Probably not, or someone's liable to get fired. FWPD's had trouble with off-duty jobs conflicting with public perception and an officer's duty, so several years ago the department set up a policy where an administrator (IIRC it's a Captain or an LT downtown) has to approve all off-duty jobs where the officer will be in uniform except for OT related to federal grants, like the STEP program. If it was approved through that boss, he's probably been to the chief's office to receive his 'counseling' already. If it wasn't approved, then someone in Traffic's probably using one of the inflatable rings to sit on.talltex wrote:... In this case, according to the FWPD statement, they apparently just contacted the Traffic Division and requested off-duty officers to assist and divert traffic as well as "protecting the cash on hand". Evidently, someone there just figured it was another way for the off-duty guys to make some extra money, and never considered the effect on the "citizens".
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Return to “North Texas motorists stoped by Feds to take DNA and blood”
- Thu Nov 21, 2013 11:13 am
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: North Texas motorists stoped by Feds to take DNA and blood
- Replies: 221
- Views: 23745
Re: North Texas motorists stoped by Feds to take DNA and blo
- Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:56 am
- Forum: Off-Topic
- Topic: North Texas motorists stoped by Feds to take DNA and blood
- Replies: 221
- Views: 23745
Re: North Texas motorists stoped by Feds to take DNA and blo
The "passive" part is easily explalined:
Imagine this: a person walks up to your stopped car, holding a clipboard in both of his hands, and waits until you roll down your window. As he moves a bit closer to the open window, a small sampling port on the underside of his clipboard vacumes in a little bit of your breath (you naturally turned your head to speak to the man, being the polite person you are). That little bit of your air sample is now being analyzed by a device mounted on the top of the clipboard, and you can't see it.
There have been other passive breath-alcohol sensors deployed before - one that I'm familiar with looks like a normal Kel-light flashlight, with a sensor probe extended from the lens covering slightly. The operator merely presses a button on the flashlight when he wants to sample the ambient air where he is (presumably as he sticks the flashlight inside your open window after he stopped you on the highway), and the device gives an indication of "yes, ETOH (ethyl alcohol) is present in the sample or no, ETOH is not present".
The device is calibrated so that any set amount of ETOH present in the sample will indicate a positive result - and that gives the officer probable cause that you (or someone in your vehicle) has been drinking and outgassing alcohol fumes.
Imagine this: a person walks up to your stopped car, holding a clipboard in both of his hands, and waits until you roll down your window. As he moves a bit closer to the open window, a small sampling port on the underside of his clipboard vacumes in a little bit of your breath (you naturally turned your head to speak to the man, being the polite person you are). That little bit of your air sample is now being analyzed by a device mounted on the top of the clipboard, and you can't see it.
There have been other passive breath-alcohol sensors deployed before - one that I'm familiar with looks like a normal Kel-light flashlight, with a sensor probe extended from the lens covering slightly. The operator merely presses a button on the flashlight when he wants to sample the ambient air where he is (presumably as he sticks the flashlight inside your open window after he stopped you on the highway), and the device gives an indication of "yes, ETOH (ethyl alcohol) is present in the sample or no, ETOH is not present".
The device is calibrated so that any set amount of ETOH present in the sample will indicate a positive result - and that gives the officer probable cause that you (or someone in your vehicle) has been drinking and outgassing alcohol fumes.