Deputy Sheriff killed in car crash

[Fyrtwuck]

So what.

Makes it a lot tougher to find your next job with a "reputation" started by someone in a high position like a Sheriff. Unless you're in a big city with pay to match, LE jobs don't pay that well and the benefits suck. A lot of the Deputy positions are "at the pleasure of the Sheriff" which usually means that you can be fired for most any reason, real or not.

 

[Blitzfike]

Sad. RIP to Deputy Allford


I'm definitely NOT saying this is the case in this instance, but a lot of officers don't wear their safety restraints. They are afraid of being trapped in a rear-end fire, saving time jumping out during a pursuit or trying to exit the vehicle quickly in the event of ambush. I have seen it over and over. My stepdad was LE for 15 years and would NOT wear a seatbelt, ever. Even in his pov. I have known of and seen a good number of officers that were of this mindset. It might not have even helped in the case with the belt or not.

I hope and pray for his family whatever the case.

My FTO never wore a seatbelt, as did most of the deputies in the department at that time. The rationale was the inability to quickly draw their weapon if attacked while in the vehicle. My view was that I was much more likely to be in a traffic accident than a gunfight while in the cruiser. I wore my seatbelt. We had to push for new tires and other maintenance that was costly, but if a vehicle was unsafe, we marked it as down and used one of the spares or another deputies vehicle. At different times when the money had been spent, we went on limited expense status and even cut down on patrol milage when we had to. I feel for any LEO who has to make do with equipment that is unsafe. The pay for what we did wasn't nearly enough, but most of us were doing what we were to make the county a better place. We worked for John and Jane Q Citizen.

 

[ddlstang]

LEO or not, you are not required to operate unsafe equipment. Just say no and contact OSHA.

That's a real quick way to be working the jail for a while. Most officers that are issued cars are quite anal and posessive of their cars, especially when its new.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

Wow....I guess that I rate my personal safety and the safety of those around me a little higher than some cops do.

 

[53convert]

My FTO never wore a seatbelt, as did most of the deputies in the department at that time. The rationale was the inability to quickly draw their weapon if attacked while in the vehicle. My view was that I was much more likely to be in a traffic accident than a gunfight while in the cruiser. I wore my seatbelt. We had to push for new tires and other maintenance that was costly, but if a vehicle was unsafe, we marked it as down and used one of the spares or another deputies vehicle. At different times when the money had been spent, we went on limited expense status and even cut down on patrol milage when we had to. I feel for any LEO who has to make do with equipment that is unsafe. The pay for what we did wasn't nearly enough, but most of us were doing what we were to make the county a better place. We worked for John and Jane Q Citizen.

and statistics bear that out.
Many more officers die or are injured in car accidents yearly than are killed in gun battles.
Look it up.
You spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year, your gonna have a crash................no sense not weighing the odds of that statement and determining your safer without your seatbelt.
Yes I hate the darn things and yes I really hated to buckle up when I was in patrol.................but, if your provided safety equipment that you do not use and your injured on the job, you run the risk of.
1. disciplinary action to include termination.
2. denial of injury claim and payment of medical bills.
3. could really screw up a workers comp claim.
I base the above, again on personal observation inside a metropolitan police department for 25 years.

Unsafe vehicles................park the darn things, till they are fixed. Double up. We did.

All that being said, again, this is a tragic event that has seriously affected a lot of people for the rest of their lives.
God speed brother and RIP........,l.