# Why don’t the police do anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** lexus\ **Created:** [May 31, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918 "2023-05-31T21:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 11:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/21 "2023-06-01T11:33:39Z")
I have held back, but have to comment on terminology. Merging is entering a limited access road, ie Interstate Highway, **not** a lane change. Exit is from a limited access road, **not** making a left turn on a surface road. Let’s go to your other thread, in that thread you wanted the other driver to give **you** room, why did you simply slow down and let this driver in? Much better than getting shot. Pulling out your cell phone to take a picture while driving is dagerous behavior. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 11:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/22 "2023-06-01T11:33:43Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > Traffic violations are different from felonies. There should be more evidence needed for a felony, not less! ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/23 "2023-06-01T12:10:28Z")
In a situation like this, you need to call 911 immediately to report a possibly impaired driver and then follow that car if you can do so safely so that you can keep reporting its location to the police. They need to pull the car over while it’s still being operated. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/24 "2023-06-01T12:22:41Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > call 911 immediately +1 I did that on the Baltimore Beltway once. A car passed me and was driving erratically. I called 911 and they took information about where we were and which direction the erratic driver was headed. I did my part and it sounded like they would make an effort to find the other car. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 12:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/25 "2023-06-01T12:40:55Z")
> [@It\_s-Me](#): > > The police can’t issue a ticket unless they personally witness it. Yup. When I first moved to NH, I made about 3 calls to 911 about people driving recklessly (driving in the breakdown lane, weaving in and out of traffic, traveling at excessive speeds…etc). I was told if the police don’t witness it - nothing they can do. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/26 "2023-06-01T13:13:04Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > Traffic violations are different from felonies. But some traffic violations are felonies. I was cut off going up a short, steep hill by some idiot that couldn’t wait and was definitely under the influence of alcohol. He passed me going up the hill on double yellow lines, speeding and then ran me off the road cutting back in. He made some contact with my left front fender. Then he ran from the scene when I chased after him. The cops were called and after viewing our phone video, cited him for felony reckless endangerment along with a number of other traffic violations. Went to court and testified, video evidence included. Guilty. Video evidence can be used by cops as evidence of committing a crime. They don’t have to be on site at the time of the infraction. Sometimes, they just don’t feel the need to get involved unless it is serious enough… ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/27 "2023-06-01T13:49:05Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > A car passed me and was driving erratically. I called 911 and they took information about where we were and which direction the erratic driver was headed. I did my part and it sounded like they would make an effort to find the other car. Same here. There is a 2-digit direct contact number (#77) for the NJ State Police, and I phoned them on my cell phone when I observed a car being driven very fast and very erratically on a rural road near my home. I didn’t get a chance to notice the plate number, so all I was really able to tell them was the make, model, color, and the road on which the car was headed in a Westerly direction. Was that driver intercepted? Quien sabe? ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/28 "2023-06-01T13:53:42Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > Let’s go to your other thread, in that thread you wanted the other driver to give **you** room, why did you simply slow down and let this driver in? Much better than getting shot. Pulling out your cell phone to take a picture while driving is dagerous behavior. I’m a bit confused here. I’m not sure what you are responding to. The other thread is about drivers speeding up the moment they see a blinker on. ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/29 "2023-06-01T14:06:34Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > The other driver might have a dash cam showing what your driving did to provoke him, then lied to the police about taking revenge. According to the police departments, the reckless driver did not make a report. Also, I was cruising in the right lane when the incident occurred. I was not changing lanes or braking. I was simply cruising when the reckless driver merged to the right from the left lane and forced me to swerve to the shoulder of the road. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/30 "2023-06-01T17:24:24Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Was that driver intercepted? No idea. I did my part by reporting them. I wasn’t on the beltway much longer and wasn’t going to follow them to find out if the police caught up with them. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/31 "2023-06-01T19:06:00Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > No idea. I did my part by reporting them. I was actually questioning whether my phone call to the cops resulted in anything. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/32 "2023-06-03T04:14:47Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > There should be more evidence needed for a felony, not less! Yes, and they collect it. The difference between violations and felonies is that violations aren’t worth the effort to investigate. > [@TwinTurbo](#): > > But some traffic violations are felonies. ‘Violation’ is a formal legal term for non-criminal offenses. The cops didn’t go after your guy because he committed a violation. Running a red light is a violation; running somebody over in the intersection while running a red light is a felony. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 11:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/33 "2023-06-03T11:15:55Z")
Seems that the police need physical evidence of a crime or to witness it themselves before they will act upon the story of a witness or recorded video. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/34 "2023-06-03T11:36:38Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > If there is murder, and you are a witness, and your security camera records it too, the police won’t do anything beause they have to see it? I doubt they’ll say that. Seeing a truck committing a crime is different than seeing a person commit a crime. Who is driving? There must be evidence of that. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 11:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/35 "2023-06-03T11:41:12Z")
Do you really trust video and pictures in todays times??? **Can you say Fake Bombing!!** And your neighbor could get ticked off at you and say you robbed them and in your words you should go to jail… YES the police need evidence… But if you report it and the crime happens again and another witness shows up then the police have more to work with… > ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/36 "2023-06-03T18:22:03Z")
Now I support the police (most of them) but to me it is just a little concerning that people are so willing to report their neighbor or fellow drivers. I’m not saying in extreme situations, but our government now encourages reporting on people they don’t like. This has happened in the past and didn’t end well. Pick a subject, and the officials will be glad to respond. Who turned in Anne frank? We’ll never know. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/37 "2023-06-03T18:47:27Z")
I think aggressive drivers who are driving 30 over, weaving in and out without signalling, endangering all around them, etc. SHOULD be reported I also think any and all street take-overs should be reported. It’s often some innocent bystander who’s just walking home that gets injured or killed ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/38 "2023-06-03T19:17:41Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > ‘Violation’ is a formal legal term for non-criminal offenses. The cops didn’t go after your guy because he committed a violation. Running a red light is a violation; running somebody over in the intersection while running a red light is a felony. I understand what you’re saying. However consider your example- You can run a red light and if the situation is egregious enough, you can be charged with felony reckless endangerment. No one was hurt, there was no property damage. It’s a traffic violation that rises to the level of a felony due to the circumstances of the violation. I could have worded it better in the earlier post. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/39 "2023-06-03T19:22:18Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Seems that the police need physical evidence of a crime or to witness it themselves before they will act upon the story of a witness or recorded video. Nonsense. The cops are bound to investigate such claims and will use any evidence submitted to them as part of that investigation. Seeing video of a car speeding away from the scene of an accident will lead them to question the owner and gauge the veracity of their alibi. It may lead nowhere but they will certainly act on the evidence they do collect. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918/40 "2023-06-03T20:49:52Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > I also think any and all street take-overs should be reported. It’s often some innocent bystander who’s just walking home that gets injured or killed Good point. I presume you are referring to what is commonly called “side shows”. Police in this area seem hesitant to do much about them b/c they feel at least they know what these unlawful participants are doing. Otherwise, who knows what they’d be doing? Whatever it is, probably worse than a side-show. Police also say there are very few reports of serious injuries from these events. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-don-t-the-police-do-anything/190918.md?page=3)