International Ridealong

[Delta784]

Has anyone ever done a ridealong in a different country?

I had a PC from the South Wales Police ride with me for a shift a few years ago. He was surprised at the way the public treated me, which he described as either indifference or hostility. Overall, he said that his job was pretty much the same, and even compared some of my local regular scumbags to his local regular scumbags. :D

[jnhdrac]

I have several times, in the UK, Germany and South Africa. I have let my membership lapse, but mostly I arranged them through the International Police Association. My experience was largely what you described, different but the same.

[Delta784]

Originally posted by jnhdrac
I have let my membership lapse, but mostly I arranged them through the International Police Association.

That's how I ended up with the ridealong. A friend of mine is a member of the IPA, but he works for a Federal agency that doesn't see much action (FPS), so he asked if I could take the Brit during a shift. I was happy to do so, and I think we both learned a lot from the experience.

[PeteBroccolo]

If you are involved in interdiction patrols, speak to your Department's, or State's, interdiction program coordinator. Several of our members, and of other Agencies, have done ride-alongs in the USA, and from USA Agencies up here, through such an exchange program.

Last year, we had 2 officers from the Pakistani National Traffic Police (?) out with us during a STEP check point. They had actually been touring our Training Academy, but came out to see what REAL work was like in comparison to what our guys at the Swingin' Arm Ranch were showing and telling them!

[co911]

I've ridden in Oz, NZ and Canada.

[Sleuth]

A few years ago, a friend of mine who was a cop in Belfast did a ride-a-long with a US cop. He said it was the first time he had ever been in a police car with windows that rolled down! (All their cars had armored windows.)

[JohnKelly]

Originally posted by jnhdrac
I have let my membership lapse, but mostly arranged them through the International Police Association[B]

Originally posted by Sleuth
[B]A few years ago, a friend of mine who was a cop in Belfast did a ride-a-long with a US cop. He said it was the first time he had ever been in a police car with windows that rolled down! (All their cars had armored windows.)

I think that as a Serving or Retired Police Officer the best way to meet Police Officers and obtain Ridalongs or conducted tours when visiting other countries is through the International Police Association or in some cases through the various Emerald Societies that exist in the US.

I am a member of the International Police Association and I am seriously thinking of attending the International Police Association Friendship Week to be held in Ireland 4th to 11th September, 2005.

Sleuth, Policing is certainly different in Belfast. The URL below will give you an idea of what a PSNI Patrol Vehicle looks like.

http://www.ukpolicevehicles.co.uk/pages/psni_01.htm

Cheers,

[Sleuth]

Indeed. During the pistol competition, one of the Irish Police Officers took a tiny piece of bullet jacket in the neck, right over the cartoid. He refused to let the English (this was in England) docs operate, as he had a favorite Doctor in N.I. Seems he had been shot 2 or 3 times before! Wow!