To Protect and Serve?

That would be a great defense if there was any form of consistency.

Example: In WA it's illegal to pass on the right (probably in OR too). I have *never* heard of anyone being issued a ticket for this arguably dangerous maneuver. But I've heard of lots of people being given tickets for not having a front plate, a crime which unquestionably puts no one in any form of danger.

When a police officer enforces a contemptible law, he or she is just as complicit (the Nazi defense of "I was just following orders" was just as invalid).

Every police officer has the opportunity to condone the lack of a front plate. The few that don't are a PR black-eye and generate ill-will from hard-working law-abiding citizens that could so easily be avoided.

 

And that the lies that are being told by some officers are just fine? Let me ask how much of this $$$$$$$ go's to safety, and do you really feel what is being done is making drivers and the streets a safer place to be? "RIGHT"

 

+1000000

 

What a copout (no pun intended). Are you saying you don't recognize stupidity when you see it? What does that make you? Keep in mind here that the head of the WSP came out on TV with the statement that his goal was to increase revenue. What does that have to do with safety. There are people on this board that were Leo’s at one point and saw the “light” and quit.

 

I must have missed the memo...

 

There was no memo. The rest of us live a tad less regulated life, that is why we see it differently. It’s no disrespect to you, rather the system. When cops are forced to write citations for the sake of making money it denudes the value of your position. When cops “hide” to give traffic citations there is something very wrong indeed. Be that in the bushes or in unmarked cars. There isn’t a single logical reason for an unmarked police car on the highways other than to make money.

Want to save some budgetary funds? Cut loose half of the WSP tomorrow. Trust me, they will not be missed. They serve no other function than revenue collectors.

If you want case in point just ask on these boards, we can give you lots of examples.

 

Coming home on I5 yesterday and saw an officer helping a lady jump her car. Rush hour busy. He was actually helping the community. I was very happy to see it. That is what they are there for ..... and fighting crime. Forget about the GD front-plates. Go after the drug dealers, meth heads etc etc just as someone else here mentioned. uhhhhh how about some common sense here.

mbrown

 

You mean uncommon sense.

 

I actually saw a WSP helping a woman change a tire on the side of I-90 in Issaquah the other day. I was absolutely shocked! (pleasantly)

I don't envy any law enforcement officers. Their jobs are generally thankless and sometimes outright suck; but I am certainly tired of them enforcing certain laws that are only in place to collect revenue while at the same time ignoring other laws that are actually there for reasons of safety. It makes no sense to me. If their job is to enforce the law, then they should enforce "all the laws" equally. If they decide to selectively enforce laws, then they should start with those related to safety, not revenue.

 

Yes, that is the point. There are sooooo many other things to worry about and enforce with crime rates so high. We just seem to have our priorities messed up - especially when they go out of their way to target a 40-70 year old guy/gal driving an F-car/other exotic without a front plate. I am much more CONCERNED about the 16-18 year old teenager (with little driving experience even though they know everything) in daddy's car showing off for friends. Mix that with ETOH and you have a very bad combination - very dangerous. More than 50% of ER visits (auto accidents) are teenagers.

 

Michael could you please explain how it is a "copout" to say focus your frustrations on the law maker. For godness sake you guys are just so quick to attack police it cracks me up. Did I ever say I thought the front plate law was great or a wonderful life saving idea? NO I didn't and for what its worth I agree I think its stupid. Please stop reading more into what I said other than fight to change the laws with the law makers not just B___H about police. Believe it or not we do realize some laws are misguided at best or worse. I don't just automatically enforce every law but I can't just place all the blame on the officer. Can you admit 1000's of private businesses have stupid policies and their employees follow them to the letter in the name of their job. Its not to avoid responsibility just pointing out the real problem which is a publically elected law-maker who decided he wanted front plates. We as in LE are just always in the middle. By the way the most common reason we end up enforcing these silly laws is someone calls their local police and cries about the mulitple violations that are going unenforced and a chief ends up telling everyone to start increasing enforcement. Thats the truth in my area anyway!!!!

 

Actually, it was posted on here that there was an effort in the Washington legislature to eliminate front plates, and it died directly because of opposition by the WSP.

So yes, Smyrna355spyder, as an officer and part of an agency you do have an impact on the laws.

 

Well, there is hope at the end of the tunnel...

WSP finaly WON "Best Law Enforcement Agency" at the National Police Cheif and Sheriff's Association this last week.

The assoc stated as part of the award, that WSP is responsible, (in their eyes) for a reduction of over 30% of injury accidents per capita based in the USA, due to their "Aggresive" Policing enforcement of "Speed" regulations in the State.

They have been after this award for a long TIME>>>

So maybe, just maybe things will calm down now??

But probably not, they probably want to win it two years running.

 

Roy,
May I suggest the 30% reduction is in part due to WA state having the highest gas tax in the nation, and it’s citizenry driving less. Maybe the State should raise the tax even more, all in the name of safety.

Ya have to wonder how much of their data is cooked.

 

I don't know why you seem to desperately want to prove me wrong Don by telling me what I impact but, No I don't! Some might have influence or impact on laws as you stated but I as in Me do not. I have never spoken to the legistature to help pass or overturn any laws. So thanks for trying to prove me wrong but believe it or not I am familier with what (I do) not others. Thats why my last sentence above was "thats the way it is in my area anyway" Finally I really am sorry to hear the law wasn't changed I would hate to have to put holes in my front facia because of a law like that. I hope you can put enough pressure on your law makers to try again to change the law.
AGAIN I'm not the enemy! I don't like that law either but no matter how you look at it, the only way to avoid a silly citation like that is to get the law changed. I would want someone who supports the law regardless if they are LE or any other agency to explain what benefit it provides other than a chance to charge the average person for 2 tags rather than 1. I hope it will get changed!!!!! I wish your local officers could realize how damaging an exotic car by forcing an owner to permanently attach a plate is painful desecration of a work of art. Good Luck I would think a large group of citizens would have more influence than any police department but I don't know!!!

 

YOU are not the enemy, but police, collectively, are.

You have the personal and collective responsibility for issuing tickets. No one forces you to write a ticket for a missing front plate, you can choose to ignore these minor transgressions. If you don't like the law, you should have the right to refuse to issue tickets for it. This is the basis of law that allows "jury nullification" to exist. The common man, and therefore police officer, has the right to recognize laws as unjust and unenforceable. If not overtly, then at least with discretion.

As an example, it is illegal in London for a taxicab to not carry a nosebag (to ensure the horse has an adequate food supply). There is no need to change the law, officers there apply enough common sense to realize that the act of carrying insufficient food for a horse in a horseless carriage is not a crime worthy of a ticket. For that reason it remains on the statute books, because there are more important things to do with police time than worrying about petty technicalities of lawlessness that put no one at any risk. Seems like the police here could take a note or two out of the British Bobby's book....

 

Someone posted this a few months back and I saved it-just in case:


Law enforcement will oppose doing away with all front plates on all cars. He said they need them mainly for vehicle identification. The law, RCW 46.16.240 requires the front plate. It is a $124 fine and first/primary offense if you do not have one. About 9 states do not require a front plate he said. There are about 6 million registered cars in WA..

State law provides an exemption to the front plate requirement on a case by case basis. Attached below is a list of successful and unsuccessful applicants for an exemption. Evidently I was mistaken about the Viper but it appears that at least one model of Ferrari has been exempted. To apply for an exemption contact:

Melissa VanGorkom
360.596.4017
[email protected]

She's the equipment specialist at WSP and can help anyone who needs to file an application for an exemption to the front license plate requirement.

Vehicles issued front license plate waivers are listed below.
1972 Italian DeTomaso Pantera
1974 Jaguar E-Type
2000 Panoz
1971 DeTomaso Pantera
2000 Plymouth Prowler
2000 Jaguar XK8
Caterham/Lotus Super 7
1984 Ferrari 512 BBI
1967 Ford Cobra

Vehicles denied waivers for attaching a front license plate include:
Toyota MR 2
Porsche 928
Corvette
Mini Cooper
Ford SVT Cobra
Lotus Elise
Ford Escort
Nissan 30ZX
BMW Z8
Dodge Viper
Mercedes-Benz
Mazda Miata
Maserati.

So it sounds like if you want to petition the process is pretty straight forward. I would recommend checking to make sure Ferrari doesn't have a front plate holder or converter/aftermarket first to save you the trouble. I understand Melissa does a thorough search of what is available.

Christie



"Treat a person as they are and they will remain as they are. Treat a person as they can and should be and they will become as they can and should be." - Goethe

 

I believe there was another statement in that thread that others in the state government LIKE the idea of eliminating the front plate requirement because they still charge the same, but they only have the expense of one plate. So it actually saves the government money.

Smyrna355Spyder: I don't know what you do, specifically, nor do I know anything about your area. But there is no question that law enforcement agencies DO have an impact on the creation and amendment of laws through their lobbying efforts. At least they do in Oregon and Washington-- maybe it's different where you live.

 

Ok I can only say! I would be glad to help anyone who would like to try and change the law in Oregon and Washington by providing stat's of criminal arrest in Tennessee verses Oregon and/or Washington. I can only assume a front tag law would base its origin upon ease of vehicle identification. I do not have any documented facts but I would bet there is almost no difference in percentages of solved crimes in Tenn verses Oregon or Washington and we only require a rear tag. If anyone wants the info I would gladly research it and forward it. Take Care!!

 

That was exactly what the Washington DOL told me. In fact they went even further, stating that they had to agree to not pursue doing away with the front plate in order to get the WSP to agree with allowing the elimination of front tabs.

 

If you are willing to take the time to research that, I for one would like to see the numbers.

Thanks for the offer, and don't take the bashing personally. It's not that we hate LE, but it seems like it's becoming an "us against them culture" here in the NW. It's very unfortunate because it didn't used to be that way. When did common sense completely leave our society (believe me it's NOT limited to LE giving out front plate tickets either!!).

John

 

Christie,

Thanks for the list. I've never seen that before. Seems to me that if the Pantera and 512 are exempt there shouldn't be any reason to deny 308/328's. I'm going to send an e-mail and see what happens. As I've said before there is even a statement in the 308 owner's manual that says not to put anything in front of the grill!

 

Who the hell does the WSP think they are legislating by osmosis? Hello, they are a servant of the people, not law givers/creators. Their brass should be replaced ASAP. I wonder if they have any idea (or for that matter care) just how poorly they are thought of? According to an attorney I know that does traffic law, better than 80% of them will flat out lie to get a ticket pushed through. Makes you feel warm all over, doesn’t it.

 

What I am talking about is the ever growing SOB officers who are out to make a point and will lie/cheat to make it. God knows officers all hate the "You know who pays your salary" but it's true, we do. We have hired them to be our protectors who will be honest, caring, trustworthy and thoughtful. They will; to the best of their ability serve and protect our families, property and swear to uphold our laws in an honest and fair way. Unfortunately I feel "We the people" are becoming more and more of a $$$ to most departments and we consistently being forced sit back and take this crap without representation from the same organizations we put our hard earned money and trust in. We need to stop this "I'll just pay it" attitude and fight this damn system, hell we own it, don't we? I could tell you stories!

 

My wife and I have come to the conclusion that we will drive the way we see fit. If the WSP doesn't like that then the can site us and we will fight every ticket.

Funny how you can be doing 75 in a 60 in California and no one even looks at you yet here in WA you are some heathen criminal. Interesting also that as a per capita stat the California accident/death rate is lower than here. Same holds true for Germany were 50% of the Autobahn has no speed limit.

One simple proof. Why do you need unmarked cars for the WSP? The ONLY reason is to make money. That is NOT the purview of the WSP. They have gotten totally out of hand.