Another true moron!

[deputydawg]

Met another one the other day!<br /><br />This man, in his early 60's, was caught steeling a John Deere backhoe. He had a brilliant plan. Come to town with a borrowed truck and a hydraulic tilt trailer, pull right up in front of the local implement dealer. Drive the backhoe onto the trailer during the early evening, and away he goes. Even if he was seen most people would not suspect anything since he was not hiding his actions. To add to it, the owners are always out moving equipment around and working in the shop at night.<br /><br />Anyway, this moron pulled in front right on the main highway through town. Got the trailer tilted up and got into the backhoe (keys inside). Started it and drove onto the trailer.<br /><br />That is where his troubles started. The rear bucket was not raised all of the way, and was locked to the right side. As he drove onto the steep grade of the tilted trailer, the weight of the rear bucket made the thing rear up. When this happened the rear bucket drug the ground causing the front end of the implement to swing to the right, pivot on the rear bucket. He didn't stop on time, and ran right off of teh side of his trailer OVER the fender. After tearing the fender off, destroying the rear tire of the backhoe, he got stuck on the mounting pin for the rear bucket. So there he sat with the rear wheels of the John Deere off of the ground about 3 feet. <br /><br />As he was trying to figure out how to run the rear bucket and push himself off of the trailer, some kids saw him. One of the kids dad works at this shop. He stopped to see what was up, when the guy asked him to go get into another tractor and push him off of the trailer. The kids refused telling him to wait til he got his dad. The kids dad called 911 and reported the theft. When I got there the guy had taken another tractor and tried pushing the backhoe off of his trailer ruining the large cylinder on the hoe. He was trying to drive away hoping to pull the trailer out from under the backhoe, with no success.<br /><br />The owner arrived about the time we were cuffing him. The owner asked what the &^*^% he was doing, he simply said "picking up this machine". He tried to say someone hired him to pick this up and haul it. Well I shocked him and called the person he was "working for". He went to school with this loser, but hadn't seen him in 20 years. Then he decided he was wrong and someone else had hired him to go get it. He said someone left a message on his answering machine asking him to get this backhoe for him.....but he didn't know who left him the message. Finally he found a third name of the person that hired him. I of course called them too. After I got off of the phone he asked me "so, what did he say" I said "he told me your going to jail". <br /><br />If he had known how to drive the machine, he would have been in and out in 5 minutes and nobody would have known. Of course the 1/2 ton chevy and the car trailer wouldn't have pulled the equipment too far.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Another true moron!

So DD, seems that you're the law man I wanted to clarify some urban legends. Is there really a ticket quota that y'all have to meet monthly? Based on my own observation it seem that this is somewhat true because there are more activities at the beginning and end of the month. This one is much more important, how fast is one allowed to goes over the speed limit? is there such a thing as the 5 mph tolerance? is 10 mph over speed limit acceptable on highway? Thanks!

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Another true moron!

Gonefishie- There is no such thing as a quota anymore, we can now right as many as we want. There is no dead set tolerance either, the law says 55 then the law means 55. Dept's USUALLY have unwritten tolerances though. My dept has a 10mph except in school zone, then its about 2 mph.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Another true moron!

Dep, thats pretty funny.<br /><br />So, where do you fence a stolen backhoe these days?<br /><br />Ken

 

[tommays]

Re: Another true moron!

stealing construction stuff is BIG business all over the place<br /><br />somebody left a brand new boacat backhoe in the bushes in back of are building monday mouring <br /><br />did they real think it would stay hidden there ?<br /><br />the police were down there with a trailer faster then i could believe to retrive it<br /><br />tommays

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Another true moron!

deputydawg!!That is a classic!!! Good job!!! <br /><br />As quotas go, every state is differant!!! The state police here have em!!!! my buddy fills out 15 a morning and pre signs them while having coffee before going on the road!!! When he stops a person he fills in the name and the speed and the fine!!! Speed limit 55mph on the highway and they give you a ticket if you go over 70mph Fine is 50 bucks and then a surcharge of 10 bucks for every mile over the speed limit!!!

 

[fire831]

Re: Another true moron!

Sounds like a case I had here where I live when I was Town Marshal. This backhoe was at a railroad crossing that had just been repaired and these two guys had it loaded on a trailer and were behind a doctors office down the road from the tracks.They said they where having problems with the trailer lights. They said they were hauling it to another jobsite for a guy. This was on a Sunday night I might ad. After getting the name of who they were hauling it for and having them unload it back where it was so they could fix there lights at a place I told them that could fix them while I was tying to contact the supposed owner. Went back to find them and they were nowhere to be found. I had allready got all there identifing info and found out the next morning that they were for sure tring to steal it and filed for a warrant and they were arrested and plead guilty.

 

[pjc]

Re: Another true moron!

Hey DD, how come back in 1978 some Waukesha County Sheriffs (two sheriffs that had to leave all of a sudden 'cause they claimed another call came in) confiscated a quarter pound of pot from me, my bro, another bud, and the owner of the car. This was after the cops tested the stuff, turned a nice shade of purple as I recall (was good chit). Sheriffs told us "we will be calling your folks". Never herd chit. I assume the cops went and toked up a storm. <br /><br />Any situations of cops being stoner's?????

 

[roscoe]

Re: Another true moron!

Of course pjc.<br />Seen it a few weeks ago myself.<br />Walking back to get my boat trailer. <br />Had parked it at a friends house 2 blocks from the lake because the lot was full.<br />Cut through the alley where "thee" squad was parked.<br />Must have caught him offguard.<br />Cough cough, quick roll up the windows and start the engine and drive away. <br />Found the still smouldering roach laying on the ground where the car was parked.<br /><br />There is only one cop in that town.<br /><br />I'm sure the Waukesha Deputies, fine LEO that they are, used the confiscated weed for undercover operations. <br /><br />

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Another true moron!

I used to live next to an elementry school field. I could clearly see the school's parking lot about 100 yards away, and late at night there were often multiple cop cars there. Since there's way, way, WAY more LEOs in this town than necessary, obviously they were just bored and taking a break.<br /><br />Then one night 3 cop cars were there. They stayed about 3 hours. I watched as they drank something from bottles (water? ) then proceded to **** frequently onto the school's field. Then I watched as they took out a pipe of some sort, and shared a smoke from it. Must have been tobacco. <br /><br />The next day I spoke to the chief of police. Shortly after that two officers resigned for "personal" reasons.<br /><br />Only town more corrupt than mine is Washington DC...

 

[crab bait]

Re: Another true moron!

that backhoe must take up alotta space in the evidence locker..

 

[JRJ]

Re: Another true moron!

Good job dd and ZmOZ. What town are you in ZmOZ?

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Another true moron!

Originally posted by JRJ:<br /> Good job dd and ZmOZ. What town are you in ZmOZ?

Sherwood, OR, where the mayor is corrupt, the cops are suicidal, the teachers are pedofiles, and the fire department is on fire! Yeehaw!

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Another true moron!

Hey dawg,<br /><br />If he was a looter could you have shot him?

 

[pjc]

Re: Another true moron!

that 1978 deal was actually pretty funny. the worst part was waiting for that call that never came and in reflection, the Sheriffs were pretty cool about it.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Another true moron!

Finaly here to reply to the first question.<br /><br />Some departments do have quotas. Mine does not, as was said we get to write as many as we want. 4 more and I get the toaster oven!<br /><br />Seriously, some larger departments do have quotas. They are not do or die, they are just a measure of activity. If you have a large department like the state highway patrol, it is impossible to have a supervisor meet with officers and check in on officers every day. The officers are trusted to be on patrol and do their job. Many of them spend time driving and not doing their job.<br /><br />The quotas are set by area. They go in history and see how many citations have been issued for a certain area or district. If all officers working that area and that shift write say 100 a month, then the quota will be set around 75 or so. It is assumed that if all other officers are writing 100 then you should be able to at least come close.<br /><br />They are not measured by the month though. They are compiled by month, but don't mean much. When the yearly or quarterly employee reviews come around if an officer is always below the quota then they are assumed to be spending too much time in the doghnut shop. If there is a lot of complaints on an officer for slacking on the job, then the quotas come out to see. If they don't make quota the supervisor usually tells them to try to be more active. <br /><br />Quotas are usually set on contacts not citations. Warnings count toward the quota.<br /><br />Usually the first of the month is more active because that is when paychecks and government checks come out, so there is generally more traffic running at that time. <br /><br />As for a universal leaway for tickets, it is totally up to officer discretion. Usually within departments the fudge factor is an unspoken standard. I myself go for 10 over when I am on traffic detail. Unless I know the driver and they are a repeat offender, then I get a little stricter. MOST places it is 10 over, around here anyway. BUT it is possible to get a ticket and be found guilty in court for 1 mph over. I do know of 1 deputy that used to do that. He is now working as a park maintenance man.<br /><br />Other question on the weed. I have taken small amounts from people with a warning and not cited them. I figured that in that situation it either scared them out of trying it again, or it wouldn't have mattered at all either way. Anything over a dime though and I will usually summons them. <br /><br />I am sure there are a lot of dirty cops out there that drink and get high on and off the job. I myself am lucky to have never met any (that I know of). But out of the millions of officers in the nation, and a few thousand are dirty then the odds are pretty good. We are trusted with a great responsibility and have to hold ourselves to a higher standard in my opinion, so I have no use for even questionable cops.<br /><br />I will say that out of all my friends and all my years of life, I have never ever partied with anyone that had as much fun or partied as much as cops off duty. Right now I am in a motel room at an investigators conference 400 miles from home. We have an open bar at our disposal, and we have chartered busses that will take us anyplace we would ever need to go. <br /><br />And yes construction equipment is a big item to steal, especially backhoes, skid steer loaders (bobcats), generators and air comopressors, trailers and ATV's. Trailers are the biggest of all because they are so easy to hide. Go to the county and tell them it is an old enough trailer that there was no title and poof, you get a brand new clean title!

 

[DJ]

Re: Another true moron!

Hey, the guy stealing the backhoe was just trying to feed his family. <br /><br />Or, most likely, trying to feed a habit.<br /><br />Good one DD.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Another true moron!

Thanks DD. Here the speed limit on interstate hwy was raised from 65 to 70mph a while back and the highway patrol seemed to change their attitude. Before @65mph one could drive 74-75mph and they wouldn't bother. Now @70mph they would get you everytime for going 80mph, I don't get it. On state highways it's 55mph and if you're going more then 60mph? you're asking for it.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------<br /> As for a universal leaway for tickets, it is totally up to officer discretion. Usually within departments the fudge factor is an unspoken standard. I myself go for 10 over when I am on traffic detail. Unless I know the driver and they are a repeat offender, then I get a little stricter. MOST places it is 10 over, around here anyway. BUT it is possible to get a ticket and be found guilty in court for 1 mph over. I do know of 1 deputy that used to do that. He is now working as a park maintenance man.<br />-------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Before I bought the new truck I had an SUV I used to tow the boat only and a car for normal driving. This car was a bullet and was the only one like it in the county. All the cops recognized and well awared that I'm incappable of doing 30mph. They will put down their coffee when they see me. I had to use the cruise control when driving in the city. So I had to traded in both the car and the SUV for the truck.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Another true moron!

Reminds me that the phrase of "Boy ole boy, I sure would like to have that" can get you into trouble. My brother said that about a brand new generator/air compressor his company had just purchased. That very night it got ripped off. Guess who the LEO went to visit? After a couple of weeks investigating my brother, they gave up concluding that he just said something sarcastic that he shouldn't have. <br /><br />Again, job well done double D!