Cobra i was not trying to dispute demographics with you or (i have been in the south many times(Atlanta) and its a very-very nice place)but in some of the above towns in NJ i mentioned 2 million does not get you a building lot and 1 mile down the road from professional them your in the projects. If you guys down there dont extend coutesy and special treatment ECT what exactly is the purpose PBA PLATES.
I'm not trying to debate with you either, only having a friendly conversation. Again, most of my statements here are just statements to address anyone reading, as they are certainly not directed at you personally. But to answer your question regarding PBA plates, I see it no different than someone who has a license plate which displays their favorite football team or college. It shows support and camaraderie between like minded individuals. As far as football goes, I like the Tennessee Titans, but I'm not going to give a Titan's fan with a TN Titan license plate any more courtesy than I would someone else...because I try to extend my courtesy to EVERYONE - as I will explain later...
But first, I'd like to mention a thing or two here. Long before I became a Deputy, I had my fair share of being pulled over by law enforcement. I always had nice sportscars and of course the Viper. I've been followed, paced, turned around on, and pulled over in every one of them. Not all of the stops I felt were justified or ethical, but that's another story...anyway, take the times I have been pulled over for legitimately speeding (over 10mph) when I was a civilian, at least 90% of the time I was let off with a verbal warning.
Since becoming involved in law enforcement, I've become extremely conscientious and diligent in my actions and behavior both on and off-duty. But a few years ago, I was off-duty in my F150 and got pulled over for speeding. The irony about that is this, that is the only time I've been pulled over since I've been in law enforcement and I was only doing 10mph over, slower than I had ever been pulled over as a civilian. I was about a quarter mile beyond where the speed limit dropped from 65 to 55mph. The officer stopped me and approached my vehicle. He asked for my license, registration, and insurance. He informed me that they (Nashville Metro PD) are enforcing a zero tolerance policy on speeding, so 1mph over is a citation. As I was pulling my license out of my wallet, he caught a glimpse of my badge. He then began to apologized and said that they do not give any officers any breaks - including their own when off-duty. After all, traffic stops are recorded and may be evaluated by their supervisors. So therefore, I received a speeding ticket.
I have no problem whatsoever with my citation. I applaud the officer that issued me the ticket and I hold no animosity between he or the Nashville PD. Even recently, the Nashville Police Chief's son was arrested for DUI while sitting in his parked car. He was given no special treatment by PD or the Chief. Although many don't approve of Nashville's Chief policies in general, he gets some respect from me for having his officers enforce the law without bias. As long as there is consistency in the enforcement of policy here, that is fine with me.
Personally, in my traffic enforcement, I have a very tolerant attitude and I feel as though I'm VERY fair. I always try to put myself in their shoes. I ask myself, "What would I have done under a similar situation and circumstance?". I try to treat everyone the same and give the benefit of the doubt. I will say this, and I'm sure many officers will agree, that being polite, having a good attitude, and showing respect will go further than anything else. Doing that does not guarantee that you will always get a warning, but behaving the opposite can guarantee that you will always get a ticket - with or without a badge.