Are "Family Member" police gold cards real? - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Are "Family Member" police gold cards real? (Page 2 of 3)

Posted: 9/23/2009 9:34:12 AM EDT

[#1]

They are real, or at least they were, in New Jersey.

IIRC, the Policeman's Benevolent Association provides cards for family (gold) and friends (paper) of active officers. Retired officers get their own special cards.

I had my gold PBA card confiscated by a NJSP trooper for 56 in a 55. He's no longer a trooper, but I didn't get my card back either (Grandpa and Dad were both retired at that point).

Posted: 9/23/2009 9:38:24 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Maybe in a perfect world.

Posted: 9/23/2009 9:42:53 AM EDT

[#3]

I havent heard of them in MD, but they're quite common in NJ. One roommate in college's dad even had a shield with suction cups that stuck to the inside of his windshield. A cop reached in and popped it off when he caught the guy really speeding on the Garden State Parkway.

IMO they should be banned, they're blatent evidence of corruption.

Kharn

Posted: 9/23/2009 9:43:22 AM EDT

[#4]

We didn't have cards, but as far as food went, just about everyplace had an unwritten 50% off the bill when we went in. The Subway would give 50% off and give you another sandwich to go. That was nice, until one dooshnozzle part timer went into a McD's and when he didn't get the dicount, he made a stink about it in the store. That got back to the PD and it was lights out for any sort of "gratuities" for us after that. No problem though, as I always felt a little wierd about accepting that anyway-

Posted: 9/23/2009 9:56:02 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Maybe in a perfect world.

I guess the world is perfect.....

one of the millions of examples in a google search.

Aurora police sergeant on leave after DUI arrest
By Donna Miller
March 22, 2009, 1:59PM
AURORA — Sgt. Dirk Piggott was arrested March 13 just north of Columbus on suspicion of drunken driving.

A Highway Patrol trooper made the arrest and confiscated Piggott driver's license when he refused to take a breath test, Aurora Mayor Lynn McGill said.

Piggott, a 24-year veteran, was placed on unpaid leave. He is the second Aurora sergeant to be charged with drunken driving in three months. Scott Garan, a 17-year veteran, was arrested in Kent Dec. 19 and resigned in February.

"Sometimes you can't dictate behavior, but our officers get substance-abuse training every year," McGill said. "As a police officer, you're expected to be able to serve the public and serve them well."

Piggott is a recent graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College, run by the Law Enforcement Foundation. It's a 105-hour program for police executives. Piggott was on the city's tactical response team and trained other officers how to shoot.

Aurora Patrolman Scott A. Garan, 42, was arrested Dec. 19 in Kent, where he lives, on drunken driving and criminal damaging charges. Kent Patrolman Martin Gilliland stopped Garan, who was driving his wife's car. Garan refused to take a breath-alcohol test and damaged property at the police station. A hearing to discuss whether some evidence should be supressed is set for April 15. Garan had been wearing an alcohol-detecting monitor until March 16, when a Portage County judge allowed him to remove it.

It was Garan's second drunken-driving charge. He also has a prior conviction in Kent for disorderly conduct. He was demoted from sergeant to patrolman after the incident. He pleaded guilty July 23, 2007, and was fined $130.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:04:30 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Ugh. I'm nauseated whenever I see a car on the road that has about 7 "FOP Supporter" stickers in the window - one for each of the past 7 years - like they expect it to get them out of trouble.

Nausea goes to disgust when those stickers are on the rear driver's side window instead of the rear window

God I can only hope it goes like this:

"A ticket? For speeding!? But I donate to the FOP!"
"And I clocked you going 43 MPH in a 25 MPH zone."
"That does it! I'm not donating next year!"
"Doesn't bother me - the fine for the ticket is more than three times the amount to get the sticker. Have a nice day."

$10 says that these very same people later detest officers as being "corrupt", despite that they're pissed off about the officer NOT being corrupt.

In fairness, if you've ever received one of those phone calls- you know thats EXACTLY what they infer when they're trying to get you to donate.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:04:33 AM EDT

[#7]

I have a gold shield from a member of a large metro police dept. It clearly states on the badge, Lieutenant Friend.....yes...it has got me out of tickets with no questions asked

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:18:57 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
My step brother is the sheriff of the county that I live in and my brother is a narcotics detective here. None of that has helped me worth a damn as far as tickets go.

And you should not have expected them too

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:30:10 AM EDT

[#9]

I don't normally have any issues but nowdays my car has TXSG plates on it.....I need to get a set for the wife's van also..... too bad I can not get it for the bike (which I may need the most)

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:32:17 AM EDT

[#10]

I knew 2 girls in college with them. 1 had a PBA card from NY, that was given to her by one of her father's friends (her dad was a fed, the card was from a friend that was a City cop). It had his signature and shield number on it. The other one was a family member card from Jersey.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:40:59 AM EDT

[#11]

The are very common in the NY, NJ area. Google "FOP card" and you can even find forums where cops argue about how many each person should get, when they should be taken away, etc.

They are evidence of blatant corruption. The fact that it is so organized that they issue a certain amount per person, have different "levels" etc and even debate about when you should give a pass, when you should give a pass but take the card etc will sicken anyone who expects LE to have integrity when you go read about them.

In NY/NJ if someone doesn't give the courtesy the cop that knows the person will file a complaint with their PBA rep, who will then get the PBA rep for the officer who failed to give the courtesy to confront that officer.

Here is a thread over at officer.com where you can read about it right from officers themselves.

As far as I am concerned, any officer participating in the whole PBA/FOP card scam is not worthy of badge, and has definitly shown they are not deserving of the public trust.

NC state troopers love to confiscate them along I-95 and write whoever tries to use one up for as much as possible.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:42:50 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

I have a friend that's works for the USMS. He told me if I got in a jam to call him. He also said, if it was for DUI, that I was screwed.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:44:16 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
My step brother is the sheriff of the county that I live in and my brother is a narcotics detective here. None of that has helped me worth a damn as far as tickets go.

Maybe they don't like you.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:56:51 AM EDT

[#14]

I have a BFL on the back of my truck...it gets me out of everything.........................

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:57:33 AM EDT

[#15]

25 years as a LEO and I never saw one. Must be an east coast thing.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:58:18 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

I have a gold shield from a member of a large metro police dept. It clearly states on the badge, Lieutenant Friend.....yes...it has got me out of tickets with no questions asked

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Post a photo of it. It sounds interesting.

Posted: 9/23/2009 10:59:09 AM EDT

[#17]

Up North they are pretty common,I have seen a bunch and all seem to be fro NY,NJ,ect. Down here that would be your job pulling shit like that. Also to add to the knowledge I posed as an employee of one of the "support your local police" telemarketer places as a telemarketer for a sting once. They were telling their employees to basically extort money from folks by threatening tickets,and they had NO association with any police department at all. We shut them down and charged the owners with extortion. 99% of those sticker mean exactly NOTHING to police officers other than you are a sucker.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:00:35 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Well, now... that depends...

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:01:21 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I saw a pretty fiesty bumper sticker on a pick-up truck the other day.

Officer, will this sticker saying
SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT
keep you from writing me a ticket?

No.

If someone handed you the "get out of Jail Free" monopoly card would it make you laugh enough to not write a ticket??

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:03:12 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I saw a pretty fiesty bumper sticker on a pick-up truck the other day.

Officer, will this sticker saying
SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT
keep you from writing me a ticket?

No.

If someone handed you the "get out of Jail Free" monopoly card would it make you laugh enough to not write a ticket??

Hell yeah,that takes BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would in a minute on a minor traffic stop.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:08:00 AM EDT

[#21]

A badge won't get you out of a DUI around here.................and thats how it should be.

Gold Cards? Never heard of them and would be considered unethical here.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:11:44 AM EDT

[#22]

I live in PA, work in NJ, moved here from TX. Nothing like that in TX, except some additional courtesy from having your CHL / CWP. But, a few of my coworkers in NJ have cards like that, works for them.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:12:00 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I saw a pretty fiesty bumper sticker on a pick-up truck the other day.

Officer, will this sticker saying
SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT
keep you from writing me a ticket?

No.

If someone handed you the "get out of Jail Free" monopoly card would it make you laugh enough to not write a ticket??

Hell yeah,that takes BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would in a minute on a minor traffic stop.

I thought it would at least give them something chuckle at.

Officer: What's this?
You: My get out of jail free card, it says to redeem or sell as needed
Officer: hahahahaha, as long as your license is clean I'll let you off with a warning BUT I am keeping the card

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:32:02 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

He is from Jersey and claimed if you are a family member of a police officer you can get a gold card

that gets you out of trouble like DUI. Just flash the card and all your problems go away.

Plastic PBA cards are common, one-use "get out of jail free" cards; officers give them to friends to ID them as "good guys" that should be given a second chance on the odd-ball traffic infraction. Those gold Family Member cards have the bearer's name engraved on them and are not to be confiscated.

I really doubt either will get you out of an obvious DUI.

Just my observations,
WhyTanFox

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:33:39 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Something like that would get you fired at my department.

They are made by the local PBA's. My sister has one a gold one from ex boy friend, I have several of the typical plastic "PBA Supporter" cards from various friends in law enforcement.

-WhyTanFox

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:36:23 AM EDT

[#26]

I haven't gotten a ticket in 20 years. I stopped speeding and don't DUI. Works like a charm.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:48:29 AM EDT

[#27]

a PROFESSIONAL police officer will give his chief a ticket if he deserves one. Nothing like screwing over a department by not applying the rule of law.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:58:21 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
I haven't gotten a ticket in 20 years. I stopped speeding and don't DUI. Works like a charm.

This. 25 years.

Posted: 9/23/2009 12:05:23 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Bullshit... don't make blanket statements like that, it certainly will with certain officers. I know a freakin crime beat reporter who got out of several DUIs because he always treated the department well in his articles.

I have been IN a car (not much of a choice at the time) of a drunk cop - with vodka bottle between his legs - who was never even asked to step out of the car after the badge flash and a quick phone call.

They might not get over if they are shown to be drunk, but in this one case the other officer saw fit not to do anything to determine sobriety level - or even to notice the alcohol in the car.

I still shake my head about that one.

Posted: 9/23/2009 12:22:21 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There's a thing called "Courtesy Cards" but they will hardly get you out of much.

Getting out of a DUI

waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Bullshit... don't make blanket statements like that, it certainly will with certain officers. I know a freakin crime beat reporter who got out of several DUIs because he always treated the department well in his articles.

I have been IN a car (not much of a choice at the time) of a drunk cop - with vodka bottle between his legs - who was never even asked to step out of the car after the badge flash and a quick phone call.

They might not get over if they are shown to be drunk, but in this one case the other officer saw fit not to do anything to determine sobriety level - or even to notice the alcohol in the car.

I still shake my head about that one.

Same deal. I didn't hardly know the guy, or that he was THAT drunk.
I was just looking for a ride home.

He's literally bouncing off curbs. We get pulled over, cop recognizes him and says, "Hey, ***, man you shouldn't be driving. Let this guy drive, or pull it off the road"!

Of course, this was in the early 80s and folks were a LOT more tolerant of it back then.
But in the early 70s, a friend, whose dad was VERY high in the State Police, well his mom was riding us somewhere or the other, and gets pulled over for speeding.

Officer walks up the the window, tells her she was speeding and she says, "But I'm Millie *******, wife of Capt. ********* "

Officer responds,
"well them, you ought to know better than to speed!"

Posted: 9/23/2009 12:30:46 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
50% discount when I went in to purchase some Gatorade. I told her that my office specifically prohibits deputies from taking ANY gratuities. I was very nice and thankful about it. She stated she lived

in Georgia her whole life before moving out here. She stated that its pretty much a way of life there that police get 50% discounts on purchases as thanks for what we do and for patronizing stores. I

was gobsmacked! Never heard of such a thing out here. Any Georgia LEOs have input?

Around here, some establishments provide free fountain drinks for officers on duty.

Posted: 9/23/2009 12:37:26 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
No...........mine is Platinum. LOL. Yeah, this is a surefire way to get your career light button pushed. Heck, the other day, a very nice lady who just bought an old gas station west of town offered me a

50% discount when I went in to purchase some Gatorade. I told her that my office specifically prohibits deputies from taking ANY gratuities. I was very nice and thankful about it. She stated she lived

in Georgia her whole life before moving out here. She stated that its pretty much a way of life there that police get 50% discounts on purchases as thanks for what we do and for patronizing stores. I

was gobsmacked! Never heard of such a thing out here. Any Georgia LEOs have input?

The restaurant I work at gives a 50% discount to LEO's...as do others. Apparently that stopped for about a month after the owner got 3 or 4 tickets in one traffic stop though

. The only thing that annoys me about the policy is that we don't do the same for military, but since probably 25% of the people coming in are military, there is no way we could afford to do so. Since we can't do it for military as well, I don't think we should do it for LEO's, but it's not my decision to make.

Posted: 9/23/2009 12:52:42 PM EDT

[#33]

I work with a guy who's father is a former police chief, now a sheriff. He was telling me just a few weeks ago how he got out of a ticket by dropping daddy's name. No mention of a card though.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:20:36 PM EDT

[#34]

I think I had one before. When my Dad was a judge the police officer would pull me over and ask if I was related to the Judge and I said Yes Sir that is my Dad. He would then say have a nice Day. Every time I went to visit my Dad I would tell him I loved him. The funny thing was that I didn't mind if I received a ticket if I did something wrong. The only time I was ever mad was if I wasn't really speeding and they got the wrong car(which happened once).

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:23:15 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
No...........mine is Platinum. LOL. Yeah, this is a surefire way to get your career light button pushed. Heck, the other day, a very nice lady who just bought an old gas station west of town offered me a

50% discount when I went in to purchase some Gatorade. I told her that my office specifically prohibits deputies from taking ANY gratuities. I was very nice and thankful about it. She stated she lived

in Georgia her whole life before moving out here. She stated that its pretty much a way of life there that police get 50% discounts on purchases as thanks for what we do and for patronizing stores. I

was gobsmacked! Never heard of such a thing out here. Any Georgia LEOs have input?

Down south it is common. I'd always give the police a discount at my stores...of course, it helped to have them nearby to look after things since we did a lot of cash business and were a target for that reason.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:23:56 PM EDT

[#36]

the bigggest pieces of crap on the road with the nastiest criminals have those "I support LE and XYX Agency" stickers on their heaps

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:32:44 PM EDT

[#37]

Some places sell leather ID card holders that say "officers wife" or something to that effect.

Sort of like this, but I have never seen one with a badge.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:34:34 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
Some places sell leather ID card holders that say "officers wife" or something to that effect.

Sort of like this, but I have never seen one with a badge.

http://www.firestoreonline.com/ProductImages/badges/hf.offwife.upcase.full.jpg

That would go well with my concealed carry badge and junior Texas Ranger badge.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:35:06 PM EDT

[#39]

double tap

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:42:00 PM EDT

[#40]

Douglas County, Nebraska.

I witnessed use of said card as a passenger in my boss' truck. We had been watching a football game. He was drunk. He was driving. His wife was a sherrif in Douglas County. We got pulled over, he displayed his card with his license and registration. No ticket, no trouble, have a nice night sir treatment.

Total BS but obviously real.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:45:48 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
In the 80's I was close friends with the brother of a Cleveland cop.

He gave me what was titled a "courtesy card". When I got pulled over I'd hand over the card - LEO would take it & let me go. Was accepted w/o question in Cleveland and the surrounding ‘burbs.

Card would then go back to my friend's brother (had his name) and he would decide if he would give it back to me. Ended up having it for years.

Thought is was great back then.

Yep, a buddy of mine is a Cleveland cop. I've seen the courtesy cards, but I don't have one. He gave one to his next-door neighbor, but cut him off after the third speeding ticket.

Posted: 9/23/2009 6:48:21 PM EDT

[#42]

LoL!

I have a friend that's fond of casually saying: "You probably recognize the LAST name." (with that same emphasis) after handing over the DL.

About 20% of the LEOs will bounce right back with: "Maybe that NAME will help you out in court but not here. Sign here please. Have a nice day."

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:22:18 PM EDT

[#43]

Most places out here where bad cops aren't looked on as a good thing. flashing a get out of jail card is almost guaranteed to get you a ticket instead of a warning.

Posted: 9/23/2009 11:59:23 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
No...........mine is Platinum. LOL. Yeah, this is a surefire way to get your career light button pushed. Heck, the other day, a very nice lady who just bought an old gas station west of town offered me a

50% discount when I went in to purchase some Gatorade. I told her that my office specifically prohibits deputies from taking ANY gratuities. I was very nice and thankful about it. She stated she lived

in Georgia her whole life before moving out here. She stated that its pretty much a way of life there that police get 50% discounts on purchases as thanks for what we do and for patronizing stores. I

was gobsmacked! Never heard of such a thing out here. Any Georgia LEOs have input?

A discount at the stop-and-rob will keep LEOs coming by. This adds the element of suprise to the bad guy and is a hell of a deterrent for not just robbers but general trouble makers (drunks, drive-offs, etc.). According to the NC Justice Academy ethics training it is not considered un-ethical to accept them as long as they are offered to ALL po-po and are not intended to curry favoritism or preferntial treament for that business. In many cases, store owners take offense to not accepting a discount. I have been in a restaurant where the girl at the counter brought over money in the middle of my meal and said she forgot the LEO discount. I politely told her that wasn't nessesary to which she insisted. I said thanks but didn't want to make a stink of it so I just added it to the tip jar.

As to the OP. That card will get you a bigger ticket around here. I got an email a while back advertising customizable "family badges" you could order online. Looks like another way to get it piled on you if you ask me.

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:00:30 AM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Around here, police family vehicles will have either the FOP license plate, and/or badge on the plate, that ensures they won't get pulled over.

You can buy those off ebay. They mean nothing for making traffic stops.

They mean an obstructed plate charge in NC.

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:35:31 AM EDT

[#46]

Getting out of a DUI waving your badge won't even get you out of that.

Maybe where you work. It almost always will where I work. Our PBA has cards given to officers with their shield number on the front. On the back you put your name and who you gave the card to. Most officers will honor cards given to family members for traffic violations not DUIs.

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:36:25 AM EDT

[#47]

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:44:22 AM EDT

[#48]

" A badge wont get you out of a DUI"

I beg to differ.

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:44:29 AM EDT

[#49]

You have to know the secret handshake, have the correct password and use the decoder ring.

Posted: 9/24/2009 12:46:22 AM EDT

[#50]

It's typically called a "PBA" card in NJ. And yes they are 100% real. They will usually work for any traffic offense short of homicide. Immediate family members get the best "gold" cards, but each officer gets a number of lesser cards to give to family and friends.

Anybody who is anybody in NJ has a PBA card.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Are "Family Member" police gold cards real? (Page 2 of 3)

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