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Lowell: Cop photographed sleeping in cruiser put on leave

4K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  militia_man 
#1 ·
Cop photographed sleeping in cruiser put on leave

A Lowell police officer who was photographed apparently taking a nap inside his cruiser while on duty has been placed on administrative leave.

Lowell officer caught napping placed on leave
 
#3 ·
It is, and bottom line, does he answer when the bell rings....like the firefighters? The cowardly pile of shit who took that picture and the louses who made a news story out of it apparently have NEVER worked an overnight shift and if they have, they had something going on the entire tour and NOTHING to do once it was over. Screw them all.
 
#4 ·
Shit man, they should see me sleepin while I'm cruising Metro West:p Lowell Sun! nationally acclaimed daily there huh!?
 
#6 · (Edited)
I have sympathy for this officer, especially if he was working a double shift or forced overtime that he didn't have a chance to rest up for. Let's face it. Sleep deprivation is an ugly and sometimes dangerous truth in police work. It is better that this officer takes a power nap, rather than fall asleep at the wheel and drift into oncoming traffic. I do question his judgement about where he chose to park. There are a lot of people that would absolutely love to snap a photo like this of a police officer doing anything remotely wrong. All police officers needs to realize this and behave appropriately.


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#8 ·
Everyone understands working nights and needing a rest. Bringing a pillow in the cruiser? Something tells me his co-workers wouldn't describe him as a "go-getter".
 
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#9 ·
Moreover, think about the Officer safety risks. If this asshole could snap a photo of the Officer, he also could have shot him, and he would have had no opportunity to defend himself. Cops have been ambushed while wide awake, but at least you can try to defend yourself if you're awake. Sleeping you're an easy target. I've been on last halfs for two years and have yet to fall asleep. I will say that I've found that when I started eating better and stopped drinking diet sodas, it really helped.
Officer safety risk for sure. This officer is out completely cold and obviously somewhere that he could be easily found and approached. If he had to take a power nap that badly, he should have at least parked somewhere that nobody would be able to approach from behind, sat upright so that any approaching headlights would likely awaken him, and cracked his windows enough to hear if anyone is approaching. I know of a police chief that while stopping short of condoning sleeping, he made it known that he would prefer that officers park behind the police station if they absolutely needed to take a short nap on the overnight shift. At least there they would be safe and away from prying eyes.

If the media wants to publish photos of sleeping public safety workers, all they need to do is visit any fire station after they have had dinner and watched a few hours of TV. A long night sitting in a La-Z-Boy on a full belly can be exhausting.

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#13 · (Edited)
Moreover, think about the Officer safety risks. If this asshole could snap a photo of the Officer, he also could have shot him, and he would have had no opportunity to defend himself. Cops have been ambushed while wide awake, but at least you can try to defend yourself if you're awake. Sleeping you're an easy target. I've been on last halfs for two years and have yet to fall asleep. I will say that I've found that when I started eating better and stopped drinking diet sodas, it really helped.
First off, you're right, cops have been ambushed while wide awake, but if you're shot from behind or sitting in your cruiser (think NYPD) defending yourself is essentially, not going to happen. To look at it from the grimmest possible viewpoint, he'd be gone without ever waking up. He wouldn't even know it happened. Would it be better if he DID know it happened? I've been on the overnight for about THIRTY YEARS. I love the shift and yeah, you bet your ass I take naps and I DO get creative in my locations, but....

Officer safety risk for sure. This officer is out completely cold and obviously somewhere that he could be easily found and approached. If he had to take a power nap that badly, he should have at least parked somewhere that nobody would be able to approach from behind, sat upright so that any approaching headlights would likely awaken him, and cracked his windows enough to hear if anyone is approaching. I know of a police chief that while stopping short of condoning sleeping, he made it known that he would prefer that officers park behind the police station if they absolutely needed to take a short nap on the overnight shift. At least there they would be safe and away from prying eyes.

If the media wants to publish photos of sleeping public safety workers, all they need to do is visit any fire station after they have had dinner and watched a few hours of TV. A long night sitting in a La-Z-Boy on a full belly can be exhausting.

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We all know that the vast majority of cops who doze out will automatically respond to their number being called. One of my co-workers said he figured he'd make a fortune selling alarm clocks that don't buzz, ding or play music, but say in a human voice: "Control to....." put in your own call sign. Sure there are those who could sleep through a parade, firecrackers and/or a bomb going off within 100 yards, but most can't sleep that soundly, no matter how it looks. In the above mentioned 30 years, I've had to be called twice only on a few occasions and missed only two or three calls. That can happen in loads of various situations so I DO NOT feel guilty, bad or like I'm derelict of duty.

As for a better location, this guy is in LOWELL! Not East Bumphuk where there's loads of hidden glens, wooded areas, or vast deserted industrial parks; it's a damn city. Your choices are limited. In this day and age, there is virtually NO place you can't be found. Kids roaming around, lovers looking for a secluded spot to experience carnal knowledge, MassDot workers looking to do the same thing, there is NO PLACE totally safe except your own home, and picture the outcry if your cruiser is parked overnight, EVERY NIGHT in your own driveway!

I work with a guy who did mids for about 8 years and he brought the pillow and reclined the seat and so forth. He always answered his calls. I will NOT Monday morning quarterback a brother officer in this matter as I'd be a hypocrite. I'm sick of the media jumping on this inane issue as if cops are some kind of SUPER HUMAN who can function at any hour, under any circumstances and with no regard to physical and mental strain....and the simple fact that a debate about it is taking place on a COP oriented website is also turning my stomach. Over and Out.

If you want a laugh, check out the first season of "The Commish" where Michael Chiklis, the Commissioner of an upstate NY PD goes to prove to his troops he can do the overnights AND perform his normal daily function.* When the original offending officers find him at the end of the episode, sacked out, dead asleep in his cruiser, POINT PROVEN!

Now, all of you, go get your shine boxes.

*I believe it's the episode titled, "A Matter of Life and Death: Part II".
 
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#10 ·
There's a reason EMS is called Earn Money Sleeping! I saw a motor officer in DC (pre 9/11) sleeping stretched out ON his bike...that was impressive.
The obvious safety issues aside, why give the cop haters any more ammo? Sleep is important and should be accommodated if possible. Dozing off happens. But the pillow indicates premeditation, and I think that is what makes this one so egregious.
 
#11 ·
iPad and Netflix :D.
I've never slept on the stretcher though....I see what happens on there. Not do say I don't sleep, we get pretty creative up front. I could care less, but seeing something dumb and local make national news when the heroics that happen every day are ignored by the media is frustrating.
 
#14 ·
The story is more cop hating bull shit. In RI, it makes top page of the super liberal PROJO, if a cop is caught sleeping on a detail and catches a few days for it. Everyone nods off on the overnight shit after 4am, it is what it is. If I ever take a nap, I do it in a area that is conducive to officer safety. If your OIC is cool and lets you hide in the station to take a nap, that's best case. Otherwise its redbull, coffee, redbull, water, and another coffee for the night, then struggling to plow past 4am, then work a detail.
 
#15 ·
Anybody who works night or rotating shifts, especially in public safety, has a good appreciation for the effects of sleep deprivation and the need to catch a power nap now and then.

My question is, do YOU want a guy who brings his own temperpedic memory foam pillow to work so he can sleep comfortably in his cruiser, to work on your shift and responsible for watching YOUR back?


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#16 ·
I somewhat disagree about being unable to defend yourself in an ambush. If you're ambushed from behind you might see the suspect approaching in your mirror. Even if you can't draw out quickly enough, you can cut the wheel and stand up on the gas pedal. It's a lot harder to shoot someone in a moving MV than through a window point blank. There are definitely some scenarios where you won't be able to defend yourself but you have a much better chance being awake and alert.
"Mights" and "ifs" are not good in this scenario!
 
#17 ·
This isn't a guy who needed to sleep....this is a guy who came to work EXPECTING to sleep. There is a big difference. Notice no of his co-workers were looking out for him, or keeping him safe.....that should be a clue


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#18 · (Edited)
Hopefully this officer was on his lunch break and not responsible for handling calls during this time.

If not... then I don't understand how we can defend him when he brings a pillow, lays himself out like he's ready for a "long winter's nap," and does it in a place where a citizen happens upon him and is able to take a picture of him. Like others have said, what if this had been someone with a gun and not a camera? At least if he was awake, he might see it coming and be able to defend himself. He would never see it coming if he was asleep and that would be that. If nothing else, at least go to the station parking lot where hopefully citizens and suspects won't see you.

I have worked morning watch as well. We work 12 hour watches (shifts), which in most patrol divisions is 1800-0600 hours, which are tough, especially when you have court that day or the next, so I get it.

This guy (if not on his lunch break) is no good to the community, no good to his fellow officers, and no good to law enforcement in general because this one picture certainly doesn't make us look too good. Makes we wonder if this type of behavior is indicative to other parts of his job. I hope not but I wonder, especially because of the pillow.

I too tell my guys that if they need a few minutes to "close their eyes," to come into the station parking lot, tell me where they are, and I will get them if something major comes up... which it inevitably does. That way we won't have this exact scenario or worse.

Why do we blame the citizen when the officer is the one in the wrong here.... (if he's not on his official break). Is he really earning his paycheck here... honestly?

As for the fire guys, that's the way it is with them, although I don't agree with them working 24 hours shifts but that's the way it is. We shouldn't be bringing them into it when it was one of our own in this scenario.

Once again, just my opinion after doing this job for 27 years and still out there doing it. Ok, I'm ready, bring it on.
 
#19 · (Edited)
If you were a good guy, who just needed to catch a few Z's....don't you think your brothers would cover for you, watch your back, and keep you away from supervisors and JOE SHMOE WITH A CAMERA? (or a GUN!?!) I don't think I need to be "on the job" or a detective to see the fact that that nobody was watching this guys back, was probably for a good reason. Why stick your reputation out to defend him, if his own brothers wouldn't do the same?

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#25 ·
It wasnt his first time. Good on him for taking the high road, and moving on.
 
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