet. We are sending along a copy of the
state law that requires helmet use. You will notice that there
are a couple of sections that appear to say the same thing,
however, one section creates liability for a person to allow a
child under 14 to operate a bicycle without a helmet, or to
even be a passenger on a bicycle without a helmet. (There is a
separate section of law that prohibits passengers on bicycles
if they are not designed to carry passengers). The other
section prohibits a child more than 1 and less than 14 to
operate a bicycle without a helmet. Hope this helps you with
your family "argument" - one last word though, if
you're over 14, even though the law does not mandate it, you
should still wear a helmet. Our Bicycle Patrol officers always
wear helmets. When we investigate even the simplest bicycle
accidents, some of the most severe injuries are head injuries.
When a bicyclist is involved in an accident with a motor
vehicle, head injuries are even more common. Protect your
brain!
Best wishes,
Fulton Police Department
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law:
(a) No person operating a bicycle shall allow a person five or
more years of age and less than fourteen years of age to ride
as a passenger on a bicycle unless such passenger is wearing a
helmet meeting [the] standards [of the American National
Standards Institute (Ansi Z 90.4 bicycle helmet standards) or
the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standards for Protective
Headgear for use in Bicycling] established by the
commissioner.
(b) No person, one or more years of age and less than fourteen
years of age, shall operate a bicycle unless such person is
wearing a helmet meeting [the] standards [of the American
National Standards Institute (Ansi Z 90.4 bicycle helmet
standards) or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standards for
Protective Headgear for use in Bicycling] established by the
commissioner.
(c) For the purposes of this subdivision wearing a helmet
means having a helmet of good fit fastened securely upon the
head with the helmet straps.
Q: I just got a new stereo system in my car, and was
wondering if there are certain
hours of the day where playing loud music while driving is permitted/restricted. Or is
there a general rule/law that prohibits this. My second
question is also in regard to noise levels, but in that of a
place of residence.
Does the city have a regulated "quiet hours" policy?
And if so what are the hours? - JMT, Fulton
A: We're glad you asked about this subject because it has
become quite a problem in the past years, particularly with
the larger speakers and "bass-kickers" in some
vehicles. Fulton Police officers began issuing warning tickets
to potential violators last year in these situations. The
notices state the following:
Excessive noise generated from motor vehicles is a
frequent source of complaints to police. Amplified music and
other noise can be disruptive to our neighborhoods. This is
a concern at all hours of the day, but particularly at
night, and when in proximity to sleeping facilities.
This notice is being provided to advise you of the
problems associated with excessive noise, and that
enforcement action can be taken for subsequent violations.
Persons creating unreasonable noise can be arrested for
disorderly conduct (Section 240.20, New York State Penal
Law).
We ask for your cooperation in maintaining peace and
order in our community.
The warning notice is not required under law, it is a
courtesy notice and an educational tool. Police officers are
able to make an arrest, including issuance of tickets, for disorderly
conduct. As you can imagine, loud music from cars is a
most frequent complaint when cars are driving through
residential areas, and late at night.
There are no designated "quiet hours", but
rather, we use the standards of "reasonable and necessary
noise", giving consideration to the time of day, whether
the noise is excessive, and whether the area is commercial or
residential, among other factors.
Q: I
am a public justice student... how often is the Civil Service
test offered for Fulton PD, and what does the Department look
for in a candidate?
A: The
Fulton Police Department offered the test for police officer
in December 2000. It is likely that the resulting list will be
valid for at least two years. We suggest that you check this
web site on the "Recruitment" page for information
on future tests. As far as what we look for in a candidate, we
look for a number of qualities: Primarily, we look at the
character, integrity and motivation of an applicant. Thanks
for you question and good luck in your endeavors!
Questions may
be edited for grammar and punctuation. Name of writers
may also be omitted.
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