Outrageous Complaints

[MarlonBrando]

Did some searching and couldn't find this topic so if it exists somewhere, my apologies.

My dad gets complained on the other day for addressing a female as 'ma'am' on a traffic stop. She told the Lieutenant that he was implying that she was old by calling her ma'am.......he had to write a letter of apology.

Anyone have any good ones to add?

[PtlCop]

Did some searching and couldn't find this topic so if it exists somewhere, my apologies.

My dad gets complained on the other day for addressing a female as 'ma'am' on a traffic stop. She told the Lieutenant that he was implying that she was old by calling her ma'am.......he had to write a letter of apology.

Anyone have any good ones to add?

Sure, lots of them. Some I can't discuss as I'm fairly certain that if anyone at my agency read it, they'd know in a heartbeat that it was me.

A lot of the complaints we get are things like speeding squad cars, or squad cars being outside the city limits. I got complained on once because my car was parked in my driveway, and I don't live in the city limits. A person from the city I work in, saw my squad in the driveway of my house, in the city I live in. They called the PD to complain that _ _ _ _ _ license plate was being used by the officer to drive to his girlfriends house, which was at ______________ address. That was a funny one.

[damode1985]

Im freaking shocked and feel bad for him that he has to work in a department where he has to write an apology letter for calling a woman "ma'am"

[andy5746]

Im freaking shocked and feel bad for him that he has to work in a department where he has to write an apology letter for calling a woman "ma'am"

Well just what was he supposed to call her? Stupid lady, retarded Department!

[Defender77]

Nope, the only complaints I get are from O.com

[mdrdep]

I could just hear one of my sgt's replying to that complaint. "Well ma'am what did you want him to call you, biatch?"

[mikeymedic]

Not smiling enough, not waving once, taking my lunch "too late". I could go on but I'll wait.

[ateamer]

I'd let them serve me with termination papers before I would apologize to a woman for calling her ma'am.

I once got complained on by an aging hippie (he had a graying ponytail and wore a tie-dye shirt). He told my sergeant that I was very polite and handled the problem he called about, but he didn't like my elbow resting on the grip of my Glock as we talked. He said that he felt it was a deliberate attempt to intimidate him because he was Hispanic. First off, he wasn't Hispanic - he was pasty white, and his last name was Cruise - not Cruz, but Cruise. I would bet a year's salary that the only Spanish he knew was "sensamilla".

Well, my sergeant listened to him on the phone, and then in his North Carolina accent told him that we are trained to maintain control of our weapons at all times, and that it was good officer safety that I had my arm against the holstered gun, because it would help protect against someone coming up behind and grabbing my gun. He went on to tell the guy that if he would have told the sergeant that I wasn't protecting my gun, he would have to write me up for improper safety practices!

[YankeeWhite]

When I was a local, I had a use of force incident that was...rather public. Long story short, during a very bar-hopping time of the day (2am) I utilized my baton to subdue an attacking subject, OC not being an option due to the proximity of innocent drunks.

The Chief received a letter a few days later indignant that a police officer had used a baton against someone. I quote the letter - you can't use your stick on a black guy!

-note, my corporal and first back -up officers were black. They didnt see anything wrong with it. Nor did the chief.

[wearsastetson]

Had a woman in the car with me at 3am....


She was in the back on her way to jail

[sleepwalk]

I don't even know where to start.

[El_Federal]

Yeah I got one for being too nice, another for not being personable enough. Oh yeah and for calling people out on their lies, imagine that people trying to lie to the popo and getting called out what is this world coming to

[Michigan]

Nope, the only complaints I get are from O.com

That's because you don't work on the road, in a patrol car, or in a uniform. Because you're not a cop.

[slamdunc]

One of our 'Good Citizens' allowed his large dog (boxer mix) to stray. It attacked an elderly woman. I went to cite him, he was a smart arse, and I remained professional. As I was leaving (and he was cussing me), I told him to have a nice day.
The next day, he calls the Chief Deputy and complains that I told him to have a nice day, and he didn't think I was being sincere. The Chief and I both got a good laugh out of this one.

[LAChief]

I had a woman try and file a complaint on one of my officers "for making her cry".
Traffic stop was recorded and shows that the first thing my officer asked her when he walked up to the car was "Ma'am, why are you crying"?

I advised the woman that if she wished to pursue the issue, I would be arresting her for filing a false report. She decided to drop it.

[PRESSHRD5COPIES]

I took a complaint on another officer for breaking a car door handle. The citizen said that when the officer opened the car door, he broke the handle. I said that there must have been a problem with the handle before it broke. The citizen said the handle was fine and the officer pulled on it too hard. I said that a car door handle is designed to be pulled on. The citizen never did get it.... or a new door handle.

[wirefire2]

Did some searching and couldn't find this topic so if it exists somewhere, my apologies.

My dad gets complained on the other day for addressing a female as 'ma'am' on a traffic stop. She told the Lieutenant that he was implying that she was old by calling her ma'am.......he had to write a letter of apology.

Anyone have any good ones to add?

They actually made him apologize? What was he supposed to call her?

Had a funny one the other night.

I was sitting across the street from a bar. Its a narrow road with dirt parking on both sides of the road. I mean I'm RIGHT ACROSS from the bar. But its the only place in town where I get a cell signal. The bar calls the Mayor (who is also a cop) and complains that I'm bird dogging the bar. They said I was driving off customers. Of course I watched about a half dozen cars pull up and park or drop people off without problem (most of them waved at me).

[KapsFB]

Few years back I got a complaint against one of my deputies about something he allegeldly did TWENTY YEARS prior! Essessive use of force I think. When the guy was a juvenile. In any event, the deputy in question was no longer with us. Deceased in fact. The complainant wanted to say how tramatic the experience was and how it scarred him for life. Complaint taken over the phone.

I got the complainant's name and info and find he had active warrant (forget what for; something minor/non-extraditable). He's in Maryland so I call back to set a meeting for him to personally file the complaint. He comes in and I basically tell him the complaint is not going to fly. Then advise him he's under arrest for the warrant (couple of my warrant guys readily available in the hallway). He bucks and we take him down. Off he goes.

Afterwards, he files a complaint saying we set him up and used excessive force during the arrest! You can guess where that went.

Priceless.

[HotSoup]

About two years ago I get flagged down by some lady....tells me she wants to file a conspiricy charge against the Attn General of the U.S. for wanting to overthrow the Govt (she was crazy if nobody caught on yet) and she then shows me a letter for the State Attn's office saying it was proof that they wanted to overthrow the Govt....the letter basically said in a nutshell...We're not quite sure of what the complaint is but if you would explain it more in detail we might be able to help you....so thinking I'm smart I tell her that if the conspiricy goes that high more then likely any report I take will disappear and that she should contact the FBI and I would be happy to give her the number....she declines the offer of the phone number to the FBI and says that she already tried to contact them and that they're in on it...I tell her again that the report might disappear if I take it but she wants one done anyway....I make it an Incident report instead of a prosecution report, let my boss know about this whackjob and go about my business.....a week later she's calling my boss saying I"m in on it and wants me fired for trying to overthrow the Govt....that was two years ago and she's still calling the station every couple of months to complain about me.

[SgtScott31]

We had a guy call and complain on one of my officers after her was found guilty of marijuana possession the day before in criminal court. Yes, it was the arresting officer that he was complaining on.

[SleepyCop]

Back when I worked a beat, I received a complaint from an "upstanding" citizen because I took a lunch break at a LE friendly pizza parlor. After some digging, we discovered that the complaint was from a waitress that had a failure to appear warrant active, and she was trying to deter business from myself and my brothers in blue. They next time I ate there, there were ten of us, and when we left so did she.

-SC

[stormz5192]

I don't even know where to start.

X's 1000000000000000%

[Smurfette_76]

Well just what was he supposed to call her? Stupid lady, retarded Department!

b i t c h apparently. It is far more appropriate in that case.

[jakflak]

Back in the dark days when I was an animal control officer I got the complaint (more than once) that I was only catching 'black people's dogs'. Apparently there's a way to tell the race of the owner by looking at a stray dog. I had no idea.

[CruiserClass]

Profiling. For stopping the only person on the block, who had a cast on, when the complainant pointed him out and said "the guy with a cast on".