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Can a police chief fix a traffic ticket without consent from inital officer?

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policegal12

Junior Member
Indiana

Can a police chief or Sheriff in Indiana void a traffic ticket that was written by an officer on the department without the officer's consent? For information, the officer was asked to change the ticket to a warning and declined to do so. The police chief then took the paperwork and voided the ticket on his own. He essentially just didn't turn the paperwork in because the ticket was issued to a friend of theirs'.
 


Indiana Filer

Senior Member
Indiana

Can a police chief or Sheriff in Indiana void a traffic ticket that was written by an officer on the department without the officer's consent? For information, the officer was asked to change the ticket to a warning and declined to do so. The police chief then took the paperwork and voided the ticket on his own. He essentially just didn't turn the paperwork in because the ticket was issued to a friend of theirs'.
Go to your union and ask them. If the prosecutor won't do anything, however, you have little chance of winning this argument and you are putting your career at risk.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
Can your boss choose to revise a ticket after you were insubordinate? I would say they definitely can. If you are unhappy with his decision, go talk to the prosecutor. Don't be surprised if you get fired soon.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
Can your boss choose to revise a ticket after you were insubordinate? I would say they definitely can. If you are unhappy with his decision, go talk to the prosecutor. Don't be surprised if you get fired soon.
If Indiana has a law similar to CA's then the Chief would be committing a crime to do what he did. I would also refuse to do such a thing.

It is not being insubordinate to refuse to obey an unlawful order. And even if not unlawful, this sounds clearly unethical (assuming the facts are correct). I would also refuse.
 
When an individual officer seems to violate ethical standards, of course we do. Who do you think it is that initiates most internal investigations?
I don't know ... I am familiar with the facts regarding a Brooklyn officer who was fired (he made recordings of the daily meetings showing gross violations) ; there were many officers in these meetings and the fired officer said nothing until he was fired and the other officers said nothing as well.

So I guess my response would be "not a cop". Why, how many ethical complaints do you make a year regarding other cops on average. My guess: zero.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
I don't know ... I am familiar with the facts regarding a Brooklyn officer who was fired (he made recordings of the daily meetings showing gross violations) ; there were many officers in these meetings and the fired officer said nothing until he was fired and the other officers said nothing as well.

So I guess my response would be "not a cop". Why, how many ethical complaints do you make a year regarding other cops on average. My guess: zero.
Few complaints that result in discipline seem to result from outside sources. Most that I am aware of come about as a result of observed violations of policy as a result of field actions, events, etc.

Larger agencies with ingrained cultures of silence to the point of physical harm such as NYPD, Chicago, Phlly and other larger (mostly east coast) agencies are a different matter.

Understand that most complaints are never read by the papers or never come to light due to legal issues surrounding personnel rules.

As a note, I do not have to make any "ethical complaints" as I have not observed any in recent memory. When I see a procedural issue or problem, I address it then and there. If it comes to light later, I bring it to the attention of the Chief who then assigns it out for investigation (usually to me).
 

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