TexasCHLforum.com

kw5kw wrote:

Keith B wrote:

warnmar10 wrote:

TexasJohnBoy wrote:Every experience I’ve had with Texas State Troopers have been positive. I’m glad yours was as well

Me too except maybe for troopers at the drivers license office.

Many times assignments like the License Office are punishment jobs. I know this from an negative encounter with a Sargent and the subsequent communication with the DPS Lieutenant over the office. Needless to say the Sargent got to spend a few days on vacation without pay over the issue.

No, not at all! DL office jobs are a highly prized post!

Maybe for those who like beatings as well

Keith B wrote:

kw5kw wrote:

Keith B wrote:

warnmar10 wrote:

TexasJohnBoy wrote:Every experience I’ve had with Texas State Troopers have been positive. I’m glad yours was as well

Me too except maybe for troopers at the drivers license office.

Many times assignments like the License Office are punishment jobs. I know this from an negative encounter with a Sargent and the subsequent communication with the DPS Lieutenant over the office. Needless to say the Sargent got to spend a few days on vacation without pay over the issue.

No, not at all! DL office jobs are a highly prized post!

Maybe for those who like beatings as well

I retired from Texas Department of Public Safety; Law Enforcement Support Division; Communications; Police Communications Operator Level 3 (dispatcher for the rest of ya.)

The posting at a Driver's License office, I guarantee you, was/is HIGHLY coveted. It is MOST certainly NOT punishment. They actually have to compete for the posting. They not only test but have to go in front of a promotion board in order to qualify for the position. Just the same as taking a Sargent, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, etc. exam. It is as a prestigious a position as CID or Ranger in it's own right.

kw5kw wrote:
I retired from Texas Department of Public Safety; Law Enforcement Support Division; Communications; Police Communications Operator Level 3 (dispatcher for the rest of ya.)

The posting at a Driver's License office, I guarantee you, was/is HIGHLY coveted. It is MOST certainly NOT punishment.

Punishment would be some dump out in the middle of the western desert areas of west Texas and expect them to work the side dirt roads to work crashes and also write a lot of citations.

Just saying what the Lieutenant told me. If I was a road officer, I sure wouldn't want to be stuck in a DL office.

stroo wrote:I have been pulled over a couple times by State Troopers. (I inherited a bit of a lead foot from my Mom! I try to control it but every once in a while it gets away from me.) Both times the troopers were great. Once one asked me to get out of the car but then we had a good conversation off the road while his trainee did all the checking on my license. Ended up with a warning rather than a ticket.

I was pulled over once by DPS. It was a Sunday night. It was a minor equipment violation.

The trooper was very professional. However, after I displayed my DL and LTC as the law requires, he made me get out of the vehicle and disarmed me. Then he had me stand at the rear bumper of my SUV while he did whatever he did on the computer. Verifying the guy with a LTC wasn't a wanted felon or something. When he finished he placed my unloaded gun and the ammunition on the passenger seat, then walked back to my rear bumper and handed me a warning. Why he unloaded it first, I don't know. Maybe worried I would shoot him over a fixit ticket.

It was a professional contact but not a trustful one. I wonder if he would have disarmed somebody with a TCOLE card?

Great Stories, all my DPS interactions have been very Positive!

I got pulled over in Houston for having a headlight out. Handed the officer both licenses. He asked me if I had a gun and I told him that it was in the center console. He told me that as long as I didn't reach for mine, he wouldn't reach for his. He gave me a warning and that was it.

I was pulled over by a Tx State Trooper. I was asked to turn off my truck, throw the keys in the passenger seat and step to the rear of my truck. Soon I was surrounded by 5 squad cars and had a dog checking out my truck. The Senior Officer sat by me on my tailgate and cut jokes the whole time. When they sent me on my way the rookie had to tell I was just getting a verbal for doing 82 in a 80 zone and I needed to slow it down. Guess they had a look out for my make of truck. When I got to the Sierra check point the BP Officer pulled me to the side and gave me a through check out also.

My one side road visit with a trooper since I got my license was very uneventful. I handed him my LTC with DL and he just gave the LTC back and said, "I don't need to see that." No questions about if I had one, where was it, etc.

Wife said the trooper asked her if she was carrying when she got pulled over. She said yes and it was in her purse (dedicated pocket). His only question after that was, could she get to it if needed.

Looks like we all have different experiences when getting pulled over. I usually have much better encounters will local constables and even sheriffs than I've had with State Troopers. Every State Trooper I've run into seemed to need an attitude adjustment. You all should read the story I wrote on here about one of those encounters I had when I was younger. Then again I've only been pulled over twice in my life by a State Trooper. None of which wrote me a ticket but those encounters were very unprofessional to say the least. I'm pretty sure the one I previously wrote about in this forum probably doesn't even have a badge anymore. That guy was just looking for trouble and I'm sure throughout the years he probably found it. The second time I was pulled over by a state trooper the guy had the nerve to complain about me pulling over on the highway instead of exiting down the road first. My response was you're the one who pulled me over on the highway. Of course he had nothing to say about that afterwards. Plus I told him I thought you had to pull over immediately and he told me I have a certain amount of miles to do that. My response was I'm not risking the chance of you thinking I'm fleeing. When I see lights I pull over immediately. Always have and always will. Maybe next time you should choose a better time to turn your lights on someone if you don't want to be standing in the middle of a highway at night. Plus I was only going about 5 mph or so over the the speed limit. I'm pretty sure this officer was also fishing to arrest someone but once he saw that I had my mom and grandma in the car with me he decided to let me go. Once again with no ticket or even a warning. So in my experience I've only had some very odd encounters with state troopers and don't really trust some of those guys. Maybe they watched Super Troopers too much and just like messing with people? Idk? That's just my experience with them. Everyone's mileage may vary.

I have had the pleasure, as a former LEO, to have been able to work with several DPS troopers. I have also had, as a civilian, and opportunity, to talk with them during traffic stops. I guess, I have just been lucky, all of my encounters, have been positive, even when I was younger, and received, a few speeding tickets (which were well deserved)

I have not been stopped by a DPS trooper since getting my LTC, so I have no stories to relate about the experience. I have spoken to some while OC, and have engaged in conversations, with them about their perspective, on OC, and LTC in general. None that I have spoken to, had anything negative to say, and were very happy to see people taking it upon themselves to be armed for protection.

I've been pulled over three times since getting my license. One highway patrol where he looked at the chl and handed it back. One city did the same, and another asked where it was and for me to leave it there. I did get tickets all three times.

Jusme wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:57 am I have had the pleasure, as a former LEO, to have been able to work with several DPS troopers. I have also had, as a civilian, and opportunity, to talk with them during traffic stops. I guess, I have just been lucky, all of my encounters, have been positive, even when I was younger, and received, a few speeding tickets (which were well deserved)

I have not been stopped by a DPS trooper since getting my LTC, so I have no stories to relate about the experience. I have spoken to some while OC, and have engaged in conversations, with them about their perspective, on OC, and LTC in general. None that I have spoken to, had anything negative to say, and were very happy to see people taking it upon themselves to be armed for protection.

I get a kick as to you being a “cvlian”now. The Police are a “civilian” police force. This type of thinking sets up the LEO vs “civilian” mentality. They are just civilians working a job as a member of a police force.

Pulled over on I-10 by trooper, put my DL and CHL on the dash. He told me why he pulled me over and asked if my gun was in the glove box, I told him it was on my hip, he said no problem. After checking me out on his computer he gave me a warning and sent me on my way. I was pulled over because I had no front license plate on our Camaro.

March, 2018 - We were on a road trip from Lewisville down to Alpine/Big Bend/Marfa.

On the 8'ish hour drive down one of my low beam headlights burned out. Great. My car requires
you to take off the front tire, remove the fasteners on the inner plastic fender liner, and replace
the bulb from the back, then button it all up again. So, being on a road trip without jack stands,
the bulb replacement was going to have to wait until the return home.

At night a DPS trooper was sitting on the shoulder, lights off, somewhere between Balmorhea and
Fort Davis. He pulled me over, was notified of my LTC, and issued me a fixit ticket for the headlight.
No dollars needed to be paid to anyone, by the way. We chatted for a long time about LTC, pistols,
and number plates. He was somewhat surprised that I have a 1959 Texas truck license plate in pristine shape,
but of course not registered to my current vehicle. He was super friendly and we finally stopped talking so
he could get back to his mule killing.

On the way home, 2 DPS troopers who were in the same cruiser stopped me again, also for the bad headlight.
They sure looked like youngsters to me. I told them I already had a fixit ticket given by the Balmorhea area
trooper, but they gave me a duplicate. Not much talking with those 2, but they were professional.

There's a youngish trooper who works Denton County. He still has one of the few Crown Vics still in service,
license plate 03200. He is a very friendly trooper. I have talked with him on 2 separate occasions.

I am of the opinion that state troopers in any state are generally a cut above small town LEO's. YMMV.

SIA

WTR wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:03 am
I get a kick as to you being a “cvlian”now. The Police are a “civilian” police force. This type of thinking sets up the LEO vs “civilian” mentality. They are just civilians working a job as a member of a police force.

Think you need to update your view to match Mr. Webster's definition:

civilian
[si-vil-yuh n]

noun
1. a person who is not on active duty with a military, naval, police, or fire fighting organization.
2. Informal. anyone regarded by members of a profession, interest group, society, etc., as not belonging; nonprofessional; outsider:
We need a producer to run the movie studio, not some civilian from the business world.
3. a person versed in or studying Roman or civil law.

I have heard this from former military thinking they are the only ones who are not civilians. Not so.