Citizens Sound Off on 'Annoying' Police Officers

Police Officer Aaron Dilks, the community policing officer for the , posed an interesting exercise last week.

He said he was talking with someone while at the bank and asked "It annoys me when I see police officers ______________. (fill in the blank.) He said it was an interesting conversation and he was enlightened by the responses.

Last week, Patch offered Dilks' exercise to our readers and received a myriad of responses to the proposition.  Here's what people had to say:

It annoys me when I see police officers ______________. (fill in the blank)

• Rolling Stop signs or not using turn signals...
• Smoking cigarettes in their patrol car.
• Speeding. Actually, what's worse is when they go under the limit, because no one is brave enough to pass a police car. Traffic can really back up behind a police car.
• Not have common courtesy. This goes to the Fenton captain. Once, when I let him drive in front of me in traffic, not so much as a thank you wave. Again, 1 week ago at the Fenton Legion fish fry. He cuts right in front of me in the building, and not so much as an "excuse me". I guess he skipped school the day they had manners classes in school, or the TSA didn't cover it during his training.
• routinely drive faster than the speed limit. When on the highway, I use the cruise control set right at the speed limit and I'll get passed by a LOT of cars but when a police car passes me and is not displaying their lights or siren, it really bothers me. I've seen this on all the 4 lane roads around town. I guess they get a free pass when going through the speed traps.
• Blocking unnecessary lanes of traffic to attend to an accident. No need to close 2 lanes of traffic when the accident is on the shoulder.
• block unnecessary lanes of traffic to attend to an accident. If the accident is moved to the shoulder, no need to keep 3/4 lanes blocked.
• Not monitoring or enforcing speeds in a school zone when they are sitting right there. Also when I get passed by an officer in a school zone with no emergency lights on in his car.
• Seeing two or three Fenton (Stl County) police cars in 30 seconds, overlapping their paths up and down Horan Drive.
  Swerving while driving because they are looking at their computers instead of driving. I thought texting (and other similar acts, like looking a laptop) is dangerous and sometimes illegal?
• I'd just like to say 'CHEERS' to you for opening up this question to the public and to everyone who has answered. I really do wish I could come up with a good question as the others have above.
• It annoys me when I see police officers not receiving the respect they deserve. We all hold them to a higher standard of behavior, and then some people think that means they should take verbal abuse when they are doing their jobs.
• feel that they are above the law and do anything that would be illegal for an average person to do. Namely: 1.) Speeding without their siren lights on, it's just as dangerous to drivers around them when they are speeding without their emergency lights. 2.) Sitting on the shoulder of the road (especially a highway or interstate). If it's unsafe for motorists to do it, why is it okay for Police? 3.) If it's illegal for people to talk on their phone, or text while driving. Why is it okay for a Police officer to do so... or even worse... playing on their computer while driving! 4.) Sitting in the MEDIAN between lanes of 4-lane traffic. Where do I even begin here? There's a difference between policing and causing safety issues. There's also a difference between policing to make roads safer, and trying to boost revenue for your local municipality.