Get out of Jail Free Cards For Friends and Family of Cops?

[Expatriate]

This has my blood boiling... Am I overreacting or is this to be expected in such a f***ed up society?

There is now a separate class of citizens, above us ordinary peasants, that can get away scot-free with any traffic violation on the book, from illegal parking and speeding all the way up to DUI. They're not cops (although there's no excuse for cops being above the law either).

I had never heard of this, but then I got a ticket (speed trap) on the way to work and a coworker showed me a card with a badge on the front. He started bragging to me about all the times he had used it to get away with speeding and being "a bit drunk". The card had a LEO's signature and a phone number on the back (I guess so that the cop could tell it was not fake and call the # to make sure). Also according to this guy if you ever did get in trouble despite showing the card, you could just give your cop friend a call and he would make sure "everything gets cleared up" in the long run.

So after some incredulous internet research, I find that these cards are quite common, and when presented along with your license and registration during a traffic stop, inform the officer conducting the stop that you are no ordinary run-of-the-mill citizen. The officer will then "choose to exercise his discretion" and extend you the "professional courtesy" of letting you off with a warning. Amazingly, in cases of DUI, as far as I can tell, you can actually receive a ride home instead of to jail.

So something that can literally ruin your life or get you killed (as Anti Federalist has pointed out tirelessly) has absolutely no consequence for some people, simply because they're buddies with a cop? WTF!!!!

If you don't believe me, check these links out, this is the result of 10 minutes of googling:

http://uslawman.websitetoolbox.com/post/PBAFOP-Cards-5104974

DIESELBULLDOG- Lets start off by saying that I am the first guy to respect these cards and give professional courtesy.
That being said, what the hell do some guys think when they get these cards every year. I pull over car after car with these cards and most of them are not close friends and or relatives. I understand taking are of some people or businesses that give us professional courtesy as well. BUT that certainly does not mean give everyone you know a card. Some guys are devaluing these cards by give them out like they are business cards trying to get new clients.. Fortunately I will always respect cards unless the holder is a complete toolbox. But there are plenty of guys that are just getting fed up and are not going to honor them anymore. So lets not turn NJ into the southern states where they do not have such a strong brotherhood.....

rollingrock9- I hate these cards, but i do respect them. i want to propose a new spin on these cards though at my next PBA meeting. nothing changes except every card has three hole punch slots at the bottom. when they are pulled over the officer giving courtesy punches out one of the holes. that way the next officer who stops them can see they have been stopped and punches their own hole. the third time...the card gets punched and wrote. 3 strikes your out.

SnappleApple- Then you get a free coffee during your 4th stop...in all honesty, it sounds like a good idea.

http://uslawman.websitetoolbox.com/post/PBAFOP-CARDS-2706692

Quote:
Originally Posted by JustGetDown
Quote:
Originally Posted by yocuz
I give them two choices.

a. I keep card and they go on their way

b. they get ticket and keep card.


Option B has never been chosen.

what if u get a call from the 20yr vet and he asks you why you took the card?

I've gotten a few calls like that. i usually explaint hat "Little Johnny " (or jane, or whatever) was driving like a tool, and DIDNT get stubbed only because they had the card, which was turned over to my Delegate, who will pass it along to their Delegate at the next County Conference, or State meeting. If they want to give it back to little Johnny that's fine but they should know that little johnny drives like a jackass.


blueguy- Definitely agreed that refusing to give back those metal cards is a bit of a problem, however mailing them back with maybe a little note that says "hey cousin Jimmy was doing 304MPH in a 55 maybe you want to have a chit chat" shouldn't cause any issues.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/t33..._useful_thread_about_cards _your_story_.html

I dunno. My best friends dad is a custom agent at JFK airport. This friend of mine, and his 2 older brothers, always get the newest PBA cards. Now NY has zero tolerance when it comes to drinking and driving. My bud's older brother got pulled over in NY drunk off his ass. What the cop shoulda done was haul his ass of to jail, and later aution off his car, but instead the cop drove my friend's brother to his dad's house. All because of the PBA card. So maybe being related to the actual cop, or what have you, gives you a better advantage. But that night, the PBA card was a get out of jail free card.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_courtesy

Third, many American law enforcement employees distribute "family cards" to friends and family to produce at, for example, a traffic stop where an ordinary member of the public would get a ticket.[6] Many vendors are explicit about the intention behind these cards and document the definition of "professional courtesy", e.g.[7]

http://njlawman.com/Feature Pieces/Professional Courtesy.htm

If your relative or courtesy card gets written, give the issuer the benefit of the doubt before declaring war. Sometimes people don’t produce the card or identify who they are. Other times their conduct was absolutely deserving of the citation, and they're only telling you half of the story. Then, there are those situations that don’t fall into either of these categories. These are the instances where the issuer just doesn’t care. Unfortunately, this crap happens a lot in some southern states. The really disturbing part is that these same officers wouldn't hesitate to call you at your job asking for a favor. That is complete hypocrisy. Fortunately, this group is by far the minority.

EDIT: Related video:

 

[kathy88]

It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone who's been drinking gets off with one of those cards, then kills someone.

 

[Expatriate]

It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone who's been drinking gets off with one of those cards, then kills someone.

They'd make sure "everything gets cleared up"

The dash cam video and any record of the stop would probably get "lost".

 

[phill4paul]

I've known about this..forever it seems...

Cops
Family of cops
Friends of cops



































Everyone else.


Fuck the Kings guard.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Like one of the comments mentioned, in NY/NJ they are called "PBA" cards.

Policeman's Benevolent Association.

They were (are) highly sought after as just that, a "get out of jail free" card.

 

[Danke]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_courtesy

 

[awake]

State thugs have gift cards...Great stocking stuffer for the corrupt.

 

[cindy25]

this is nothing new; I had a friend in college whose dad was a police captain, and he had such a card-and used it for traffic related problems-back in the late 70s

it can work with private companies also, I dropped "by accident" a business card of a friend who worked in some consumer fraud agency on the counter of a local muffler shop. Did not say a word, but the clerk picked up the card for me. He went to the back room, and I was treated almost like royalty. paid almost nothing, and had a very short wait.

 

[Henry Rogue]

Hey, to any cop on this forum please send me one of those. I'll pay $$

 

[phill4paul]

Like one of the comments mentioned, in NY/NJ they are called "PBA" cards.

Policeman's Benevolent Association.

They were (are) highly sought after as just that, a "get out of jail free" card.

Of course. If they can get a murderer his job back, after court representation, and against the local governments or citizens will, then of course one might find it enticing if that kind of fire power might sway a ticket offence.

 

[jclay2]

This is just unreal. We truly are a corrupt police statement.

 

[Danke]

Hey, to any cop on this forum please send me one of those. I'll pay $$

http://leoprocards.com/

 

[RJB]

Go to a bar where cops hang out at closing time-- better yet take a video camera. You'll never see a drunker group driving away. Because they know the law doesn't apply to them.

 

[Henry Rogue]

http://leoprocards.com/

Thanks Danke, but I was just joking. If Law Enforcement is this corrupt i figure they take bribes too.

 

[Expatriate]

http://leoprocards.com/

Pretty sure those don't work without a cop's signature and phone # on the back. That site is for cops to buy them to hand out to their friends.

EDIT: and it also says this:

LEO ProCards – Law Enforcement Professional Courtesy Cards are sold ONLY to members affiliated within the Law Enforcement Industry (Federal, State, Municipal, Corrections, Retiree’s, ect).

 

[BlackTerrel]

Wow.

I actually wanted to go scour the internet and debunk this as a "myth".

I'm kind of amazed this is legit. More people should know about this... and be pissed off about it.

 

[phill4paul]

Wow.

I actually wanted to go scour the internet and debunk this as a "myth".

I'm kind of amazed this is legit. More people should know about this... and be pissed off about it.

Hey. the first time I heard about it, 20 or so years ago, I felt the same. Is O.K. Spread it.

 

[Henry Rogue]

Go to a bar where cops hang out at closing time-- better yet take a video camera. You'll never see a drunker group driving away. Because they know the law doesn't apply to them.

Yea. Many years ago My wife was a sub in a co-ed softball tournament and there were two cops on the team. We all went to a bar nearby afterwards. I was the designated driver for my wife. We take turns. I usually am DD. The one cop got totally hammered. My wife asked him if he was going to drive home in that condition. He said he was and if he got pulled over he would be let go. Never saw those people again. We were surprised then. I'm not any more.

 

[Tod]

I know a firefighter who got one from a cop friend of his.

 

[phill4paul]

I know a firefighter who got one from a cop friend of his.

Cop
Family of Cops
Friend of Cops



























Everyone else.