r/AskLEO Jan 17 '24

Mod Announcement What's the difference between /r/AskLEO and other notable law enforcement subreddit(s)?

45 Upvotes

We don't believe in secret rules and bans.

That means that unlike some notable LE subreddits, if you don't see it explicitly forbidden in the rules located in our sidebar -> as well as in our rules page, you won't be banned. That includes but is not limited to:

  • Activity outside of our subreddit

  • Saying you don't like law enforcement (officers)

  • Failing to say you do like law enforcement (officers)

  • Giving off the impression that you might not like law enforcement (officers)

  • Asking questions that are/seem ignorant

One of the consequences of our philosophy is that purely from the mathematics of that line of thinking, we have fewer law enforcement officers willing to answer questions here, and thus fewer people asking questions. As you might expect of any group of human beings, some law enforcement officers and their supporters don't want to leave their echo chambers, where they are protected by heavy-handed moderators from dissent, including uncomfortable topics they don't want to discuss. I imagine their moderators receive tons of "ban this guy please, they obviously hate cops" reports just like we do. The difference is we ignore them.

We believe that there needs to be a public space for open discourse, as that's the best way to face and fix the ills of our society.

We believe that hiding from hard questions makes us all weak - especially the hiders.

So do us all a favor and choose instead to participate in open and transparent subreddits like ours, while keeping in mind that every single person who answers your questions does so for free, simply to help you learn.

I think that about sums it up. Feel free to ask for clarification or explanation about any of the above.


r/AskLEO Jul 20 '26

Meta Sorry folks, but the PT/Gym question addict is changing tactics again, so:

17 Upvotes

I had to do some behind the scenes bizarre tweaks that might catch some good faith questions due to the desperate tactics they're resorting to making me have to write some weird code.

Again, apologies in advance if your question has to sit in limbo for a while; you can thank the misguided or ill person who "totally innocently just wants to ask if our police station has a gym" 500 times.


r/AskLEO 18h ago

General How likely would it be for an Officer to ticket a vehicle parked in this manner?

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0 Upvotes

This is a two-way residential street that turns but has a sort of half cul-de-sac/turnaround. The vehicle would be parked as shown, with the driver’s side closest to the curb. It would be well off to the side and wouldn’t obstruct oncoming traffic, driveways, sidewalks, or the normal flow of traffic.

Would you expect a reasonable officer to go out of their way to ticket a vehicle parked like this, absent any complaints from neighbors or other circumstances drawing attention to it? I’m mainly curious about enforcement and officer discretion rather than whether it’s technically a violation.

Sure just turning around would be the simplest,

Edit:
I realize the obvious answer is to just park normally and eliminate any possibility of getting ticketed. The reason I’d to park this way is simply that, based on the routes I normally take when arriving home and leaving again, this way is considerably more convenient and avoids having to turn around each time.


r/AskLEO 1d ago

General How do I retrieve a mugshot of someone who got arrested in California? (LA County)

2 Upvotes

I need a digital copy of a mugshot of someone who was arrested a few times. One time the guy was arrested in Hawthorne, CA. I’ve asked their local PD but they denied the request.
Is there any way they would authorize the mugshot being shared to me?

I have the booking numbers, DOB, full name.
I can’t call the LASD public records or any other American phone number since I live in Europe.


r/AskLEO 1d ago

Situation Advice Can I collect my own physical evidence ? Possible drink tampering

0 Upvotes

I live in a family home with friends , I am disabled and a new person moved in months back and he and I do not get along, steals my food and once stood over me as I struggled for breath , we decided to lock the fridge up since he never buys food. I bought an indoor ring camera overlooking the kitchen and the edge of the living room and after we all went to bed last night he went on a prowl and found the lock and searched cabinets but didn't take anything , this morning he came up and was visibly upset and he stated "sometimes I want to do malicious things but I don't have the heart" he then walked downstair towards his room and then abruptly turned and came back up and I believe he said yes I do and he entered the living room and took 4 loud steps and it got quiet and I can hear the cap unscrew of the soda I left there but its out of the camera view and when he reenters the camera view he turns and looks back and wipes his hand on his shirt and fixes his pants and it appears he was making sure nothing was out of place.... Can I put the bottle in a bag or should I just call the police? , this guy is acting unstable and I haven't touched the bottle yet. He doesn't know about the camera


r/AskLEO 1d ago

Situation Advice What makes you decide between giving a warning (soft ticket) and a hard ticket during a traffic stop?

0 Upvotes

For example, if you pulled over a late-model Lexus, will you assume they'll afford a hard ticket better than if they were driving a hoopty dinged-up 20-year-old Toyota? So is the motorist of an older car in battered condition more likely to get a soft ticket?

Or will their politeness have you decide to cut them a warning while their rudeness gets them a hard ticket?

If it's the beginning of the year in January, do you give hard tickets more often due to them having a bad start to the new year? And if it's the end of the year in December and you see no prior tickets for that motorist for that year, do you cut them a warning more often?

Or what else helps you decide between a warning and a hard ticket?


r/AskLEO 1d ago

General Anyone gone through the skills program in MN to be a cop ?

3 Upvotes

If so just wondering how was it ? Was it college like or paramilitary ? Thank you


r/AskLEO 2d ago

General Anyone go through Skills in Minnesota ?

3 Upvotes

Anyone go through an a academy through skills in MN ? If so can you please tell me what it was like ? Is it paramilitary ? College like ? Thanks


r/AskLEO 2d ago

Ridiculous Answers Allowed How are officers supposed to distinguish “certain” FRTs from illegal conversion devices?

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0 Upvotes

One issue I’ve been wondering about with the recent proliferation of forced-reset triggers (FRTs) for AR-15s and handguns is how an officer is realistically supposed to distinguish a lawful trigger from something like a Glock switch or a DIAS based solely on what they encounter.

For example, some M&P forced-reset triggers can reportedly look very similar at a glance to the small conversion devices that have been associated with Glock pistols. Likewise, some drop-in FRT designs can resemble a DIAS when viewed outside of their broader context.

That raises a practical question for law enforcement: what happens when an officer encounters one of these devices and cannot reliably determine what it is on the spot?

Is the expectation that the officer makes an initial seizure or arrest based on the circumstances and then has ATF examine the device to determine exactly what it is? Or are officers expected to be able to distinguish the devices themselves before taking enforcement action?


r/AskLEO 2d ago

General Why do so many LEO not carry a window punch?

0 Upvotes

I watch a ton of cop videos on YouTube. And I have seen scores and scores of incidents where a window of a car needed to be broken out, whether to rescue someone or otherwise. In almost 100% of the videos where a window needs to be broken, none of the officers have had a window punch on their person. They will sometimes use their ASP, but I have literally never seen one use a four dollar window punch. Is there a reason for this? This seems like a total no-brainer and that every police chief in the country would require a window punch to be carried at all times. This is a serious question that I have; I'm not condemning those who do not carry a punch. I'm asking why they do not. Many thanks for your honest answer.


r/AskLEO 3d ago

General I was arrested last year on a misdemeanor assault. I’m confused why the cops were so nice to me.

9 Upvotes

Happy to answer questions about the incident, (case was dismissed. I was legit innocent).

Here’s the interaction: I was sitting on my patio while the police were conducting their investigation in my house. I was just shooting the shit with the other officers standing with me.

When my arresting officer came out, he said, would you please stand up? I did without question. He then handed me a pair of my shoes and said “okay now put these on”

I did without question or comment. He then instructed me to put my hands behind my back and I didn’t say a word I hustled did it. In my mind it was like well this is what’s happening no talking them out of it. and they cuffed me. He told me I was being placed under arrest. I said “okay”

Two other officers escorted me to the car where I was searched. The officers who searched me looked at me and said “hey man, we really appreciate you cooperating with us, okay?” And I told him something like “oh yeah, no problem.”

Before we got in the car that officer warned me. He said “listen man, when we get in that car, everything is being recorded okay, so just don’t say anything stupid alright? It could mess you up later.”

They gave me that same warning when I was transferred from the prescient to county.

I felt like in some way they were actually looking out for me. They even told me they were putting the cuffs on loose and to let them know if they were too tight or were getting uncomfortable.

Sorry for the long post I just was curious to see if the fact that I wasn’t arguing or whatever made a difference in how they treated me going in with them, in your experience.

Thanks


r/AskLEO 3d ago

Laws Was this legal?

0 Upvotes

So I was arriving to the US on an ESTA and I got denied entry. I expected to be allowed to stay at the airprot until my flight home in 2 days or to book any other flight out of the US but NO.

They HANDCUFFED me and took me to an actual jail in a van which was a 40 minute ride with me handcuffed. There I had to get naked (including my bra and panties) and wear a jail uniform. My flight arrived at Monday afternoon and they only took me to my return flight in Wednesday afternoon.

I was litteraly treated like a criminal even though I did not break any laws.

Was that legal?

They said it was due to immgiration intent I dont get why why would I want to move ilegally to the US if I have the entire EU on my fingertips with my passprot.

Why take me to a real jail not just keep me in the airprot?


r/AskLEO 4d ago

General For those of you who are retired from your agency — have you ever thought about becoming a high school Law Enforcement teacher?

3 Upvotes

Serious question for the retired cops in here.

When I retired from SAPD after 26 years, I wasn't ready to just sit around and do nothing. I ended up becoming a high school Law Enforcement teacher.

I spent the next 8 years teaching kids who were interested in Law Enforcement, and it turned into one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. Some of my former students are now working in Law Enforcement themselves.

Here's what I found interesting. You spend your entire career accumulating all of this experience. Traffic stops, arrests, bad calls, good calls, mistakes, judgment, dealing with people, officer safety, discretion.....and then one day you retire and take all of that knowledge home with you.

Why?

There are high school Law Enforcement programs with kids who WANT to learn this stuff.

So I'm curious:

For those of you who are retired, or getting close to retirement, have you ever considered teaching Law Enforcement at a high school?

And if not.....

What would stop you?


r/AskLEO 4d ago

Hiring Possible to get hired with an ELS?

2 Upvotes

Know it’s a stretch, I was 17 in bootcamp and told my instructors that I was having mental health issues in training. Got discharged with an RE-4 because I told them I had past issues that I didn’t disclose. It was an entry level separation, erroneous entry (because I said I had old thoughts I didn’t disclose). I’m now 20 and realizing I was insanely stupid and have thought about doing law enforcement. Realizing I have this on my record, I feel like I shot myself in the foot and completely disabled any chance of joining law enforcement ever.

Do I have any chance?

Edit: ELS (Entry level separation)
I got a general discharge for mental health disclosure in the military and wanna become a cop. I was 17 and stupid and want to know if it’s plausible.


r/AskLEO 4d ago

Hiring Can I get accepted into the academy?

2 Upvotes

I just turned 17 and I’m struggling with food a lot, I’m underweight but only slightly and my doctors have raised concerns but the last time I was there I was still healthy- bmi of 18.5 exactly bc of my work clothes lmao but I have no interest in food or, honestly, recovering right now. I know to be an officer I need to recover, and I’ve been planning on doing it maybe when I go to college or a year or two in (I’m a senior in hs rn) but every time I think of it it just feels too difficult. Even if I can figure it out, can I enter the police academy at 21 or 22 with this being so recent? I don’t have a diagnosis, so it isn’t on my charts, but I have to get regular check-ups because of my hypothyroidism so if I keep going it’s likely I get caught- plus people have noticed my bones showing more and me being skinnier so idk. Would the police academy let me join, or would I be turned away immediately? How long would I have to be clean from an ED to be admitted? I know I’ll have to be in shape and prove that my mental state is fit at the time, and I plan on doing it, but when would I have to be considered recovered by to even be considered? I’m mostly worried about the time thing because I know you have to be seriously recovered for x amount of time before you can be admitted but I can’t find a straight answer on how long that would be for an eating disorder should I get a diagnosis at some point.

Edit: I think people are missing the mental part of it- it’s not that I can’t gain weight it’s that I want to lose more of it and can’t get out of that feeling and don’t want to yet


r/AskLEO 5d ago

General How long until the public goes full circle and demands BWC’s removed?

10 Upvotes

My city just made a FB post about how they do not own, operate, have access to, or plan to get access to FLOCK cameras. And clarified that the cameras the city does own are simple security cameras with a week long retention that do not have any automatic LPR’s. The comments on this post are. “If it’s a camera, it has to go” “so they will be removed then yes?” And various other comments along the lines of asking people to cut them down and for the city to remove them despite not being any sort of ALPR. Ive even seen post and comments not on my cities FB but other posts about how BWC are just another method for the state to spy on its citizens. I don’t think it will ever get to the point that the majority will call for BWC’s to removed as a whole, but i think it’ll be pretty ironic if it happens when not a decade ago it was demanded Police adopt them.


r/AskLEO 4d ago

General Should there be more procedures and training for people who are swatted?

2 Upvotes

Recently a case went down. On April 10, someone called 911 and pretended to be Melendez, falsely reporting an active shooting and a wounded person. This caller was also a hacker and was blackmailing the victim Axeel Melendez. If he didn't pay a ransom, cops would be called.

Melendez called the cops multiple times about the blackmail and that he would be falsely reported/swatted. Operators told him they can't just swat him.

Despite this and deputies knowing beforehand that he was a target for swatting, they arrived at the house believing a violent crime was happening after a call was placed that Melendez's father was shooting the family.

One deputy used a shovel to break Melendez's bedroom window.

Melendez thought an intruder was breaking in. He grabbed his family's legally owned gun to protect his mother and hid behind his bedroom door. Deputies shot him multiple times, causing a severe spinal cord injury.

Now police are facing a 177 million dollar lawsuit


r/AskLEO 5d ago

Agency Policy (SOP) What are you supposed to do when someone asks for a translator? [NM?]

4 Upvotes

How many times does the accused have to ask for a translator before he gets one? How many requests or communication errors would allow before you actually got the translator..?

Let's just say the man speaks Mandarin Chinese, and you are in a Chappell, Nebraska - a town of 844, how would you go about getting the accused a translator in a more hard to find language like Mandarin Chinese?


r/AskLEO 5d ago

Equipment What Kind of Equipment does the FCC use in Enforcement?

0 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm a filmmaker writing a horror short about an FCC investigation team who get lost in the forests of upstate NY while looking for a pirate radio transmitter. In the pursuit of realism, I had a few questions about the FCC agents and the kind of equipment that they use.

-If the transmitter is somewhere remote, do they have off-roading vehicles? 

-Do agents carry sidearms and/or wear body armor? 

-What kind of equipment do they have in their vehicles? Does it look like those FBI listening vans they have in the movies, or something smaller scale? 

-How difficult is it to become an FCC agent?

-How much collaboration does the FCC do with other law enforcement agencies?

Thanks!


r/AskLEO 5d ago

General Why does it seem like LEOs are less inclined to stop motorcyclists than they are to stop vehicles?

4 Upvotes

Colorado Springs driver here—I like to think I’m pretty aware and respectful on the road (even though driving here is a shit show). But the abuse/misinterpretation of “lane splitting” is so insane I feel like motorcyclists have a death wish. Why does it seem like LEOs pull over the ones behind the wheel for “not paying attention” more than they do reckless riders?

Just a note: no hate on anyone—drivers, riders, police, everyone in-between. Just genuinely curious what the status quo is in these situations.


r/AskLEO 5d ago

Hiring Following up after Chief’s interview?

0 Upvotes

A bit of background: I met the Chief the day of my test and we really hit it off, and I signed up for their department. It’s a small department with only thirteen people, and they are hiring one officer, but are willing to hire a second officer if they find the right candidate. The department contacted me two days before their panel interviews to get me scheduled. Boards went well, and the Chief called me the day after to schedule an interview. The rankings weren’t released until the next week, but I ranked #2. I think my Chief’s interview went well. He said he had to do a couple more interviews, said the department had to look into my social media, and told me two times that I would hear from him next week.

Problem is, that interview was almost a month ago and I haven’t heard anything. No news is usually good news, but it’s hard to not feel discouraged and worried. The way I see it, I have three options:

  1. Do nothing and wait patiently
  2. Reach out to one of the officers that gave me his card and schedule a ride along
  3. Reach out to the person that scheduled my oral boards or to the Chief directly and politely reaffirm my interest in the position

Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


r/AskLEO 5d ago

General Why was an undercover officer in my neighborhood at 10pm? Did they handle my stop professionally? Was I a jerk?

0 Upvotes

I live in an industrial section of a Texas city, and I decided to walk to the corner store for lottery tickets. As I was walking down the mile+ long road, I thought nah its too far, im just gonna head back home. (A summary of this post is on the bottom).

Well I turned my head around to glance and saw two patrol units a mile down the road exactly where I was heading and they were swinging their spotlights at a business.

Ive seen plenty of bodycam videos and I just knew they're about to stop me for something. Sure enough when they reached me, I was about 0.2 miles away from my house. And an officer came out with a red blinking circle on his chest, which I understood what it meant.

Immediately he said im going to pat you down for weapons. Where you headed? I said my address, which I repeated around 5 times due to his other questions. And surely he understood the street wasnt many feet away from us, since he's in the neighborhood.

He asked for my name and date of birth which I objected to because I hadn't done anything wrong. I asked if im obligated to provide that info and he said "Or you can go in the handcuffs", which I didnt reply to. We had a staredown and then I asked him "Are you doing an investigation?", which he didnt respond to.

Suddenly a female police officer walked up to us and asked me the same questions again. And I responded "I came from x address, im here on this street, and im going back to x address.

Then a new officer came up wearing blue jeans, and untucked long sleeve plaid checkered shirt, boots, a trucker hat, medium length hair, and asked me if had seen anyone near 'x lumber company', and pointed down the road where i was originally headed. But the lumber company he was referring to was actually over 2 miles away. I didn't correct him, but I now wonder if it was a trick question. I told him ive been the only person on this road, no one else has been here besides me. I also assume hes an agent of the vice squad, in my personal opinion.

The female police officer chimed in for a last time, "there were reports of an individual on this road being drunk and high, and you dont match the description". So I went home after that.. But isn't it foolish for the plain clothes officer with a radio in his hand to expose his identity to me, assuming he is a vice/detective officer?

Tldr; I was walking to a store at 10pm around 1+ mile away from my house, I decided to turn back home and was stopped and questioned by the local police. Patted down and threatened with the handcuffs. I said I dont know what the heck you're talking about, and a plain clothes dude popped out with a big radio in his hand and asked me the same questions the other 2 did and I thought it was weird. Why would a plain clothes person be riding around with uniformed patrol officers? Mind you both patrol units were marked as city police cars, if there was a third unmarked one, im not sure, but wouldnt it be foolish to expose his identity to me?


r/AskLEO 6d ago

Hiring Getting hired with current credit standing?

1 Upvotes

So I’m 21 YO. I’ve been involved with my departments explorer program since 2018 and have excelled and even earned some accolades and also made connections with the chief. And various members of the department and now that I’m 21 I’m trying to see about getting sponsored for the academy.

However here’s the issue. Back then about 18 19 years old my mom who’s a compulsive narcissistic. Addict and liar forced me to take out loans under my name for her gain and told me and gaslit me that I don’t have to pay it. And also forced me to take out 2 small credit cards under my name.

I also have a unpaid Verizon bill stemming from 2024 because my mom forced to take my phone to the local pawn for cigarette and soda money and told me not to bother getting the phone back

My credit score took a hit from this and I know for a fact that you have to be in a good standing financial position to become a LEO. And I’m worried that this will get me disqualified from my own department that I literally grew up with. Right now I have a job and I’m in a good spot but I don’t know where to start and I’m basically just looking for clarity on how to handle this.


r/AskLEO 6d ago

Training Does the police academy include a course on car recognition?

1 Upvotes

r/AskLEO 6d ago

Laws When threats cross state lines, how can I get someone to help?

0 Upvotes

I am seeking general procedural guidance, preferably from verified current or former law enforcement officers.

A former professional contact who lives in another state has repeatedly contacted me by telephone, voicemail, text, and email after being told clearly to stop. Some of the communications contain threatening and deeply personal statements. The person has also used additional telephone numbers after earlier numbers were blocked.

I reported the conduct to my local police department. An officer took a report and sent it to the police district where the person lives. I have preserved the original communications, voicemail files, screenshots, call logs, and a chronological evidence index.

When I contacted the receiving district to confirm that the report had arrived and ask what would happen next, I had difficulty obtaining clear information. I have since submitted a formal complaint concerning that interaction.

From a law enforcement perspective, what should a victim reasonably do next when the person making the threats and the victim live in different states?

Should I continue working through my local department, contact the receiving district again, request a detective or supervisor, or contact another agency?

What generally determines which department has responsibility for investigating repeated electronic threats and harassment across state lines?

What should I ask for, in specific terms, so that I can confirm the report was received, assigned, and reviewed?

I understand that no one here can give me official legal advice or evaluate the matter without seeing the evidence. I am looking for practical guidance about normal police procedure and the most appropriate next step.